Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-11-28

"They DON'T" said Mr.. Spaldlng, with laugh
"They think I'm devil"
eyes, and they think I'm one, too" remark
cd Justice Drake who had come in during the
conversation. "By -, that coffin had 10 be
opened before Il was inferred, or I'd have seen
what the law could do" And the Judge who
is n man of muscle, looked as though he would
have kept his word.
"I'd like TO see some of these Perfectlonsts,' "
said the reporter
"Weu. go out on the street." said Justice
Drake, land you'll see 'em; you won't have any
trouble in telling 'em when you do see 'em,
either"
"why9" asked the reporter. "Iiow do they
look?"
"They look as though they fed on skim milk, "
said the Judge, with n chuckle, as he got up and
walked out OF the office.
One of the prominent members OF the Per-
fectionlsts is Mr.. George Eddy, man who owns
a considerable quantity of real estate In and
around Byron. Eddy has no regular business.
but spends his time in "tnkcrng" around his
various buildings. lie Is "A very penurious man,
and is not well liked by the people of Byron,
who say that many ugly stories can be told OF
his methods of doing business. Eddy himself
says that in times past he has lied and cheated,
but that he does so no more, because Christ a..
e. Mrs. Beekman) has made him perfect. There
Is an ugly rumor allOat In Byron to the effect
that under the direction of the Lord, Eddy Sc
verely thrashes his infant daughter, who is not
yet a year old. Desiring TO ascertain how much
truth there was i'm this rumor. the reporter for
the Daily News inquired OF several persons but
they could tell him nothing more than that
"they had heard It," AT last he succeeded in
finding Mr.. Ell ii. Cook, the village drayman,
who, short time ago, lived In the house with
Eddy Mr.. Cook spoke freely and evidently
has no sympathy with the Perfectionists as ex-
emplihed by Mr.. Eddy He said:
"Now, l don't want to say too much, but pretty
much all the town knows IT, Eddy has had
three wives and any number of babies, but he
never raised a child yet. l don't mean to say.
though. that he killed them by abuse only
know of one instance of this kind, but that's
enough for me. His baby was born somewhere
about Christmas Last July heard him, one
night, thrashing the child, and his wife begging
him to stop. His wife was so scared that she
left the room and got out into the hall. ! was
in bed, but got up and looked out OF the door
and could see her Then went and pulled on
my breeches, and was going 10 show this Per-
fectlonlst what my style of Christianity was"
(here Mr.. Cook doubled up his fists, showing
that his belief partook i'm some degree of the
muscular order), "when my wife caught hold OF
my arm and pulled me back Then Eddy let up
on whipping the child and its mother took II
and fed it. That was all it wanted. 1t was
hungry. poor little thing and as soon as II had
something to eat it went right TO sleep"
"Now," said the reporter, they say, Mr.. Cook,
that you left Eddy's house and went TO live
else because you couldn't stand see
ing him abuse his child"
~ wouldn't like 10 have you say that" he re-
piled, rather hcstatingly. II left the house
because he had so many Perfectionists coming
there that il made things unpleasant"
Mr.. Eddy was pointed out TO the reporter lie
is n man of about sixty years of age, and his
hair and beard are quite white. He has not the
look of an amiable man. His clothes were soil
ed, although made of good material, but his hat
was a forlorn affair, with at least dozen holes
in its crown.
visit was made TO the house of Mr.. Beck
man, but it was learned that he had gone to
Romeo, Mlch on visit to his brother, who
lives there. The house is commodious one,
and was given to Christ q. c.. Mrs. Beekman) by
her followers. When she died it passed into
lid not like this. and tried to get possession of
It. But as they had formally decided it to Mrs.
Beekman, upon her death it legally became the
of her husband.
OF Mr.. Beekman no one in Byron has any
hing but good to say, excepting always the Per-
Tectionists, who cannot forgive him for retain
ing possession of the home they gave his wife.
lie is one of the most popular men in the town,
a. - l.rlr
lie is a regular attendant of the Congregational
'hurch. and frequently speaks in the church
meetings. He is loved for his undoubted good
ness. and is pitied for the sorrows he has been
,alled upon to bear
Mrs. Beekman is described by one who knew
ler well to have been handsome lady, slight
N frame, but with great powers Of endurance.
Her learning is spoken of as something remark
lblc. She was n brilliant speaker, and her
powers of magnetism were so great that she
leld the attention Of her listeners until she had
inished speaking. She has been known to
'pcali continuously for three hours. In con-
'ersing with her some difficulty was experienced
rom the fact that she was slightly deaf. No
me questions her sincerity, but IL was generally
believed that she was crazy.
An attempt was made q few days ago to eX-
hume the remains of Mrs. Beekman, but II ere
lted such disagreeable stir of popular feeling
hat II was not carried out.
The reporter called on Mr.. A. w. Erwin, edi-
or Of the Byron Express, and asked him about
several of the rumors he had heard. Mr.. Erwin
was very non-committal. He denied having
heard that Eddy abused his child and said that
he was a near neighbor of Eddy's, and would
know If any such thing had been going on.
From Mr. Ervin's manner the reporter inferred
hat his house was near Eddys, but subsequent
inquiry showed that the two men, though they
nay be neighbors, live more than half mile
apart. Mr.. Erwin declined TO say anything
about the Perfectonists, and said that he had
expressed no opinions about them in his paper
lie finally admitted, however, that he thought
he Rev. Mr.. Sweinforh had struck n good
thing, and knew enough to stick TO 1t. This i'm
preston concerning the Rev. gentleman seems
TO be very largely prevalent in Byron.
1t Is told by some persons in Byron that Mr..
Sweinforths frequent visits TO Mrs. Beekman
created such a scandal that Mr. Beekman final
y knocked down his clerical brother, and left
Byron for time; but upon his wife's promise
hat she void not see Mr. Sweinforth again, he
But Mrs. Beekman continued TO
meet her disciple, and frequently went out rid
ing with him. The story, however, is not alto
yether authenticated
The chief leaders of the Pcrfectionists in By
ron are the Eddys, the Nortons, and the Smiths.
The Nortons are said to have been many times
revived" by evangelsts of different orders
Perry Norton has fine farm one mile from
Byron. Milo Smith and his son, Owen Smith,
are also farmers and in good circumstances.
Milo Smith was formerly deacon of the Byron
church
The Perfectionsts say that the word Dora"
means "Christ," and notwithstanding the fact
hat the three-day and the forty-day theory OF
Mrs. Beekman's rising from the dead have
proved false, their faith that she was really the
true Christ remains mistaken. They claim
hat her mantle has fallen on Mr.. Sweinforth,
and that they can see her spirit guiding their
affairs. They hold meetings in Morris Hall
,laks nj of ma