The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-01-10
GEN. JONES' QUEER CAREER
PhiiadeIpliia's King of CTan!IS Dies in the
state Insane Asylum.

rhitadeEpl.ia's King of Cranl>s Dies in the
state Insane Asylum.
Many Of our readers particularly those
engaged liz mercantile business between
the years 1916 or As and 1850. doubtless
remember Cereal John Sidney Jones,
then engaged il the carpet business on
Second street, in Philadelphia. He fire.
gucntly visited Elkton, having several
customers here. \ Philadelphia cores
pendent OF Baltimore paper gives the
following brief but interesting history of
this erratic man:
General John Sidney Jones. one of the
queerest characters in the United States,
died Oh Tuesday last in the State Insane
Asylum at Harrisburg. The General
was king of c.anils, and one Of the
most eccentric men known in the history
OF Philadelphia. He was born in 1911
in what was afterwards known AS the
old district nf Spring Carbon. lie was
industrious ami thrifty in his youth, and
IN spite of some singular Va carries at that
early date. soon became possessor Of con.
siderable means earned in carpet manu-
featuring, Of Which industry he was one
of the pioneers in this city. About lS4J
I he organized his factory OH sort Of CO.
operative plan. and about the same time
| began to be "a vorihie disciple Of a queer
| ont growth of FGuTeriSn. one phase of
which was his hiring of grove near
| Frankfort. where he han SUNDAY pic
MES, participated in ny his watsuicn and
| their familca. who found that il paid to
| humor him. and by q g0oAir spginkEns
of the crankS o: the day. lie was also
| about this time elected a hrigaGior gene
IA! of militia. There were many hrisa-
! dicrs in those days. arrayed III uniforms
of marvellous design and Of 50 great cost
! that the office generally went a-beg2ing
/ General Jones. like other hrigadlers of
his day, did aot like war, so that the conn-
| try was deprived Of his valuable mil
itary services both in Mexico and the
| Sunny South, nor aid he appear in arms
! in the riots of 1911, nor the later one
known rs the California House riot. At
| the close of the war of the Rebellion
Genera! Jones branched out into a new
evangci known a. the Noacnic Adamitic
| gospel dIsneusation, the believers in
! whic! were 10 spend their souls in Yacht
| ing and feet-washiuG. The advertise
ments of tbs meetings OF the disciples
were wonderfn! productions Of big word
ed nonsense. General Jones having taken
to himself a heirmatc in the person OF
| Fanny Lee Townsend, al ancient aud
decaYed pricStess Of free love, purchased
at an e1olbitaut priscc WORKOUT and
worm eaten oystci-h0at, upon which
he and his followers, composed prin-
cipaliy of free loving oystermen, who
eat and drank at the apostle 5 expense
and borrowed mach money Of him, sailed
up and down the river. There were at
this time meetings Of free thinkers held
in an upper room at the northeast corner
Of Second and Pine streets, in which Pro.
fessor jackson. of fire works fame. took
principal part. General Jones his wife
and his oyster catching followers, when
not sailing GA the Delaware or feet-wasll-
ing al Gloucester, haunted these meet
ingS, and after scenes Of disorder many
very funny, took possession them.
Professor Jackson and bis friends NOV.
ing 70 Hay Hall, at sixth street and
Passyunk avenue. liitber repaired ten
Jones on Sunday afternoon. and. being
refused admirtance. a ladder was obtain
ed and placed against window. into
which the General was climbing when he
was oyerhaued hy the police and locked
MP. few days after the carpet store %;
the General on Second street. near the
Commercial Exchange, was burned out
Fire Marshal Blackburn arrested the
Genera! on the ground, on the charge
Of setting his store on fire The evidence
was conclusive, but tie General escaped
conviction through commission Of Ia.
macy which found HIN insane, and he
from that tine until his death was con
fined at Harrisburg except seine DAYS OF
wandering following two escapes from
the sylum. Ills estate, which is cor
siderable, has since been managed by
trustees.