The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-29
IL GREW EPIDEMIC
The Curious Mania Which Swept
Over a Texas Town.
Zane People Organized to subdue tho
Craze Created by a Demented
Preacher Who Did Strange
Things.

"You will doubtless feel incredulous
when tell you that Texas town was
once afflicted with an epidemic of in
sanity" The speakers remarks were
addressed TO a reporter for the Dallas
News. 1T vas early in the res. in the
beautiful little town of Point Isabel
] resided there at the time, and ]
know, of course, whereof | speak
Among the four hundred inhabitants
OF the Point, as we used to call it, was
p Montenegran named SpeeTo, who
went insane over religion. Speero in
sisted that the second coming of Christ
was at hand, and that the event would
be heralded by the appearance at day
break Of white deer on little hill
near the cemetery. Speerc, like SO
many of his cOuntrymeu. was jack at
all trades. He could shoe a horse,
build boat, make suit Of clothing,
cobble old shoes and single a roof
Thus useful his humble residence be-
came 4 sort of rendezvous, and when it
hScaE3e known that he claimed pro-
pbekic powers all his acquaintance
focl,ed around him. He told about
'Iegds and the bees and several other
,si'ables which, though not related in
the Bible. enter strongly into the re
ligious tradition Of the people of east
en- lands. Several of the siore con-
slant visitors who first pitied the condi-
ton of Speero gradually began 10 be-
ieve shat be was inspired and finally
embraced his doctrines. some Of which
were not strictly orthodox. An italian,
who was prosperous grocer, closedup
his store. paid all his debts and insisted
on giving ali his goods to the poor. a
Spaniard named Camisa lost his head
and commenced preaching hurricane
sermons from the housetops. Others
became similarly afflicted and twenty
OF thirty began to show premOnitions
of the prevailing epidemic, which con-
sisted in looking for the white deer,
walking through the streets in a
gloomy mood and flying into a passion
when anybody denied or doubted that
Speero was a prophet. In time the
people Of sound mind became alarmed
and forbade their children TO approach
Speero's sanctuary.
a climax was finally reached
Speero had a vision that he must take
his six-months-old baby and b8ptize it
in the river Jordan. Mrs. Speero
whose mind had not given way, OBJ
iected. Speero insisted in proceeding
according to revelation and Mrs SpeerO
yelled and alarmed the neighbOrhood.
SpeerO and one of his insane con-
panions slipped the baby into an Oys
ter skiff, pushed the frail craft out into
the Laguna Marde, set their leg-of
mutton sail and squared away for the
Holy Land. 4 party of rescuers was
made mp They started in lighter
belonging to the Rio Grande Railway
company and overhauled Spcero's boat
as it was approaching the bar on which
the sea was breaking. They overpow-
cred Speero and his companion and
brought them and the baby back to
Point Isabel, where Hrs. Speero was
found walking up and down the beach
tearing her hair and crying about her
baby. The sane men of Point Isabel
now took immediate action. They re-
paired to the custom house and organ
lied. An old politician who wrote
obituary notices when prominent citi-
zens died offered set Of resolutions
designed To end the craze Then the
meeting adjourned to round up the in
sane and corral them in a box ear.
Speero was the first run in and then
the trouble commenced. Camisa. on
learning that the prophet was pris-
oner, armed himself with butcher
knife and started Ia carve the crowd,
but Constable John Whitta ker succeed
&c in arresting. disarming and binding
him. There was no trouble in manag-
ing the others. Several of the unfor-
Inmates were sent To a lunGtic asylum,
but Cameron county was hot with
Speero for being the originator of all
the trouble, and he was sentenced to
the penitent.ary al Huntsville on the
charge Of assault with intent 10 muir
der, 10 which he pleaded that he was
prophet sent TO announce the second
coming Of his Master. The attention
OF the Australian consul having been
called 70 his case, that authority inves-
tigated ii. had Speero released and
seEt home to Montenegro. The action
Of the citizens broke the backbone Of
the epidemic and Point Isabel has since
been free from Affections Of every sort
save an occasional gulf hurricane.
: Crew OF Deaf Eutes-