Extraordinary Fanaticism.
The Times, 1824-10-04T00:00:00

(krom tttc (Vanc1tzcar tg1srdian1) On Saturday last, an inquest was held at the Colliers' Arms, in Hurst, bt the parish of Ashton-otnder-line, on the body of Daniel C,nmshaw, a clild of t'orteen davs old, who died on the Thurgday Previous, in consequence of hayirig been circuxmcised by MAr. IHenry Lees, of Ashton, About six days before. h appears that for some tinie past, the follower% of Joanna South. cote, whoare still verv numerous in and nearAston-.nder.line, have in that neighbourhooa, and, we understand, in some others also. adopted the strange notion that they are bound to comply with the injunctions of the Alosaical law, respecting tht rite of ciremdsion. All, or nearly all, the male believers inithat neighbourhood, have consequently subnmitted to the operation, and have had it performed u,nn their children, on the eighth day after birth, In obedience to the directons contained in the book ot Genesis. This lamentable delusion, we understand, has prevailed in a limnited degree for several years, though we are nnt aware that it is in any way inculcated ir ,he wu-itings of the prophetess. Of late it has made a very rapid prr-resa. The caue excited a very intense interest in the neighbourhood and there was a great crowd collected about the house where the in. quest was held. The th-st witness examined was Mr. Ogden, surgeon, of Ashton, ;Vho stated that lie opened the body of the deceased on the day pre. viocs totbe inquesL He found the contents of thetthorax, abdomen, and head pertectly healthy; but the bodyr was muclh emaciated. The witness then proceeded to describe the appearances exhibited by ontehr parts. he ha(l tio doubt that the operatiotn which had been performed on the child was the cause of its death. The wound had not been properly treated, and had mortified. Robert Grimshaw, a coUier. apparently not more than 20 years of ace, and the father of the child, said his step-niother carried the chi:d to the csapel to be circumcised; having been repeatedly direct- ed so to do, bv 31r. Lees, AMr. Swire, and Air. Wroe. It is a law amongst the followers of Joanna Soeithcott, to take tite male chlil. dre n oa the eighthi day after birth, to be bsptized and circumcised and acordingly, whein the child was eight days old, it was taken to thcir chapel, sad given into the hands of hMr. Henry Lees. Wit. aess did not see the operation performed himself, having turned his head away. There were 30 or 40 persons present, and during the operation, the m,isical instruments in the chapel were playing, " in order (as the witness said that the cries of the child might not be heard by the world." NWitness was circumcised bimself about l-hitsuntide last: nio batid played then; there being no occasion for it. The instirments with whichi the operation is performed, are a knife, a pair of sci&sors, and a piece of silver, about the siZe of a crown picce, with a hole in it. - ,rimnshaw, ste-mother of the last witness, proved that, be. fore the operation, bhe delivered the child to MIr. Henry Le"s, and haw the instruments in his hands: but, standing at the head of the child, shc did not exactly see the operation performed. Two of the musicians of the chapel were then examined, but they did not throw any additional light on the transaction. Both Atated that they had themselves submitted to the operation, one said :hat he was circumcised by a gentleman at (Gravesend, whose nalme he would not Trention. The other, in answer to a-qucstion fromn thte Ce,oncr, said, th-at he was circumcised at Bradford. Coto,vEB.-Well; it would be a long time before they woald emrsuadc me to be circuncised. Witnct sI-oTe pity, then, Sir. Joseph Grimshaw the "randfatber of the child, saw the opera- tian perforined by Mr. aenry Lees; and described the mianner in which it was effcted. WVitnems was circumcised himself: the only r*her person, except the child, whom he had ever seen circursned, was \tWrue, "our prophet." Just as the witness was about to go pwvy, the Coroner said. " You seem to have a long beard: ptay whmn wec you shaved " Witness.-About three weeks agO. C(onnoa 5R-What is your reason for wearing It so long ? W-itness (strolkin his head with great seltfcomplacency)._To iook like GQr forefhtters of old, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This =s pll the evidence adduiced. The Coroner then said, that as the Cae was Cne Of co.npletc novelty, before calling on the jury f-. ther verdict, lit should w ite to M r. Rtaineock, the barrister, and ake his apinlonc n the subject. To give time to do this, he should s3journ the inquast to the Fridav folloxing. Probably when they rext mnztc,tt^re would be nothing for the jury to do but to record their s7e,-. The inquest was then adiourned. o ~' rtar arczwrdingly. the jury re-alsembled at three o'dock, at the .-::e Inn, in Ashton;, when the Cotoner produced and reas r i. VWrhch he had received from Air. Rainceck. It was, in effea, i.r is' anny 5ersons chose to perform such an operation as =cume!in,n Vale*5 It wsas surgically nccessary, they r4ust take the c*nseqeneacn upon thlimselveg; and if death should ensue from their una:dliU'nca, they would, in his judgment be guilty of man, ebozghu , Tl;e learned gcntliCnan added, that tfiere would perhaps bs aneacaP *a the case of Jews, who were expresslr enjoined 1- au e%ai-I= fo "-for ite c -C but as it was no parto the ordi- oc.ef the Cbris:ia- religion, no CliriEtlitn weuld he justified in peformuing it. Thc Jury dcliberTed for a short tirne, and then returned a ver. din of 's 3an iaugherf' aainst Henry Lees. 1,r. Lbees was in the house, in the custody of the consteble of '-..hton: crd wlli, of course, be committed to Lancaster to take his s for the offarce- vWe urdcrsttadd that, sitare the fatal event which gave rise to this F.ueq, the rite of circumcision has been pirformed, in at least one rtsrxnce,at Ashfon. - . A most extraordinarY affmir happened at Trent Foldridge, near on Tuesday se'nnight. A sect has sprung out of the Joan- tt-.o, or southcotartans, which has adopted the ancient Jewish fil cf retrjamision. This sect having embraced an dpropagated its cculiarities with a zeal worthy of a better cause, has made pro. edytes to its ringular tenets, -end several lperons have submitted to t*e ritf- Tuesday was the day appointed for the. circormcision of a. ctnd lwhesef-the-.wasaproseYt.e to the newsect; thetime.fixedbe. canisg known to thepublic, that curiosity whichis ever onthe alett f ibee mnarvellous became qiite aroused; hundreds, ifnot thousnads. *?yktd to thcappninted place. The mother of the child opposed its zbn-,is,:iOn to tlhl ritc, an:d a goodly number of the crowd took her the fhthcr,on the otlter hand, with his partisans, insisted on rity aver the child, and that the riteshould be perforned on r. Theopposition increacd; the opposing parties became turbu- lent sad violent; she constable, ana persons of influence in the *-hbborhood, wer called up to kee! etha peace. 'he poor tnild 4 w?5 cut;esat puited to pieces3inm the -mm roy, t ,-Wichi however, termt. h~d itks eSping tihe pin consequent on the performance of the ~mony, as tohe party sshieb had joined the mother proved much ttouumecoeusadpdow o for their opouent".-DeO4 M-cnr,y. EXTRAORDINARY FANA1TICISM. CORONER'S INQUEST AT ASHTON-UNDELER.Y,.