HORRIBLE INFATUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 453, 23 June 1871, Page 2

HORRIBLE INFATUATION.

D. Gr. Tuttle. of Warren, Illinois, died last Thursday of starvation. We clip the following account of the affair from the Warren Sentinel :— .. ~'.

For twenty-five days ending last Thursday morning, Mr. Tuttle, had existed without food or nourishment, taking only a*few ounces of wine and water; , but on the morning alluded, to, nature gayo way, and the spirit took its flight. Tuttle was n strong believer in spirit-' ualism, 'and claimed that the spirits had told him that ho must fait for forty days, after Which ho would go into a trance and the spirit would depart, but after six days it would come back, and we would all be brethren.' He said he suffered no pain ,of any kind, but was tormented by those wh6 came to talk to him.

The day beforo he died we visited him at the residence of his mother, in this place. Q-oing in, we found him alone, in a, small' room, without furniture, lying ou, a bed with a quilt thrown over him. On entering, the room,, ho told us to go out. "It you want to talk to me," said he, "go round to the north end of the house, and talk through the window. You make the air too close; —too close.", To gratify him we proceeded to the window. "Do you suffer any pain, or are you troubled, Mr. Tuttle ?" .".N0,.1 am perfectly easy. You torment me when you talk to me. My strength is almost gone now." "What do you think is to become of you ?" " I am going to sleep no,w .pretty .soon, when tho spirit will depart! Aftor six days ,it will return, and I will'rise up, and, we' will all be brothers." To gratify him.' we /were then driven away from tho window.

Lying there on the bed, he presanted a horrible appearance. , AH his flesti had, been consumed by tlio- vital prgans to,sustain life, and the skin clung tight, to the bones. With long, uncombed hair and whiskers, sdtlken eyes}, and hollow cheeks, he'presentod a wreck to look upon. The Sunday before he died he wfts immersed in Spafford Branch, he believing that it was necessary to cleanse his spirit, and he had also some of his teetl} pnlled out to carry on the cleansing process. On Wednesday last, the ..authorities were called in, who endeavoured to persuade him to eat, and succeeded in getting him to take a little beef tea ; but the remedy catne too late. Ho was past redemption, and gradually sank into the "trance" from which there was no awakening. Let us hope that 'our Heavenly Father', will be more kind-to him . than he was to himself.. ,