From he F1tMa.lph:u Faiaa.nm.
{"newspaper_name": "The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser.", "edition": "01", "page": "p3", "byline": ""}
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A case of novelty and extraordinary interest
occupied the Mayors Court all Thursday last. -
Thomas Clark, a young man OF handsome APP
pearance, about "a years ofaSe, lis hair and face
looking especially sleek and smooth, by occu-
patton shoemaker, and by profession fanatic,
was tried under on old act Of Assembly, for
speaking wilf,llly, dcspitetnly, and lsrespcct-
fully of the Almighty. The Indictment charg-
cs him with saying and repeating at divers times
and places, 81 AN Godt"


1t tappearcd that Clark profcsscd a smattcr ng
of the school OF Toannas Snuthcote and Jcmima
Wilkinson, representing himself to be divine,
not in his origin, but in his nilsson and powers.
lie has been for months surround d in this city
by forty or fifty women and delldcl men, who
are fools enough to believe hi, pleposterous pro-
fcssions These he classiics as his disciples, and
gives to them all his pretended powers They
believe him to possess the faculty Of working
miracles, and many of them s~ore in open court,
that he had actually performed them; such as
making the dumb to speak; the sick well; and
the Blind TO sec. CLARK and his followers call
themselves .erastcrs." Clark himself has been
for some time generally known among the idle
bows of his vicinity, as 1om Cldrk


Judge Read charged the jury to acqnit for
want Of wilful malice. that Clark was weak
foolish fanatic, doing all he did nnocently, and
being more misguided and silly than criminal
more an object Of pity than punishment.


Clark addressed the court and jury for long
time. lie had the scriptures in his hand, from
which he quoted willy and copously. His
speech was little else than citations otpassaSes.
Verdict ofacqutal.