Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-08
EPIDEMIC MANIAS.
Peculiar Decisions which Take Possession
of Entire Communities-Awaitingt the End
ofthe worid-The eCrusades-Wild Finnn-

/ DS'-s.~ ~.@~@s.0"
of Entire Communities-Awaifing the End
| n.. rrna xr,,,p
| oithe -"oOrusaues-"har rinnn-
| HISTORY tells of numerous instances in which
| countries nave apparently gone mad, and,
aienoush sne nS' VI INSANITY nave invariably
caused sunering and death, many incidents In
connectlon with them were ludicrous in the ex-
treme. FROM time to time scare has spread
tnrough england IN consequence Of prophecies
namiils She uate OF the earth's destruction. The
lase OF tnese is OF quite recent date, having oc-
CURED as recently as 1881. Mother Shipton's
prophecy in execrable verse, that during the
year named "the world unto an end should
eonie, was accepted as gospel by thousands OF
residents In the agricultural districts, while not
Ie" more clVll1zed townspeople set their
houses In order, and prepared for the grim
event. During the years 1873 and 1880 there was
distinct religious revival. the little country
chapels were crowded to excess, the penitent
form was In constant use, and psalm singing be-
came the regular evening recreation. Several
women DIED OF oyer,excitement, but otherwise
moraIs of tSa @ sUJa s, ensoa, esPeciay oh Inc
Lord Chief jnstics Coieridge ,r;ed hraacb-
of-promise case at Bristol in lss0 which showed
how completely the prophecy Influenced the
lives of those who believed in it. The plaintiff
In the case was attractive and pretty. She de-
scrlhed the courtship and promise in the usual
manner. ana then proceeded to electrify the
Judge Dy her description Of the breaking of of
the engagement.
-s+
/ ne ueienoane had explained TO her that as
the world was coming to an end in 1881 it
would be madness to get married in 1850. In
vain did she exnlain in renlv Tho, sbo d;d ~.
care Wiz, tho ,,a.,a - , .HaS one uiu no'
a. -" .no "Oi,u was coming w aa emu nor
uiu sne peLeVe IN Motner symptom. Ihe young
man was what the poor call obstinate" and
the rich firm. and hence the suit. The Judpa
expressed his .s.orishmen, a. ,na .,.ar,,;t,, o
on ,,,.-.I .",,a. % 80 - =, "
an ien'iy inteligehs man ike Ine ueIenu-
ant. and charged the jury that it was merely a
question of damages For hours the iury was
locked nm. and finally tba foraman aInIained
+hat ,heI - 'ne oien@n % Ap,aIneu
tnat they could not agree, as opinions differed
as 10 tne relaolilty or Mother Shipton as
prophecies. The Judge decided that this was
amonnt claimed and nc dao;s,or 80 :. a. -
on appeal. But the appeaI did not come
OF until 1882. and the damages were never paid.
for all obstacles having been removed at mid
night on December 81 of the alleged fatetul or
fatal year the couple made it up,' and all was
forgiven and forgotten.
There were MANY other instances unite as
grotesque as this Thousands of acres went
unculllVatea because men refused TO work on
wera Iof. U 'ne easn Iesll lucsion, ouluinsS
snirS. &c usniEsepalreu anu genera,
1atre-s '.aneI enoe Th as 10 terrestrial
nnnsoa5 pASxeu Si me mania was
nort;aiIu no,;onoi h,.s' anu nence was Only
sa;d of snTna nf ,bo sno eame Eau nsLuy ue
a; % In Ioo VI .ns uee1r ruGtion,oI.bne-ear T, IN
p paniIo muieu PIeGs1eu IL. Inc nrst OF tnese
.L. S ~ sno Se.L oo7. wnen phRrihs uraEgeo
~ ~; aaI iinos 70 JerTsaiem 70 meee SnIlst
nearly the wboIe of centrsl EnTons and ,be 10
hoady - snS ni mHoie VI centraI EuloPe, anu tne
crnits fran, MS,e py new re-
ti ~ u's tio efsIy naiLihR pIace. Mucn oestluc-
ZION resulted from the march, and many COM
destronod Is1.e mere spanuoneo. ~ ~DseasS
ones az iaige percenIase oi tne lnia.uatsa ts
oinb,oo,th - 'ne uI'eentn anu tmice Al iS Lne
Tassn;snt; oensuiy PloPneclee 40 " moti ~
most remartahs ;rs1anca haino anu IN 17ee when
Oos O. leIa~Ihapie ia ~ lnstance Deine ~ tIo9 muen
Nn%o- 40 ea;I ao u sne g. uS1 ~ ~ ~ ths a,a,,
inc Of az Io.h ,d 49, ~ oo,ir o ~ wban
the era don nf +ne In nnset the nIonbsts
renufa 10 fnr an,nrecv A Up'o' 'A'
-'p"'"'on Aoi
"e orus"ue S'"1e'
tional, if not continental crazes. Peter
tho Jarmi+,s -, ,ot;uos ,,,y Nc hoon oxoaIrant
put IL was not long pelore tne reIgious war ue-
seriorateu ir.o uio tino.iy nieiIsous s,i iau IL
=. nu.oou ~ .no 80 .as . - -
- III -, -, aoIJ 80 ttai. ho1on,rinrs
80 aan.rIr io;rad .ho rarSs p,,t the crazs
Ala 49, s+or +baro Daon1a ,vbo baJ nothing
stole from those that had, consoline themselves
with the happy thought that no ill could posi-
bly, befall them. The same idea Influenced the
crusaders on the march. As pardon would
cover everything. the fanatics decided to have
good time regardless of morality, and never
in the worlds history were there scenes of more
unbridled licentiousness than in the camps of
these "holy" warriors. The real object OF the
campaign was matter OF comparative indiffer-
ence to the rank and hle, and Europe was VIC
tlmlzed remorselessly Dy Ine tnleVes and
Dandlts.
The South Sea bubble will ever be remem-
bered as marking period OF national insanity
There was never a sound principle In the
scheme, which enriched few and ruined
thousands; but for months men and women
fought for the privilege OF contributing TO IT,
Public credit was in bad way early In the
eighteenth century, and Hariey's idea was to
restore 1t by means OF the south Sea Company.
rms company assumed the dept OF t!o.VoOOo;
and was guaranteed interest at per cent, and
also monopoly of the trade with the South
Seas. Wild stories were hoated as to the
wealth of the gold and silver mines OF Peru,
Brazil and Mexico. and people who had no idea
where Peru was. believed every word that was
said.