Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-12-19
SUING THE ECONOMIES.
A Novel Action Against u Famous Religious
sect.

A Novel Action Against u Famous Religious
sect.
The readers of the INTELLIGENCER haue
been made familiar with the character and
history of the famous Economics Or Har-
mODy Community, who are settled in Bca-
yer county, on the Ohio river below Pitts
5urgh. Mr.. Henry Leibly, of this city.
whose relatives we members of this
community many years ago but left it,
without receiving their portion Of it's
property, is interested in an action begun
for the recovery thereof, and has recently
gone West to look after the matter. In q
dispatch to the New York Times to-day
from Pittsburgh, We find tho following
reference to the matter
IAN argument has taken place in the
United States circuit court on the demurrer
filed in the case Of Elias Speidel against
Jacob Henrici and Johnathan Lentz, trus-
tees of the Economics society, one Of the
wealthiest and most exclusive sects in the
United States. The plaintiffs bill recites
the history Of the Economics from the
time of their organization to the present
date. the plaintiffs connection herewith,
and such interesting information.
1t states that in tho year 1900 George
Rapp, an intelligent German citizen Of
Wurtemberg, preached clandestineiy to
his neigh6ors, not having been ordained
as required by the laws Of church and
state. His views differed widely from
those held by his hearers. He told them
he was the Inouthpiece Of God in guiding
them to salvation, and soon won many
sympathizers. Fully three hundred citi-
zens of fWurtembcrg became firm believers
in his doctrine, and when he proposed tha:
they should form a settlement. OF their
own, under his guidance and control, one
hundred Ond twenty-five families signified
their willingness to so with him.
SIN 1905 they embarked for America,
and settled in Butler county, Pa. Rapp,
it is alleged, induced the heads Of families
to turn their money over to him, to be
held in trust. Plaintiffs parents con-
tribated 81 900 to this fund. About 1918
the society moved to indiana, and in 1925
they settled On their present location,
Economy. Rapp ut times introduced
various rules aud regulations, which the
members were compelled to accede to by
their leader, who had wonderful influence
over them. Among these were restrictions
fOrbiddins the members to communicate
with outsiders, prohibiting the use of to-
bacco, prohibiting marriage, prescribing
the character and quantity Of food, etc.
It is further claimed by plaintiff that
from the age of twelve to twenty-seven he
labored hard with his parents for the
society, for which they never received
more than bare subsistence, and in 1916
Rapp, who had previously destroyed the
records of the amount contributed to the
common fund by each member, concealed
five hundred thousand dollars. The trust
fund, the plaintiff believes, now aggre-
gates SO, 00O, 900, and the annual income of
the society $780, .0OO.. The mode of life,
as prescribed by Rapp, became obnoxious
to the plaintiff after the death of his par.
ents, and in 1881 he left and married. At
the death of Rapp, Cornelius L. Baker
and Jacob Henrici became trustees Of the
society.
"Subsequently Baker died and was sue
ceeded by Lentz. The demurrer of the
states that Spiedel, on the face
of the bill, has no equitable relief, that he
is barred long since by the statute of limi-
tation and, therefore, has no claim.
Plaintiffs counsel held that the fund was
q trust, as tho rules and regulations of
the society show, and that it does, there
fore, not como under the statute of limi-
tation. The same points Of law as arc
in the present case have been
raised heretofore both in the lower and
supreme court. The ruling, 30 far as
record shows, has always been in favor of
In Akv SvH lor,