16
went insane around 1912, and Katherine Koch of the South Family
around 1910. Both Koch and Bowers died in Poughkeepsie State
Hospital."


NORTH UNION, OHIO

In the Ministry Journal for 1875, when Giles Avery recorded his
visit to Cleveland [North Union] on July 7th, he heard "the
pitiful story of the probable suicide of Brother David Sumner of
the Mill Family. No brethren now left in Mill Family except one
young Believer and one ignoramus."


OLIVE BRANCH, KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA

This small and short-lived community did not escape the problems
of mental instability and they were all spread out in the public
press. In June 1899, as recorded in the KISSIMMEE VALLEY GAZETTE
and sent to me by William Cullen, the County Judge received a
petition from Benjamin Gates [an overseer from Lebanon] to have
William Spiller committed to the State Insane Asylum. "Spiller
is an Englishman, who entered the Shaker community at Mount
Lebanon about two years ago. After staying there some time he
came down to Florida and lived with the mental scientists on the
East Coast. From there he came to the Shaker colony here, where
he developed the peculiarity of not speaking or sleeping. Afgter
staying some time he went to the Shaker colony at White Oak, Ga.,
where he developed the further peculi-
arity of not eating or wearing clothes. His ideas being somewhat
embarrassing to the Shakers, they persuaded him to go away, and
he turned up again at Olive Branch. It was suggested to him that
his departure would be regarded as a favor, but he insisted on
staying and refused dto speak, although he consented to eat and
sleep and wear conventional clothes. Finally application was
made to have his sanity inquired into. After being examined by a
board of doctors... he was discharged as compos mentis and left
town, with a caution to let the Shakers alone."

In 1911 there was the sensational case of the^assisted suicide"
of Sadie Marchant, which has been all retold in newspapers in
recent months. But we won't retell that story here.

However, the ST. CLOUD TRIBUNE of September 27, 1912 recorded
that >xSadie McClure [referred to by a reporter as ^young and very
attractive'], one of the residents of the Shaker colony... was
before the Judge for examination as to her mental condition.