Litchfield Enquirer

Pascal B. Smith, a wealthy merchant who moved from New York to Cincinnati a few years since, with about $100,000, lately joined a set of knaves called The "Brotherhood," who profess to hold direct communication with the Almighty, by whom he has been swindled out of two-thirds of his estate. His wife has applied to the courts for the protection of the remnant of his property. A barber named Mahan was the leading oracle.

[Since the above was in type, we have received a more particular account of this singular affair, which will be found in another column.]
Infatuation of a Man of Wealth

A lady of Cincinnati has brought a suit in the Superior Court there to secure the appointment of guardians of her husband (Paschal B. Smith, formerly a respectable merchant of New York.) who is alleged to be the victim of a strange delusion, and therefore incapable of taking care of his property. A letter of the 10th inst. to the Tribune—when the case was in progress—thus states the case :

About two years and a half since, Paschal B. Smith, of the firm of Smith, Stratton & Co., merchants of your city, moved from New York to the West, and purchased a beautiful residence in Mount Auburn. about one mile from this city. It appears that he brought with him, or then had in his possession between $80,000 and 100,000, which, when he retired from business. he had determined, as he expressed it, "should be expended for God and Humanity." Some time previous to his removal, a movement had been made in our city, at the head of which was a prominent member of the Cincinnati Bar, to establish a community called the " True Brotherhood," of which the Herald of Truth is now the organ, It was not long before Mr. Smith fell in with the doctrines promulgated by this "Brotherhood," and became a leading member. They pretended that through an " Oracle," who was put in the mesmeric state, they could hold communication with the Spiritual world In this "Oracle" Mr. Smith had the most implicit confidence, and felt himself to receive the messages delivered as Divine commands, telegraphed in this manner to him from the Eternal One of the "oracles was a man of questionable character, by the name of Mahan, who was formerly a barber on a steamboat commanded by Capt. Ross, which ran between this city and New Orleans. It appears that a kind of joint stock company had been organized by the "Brotherhood" for the prosecution of certain speculations, which required funds, and with but one exception, Mr, Smith being the only wealthy man among them, heavy drafts were made upon his purse, all of which, on account of his confidence in the "oracle," who, while in the mesmeric state, made known the sums necessary, he felt obliged to meet At one time $500, at another $300, at another $100, at another $1,500, and at one time $15,000, were demanded and given over, until it appears that $46,000 of Mr. Smith's money had been used up, and he has not for it even a claim upon the property purporting to belong to the brotherhood. The "oracle" Mahan, with several accomplices, has lived for some time past in the grandest style, in one of Mr. Smith's houses, and has figured as quite a dashing fellow at Mr. Smith's expense. The house is furnished in the most extravagant style. and the gentleman keeps his fast horses and fine carriages, and has his table furnished with silver plate,—as though he had an inexhaustible mine of money, in order to keep him with them, they have been obliged to give him about $2,000 a year, Many individuals remonstrated with Mr. Smith, and expressed astonishment that. while he lived so economically himself, he should be keeping up this young man in idleness, dissipation and extravagance. He remarked that "These were mere foibles in which the young man had to be indulged—that God had chosen him as a medium of communication with this world, and they must give him these things in order that they might reap the benefit of his peculiar connections—that he was confident Mahan transmitted intelligence from heaven, and that if he could have it no other way, he was willing to pay $100 a day for it." Solomon P. Chase and William Birney are attorneys for the plaintiff; Chapin and Woodruff for the defendant. Chapin is one of the fraternity.