Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-21

A special telegram to the New York
World from ST. Louis, under date OF
April Is, says: A. Bently WOrthing-
ton, alias Samuel Oakley Crawford, the
higamist aud Christian Scientist, ex-
posed by the World In 1859, and who
mysteriOusly disappeared afterwards,
has been located To Christ Church, New
Zealand, where he has established
big swlndling institution under the garo
Of religion.
Warrington has as a partner there
Mrs. Mary PluRkett, formerly editresS
az the International Magazine or ChrlS-
tan Science, Of New York, and the ex-
wife Of j. j. Plunkett, who was one OF
the leading Christian Scientists IN
Gotham. Mrs. Plunkett is now known
a. Mary Bentley WorthingtOn.
The followers Of the new faith IN
Christ Church, New Zealand,are known
as 1.-The Students OF Truth" and with
the funds obtained from the simple folk
there, WorthingtOn aud his female assO-
ciate have erected building Of worship
known as "The Temple Of Truth. "
This edidce cost $50, 600. In addition a
''sOcial hall" has been built, and resi-
deaces for Brother" WOrthingtOn and
Dear Sister" WOrthingtOn have been
erected. Altogether $50, 900 worth OF
buildings have been built from the prof
its Of the new religion.
Under the teachings OF WOrthlngton
marriage vows have lost their sacred
ness for the students OF Truth"
Wives are leaving husbands, husbands
are deserving wives, and the followers
are living in a state Of prOmiscuOuSness
unprecedented in New zealand.
All these facts are related in detail
By the Rev. John Hasking, Methodist
minister In New Zealand, who has writ
ten 10 ST. Louis friends, inQuiring about
Worthugton, He iucIoSed a photo
graph of tie bigamiSt, and would like
20 secure data 10 begin a prosecution.
DR.. Hastings address is Christ church,
New Zealand.
"a. Bentley Worthington" is the fel-
low whom the World exposed fully in
1883. Mr.. Worthington married Mrs.
John j. T. Plunkett, wife Of the editor
Of the International Magazine Of Chris
tian Science. without going through the
fOrmality Of q divorce. Mrs. Plunkett,
strOng-minded woman, who had been
making IS, 600 TO SIC, 900 a year at men-
tai healing, persuaded her husband that
her fancy for WorthingtOn was true
sOul-lOYe, and 10 therefore became her
duty to marry Mr.. Warrington. Mr..
Plunkett signed a paper, in conjunction
with Mrs. Pluuket, affirming that al
though lawfully married they had been
living the lives OF celibates because they
>Wers such true Christians. Mr.. Plunkett
$50 gave bis wife his money, surren-
Aered his claim on the two children and
led TO be resigned. But he felt sorry
Dn afterwards and sued for divorce
recovery OF his children.
he publication OF these stories
ght to light Mr.. A. BeBsley Worth
PMS record. lt was discovered
"Gen. A. b. We'd, who had fed
from Fargo North Dakota, was the
same man. "Gen. Ward bad married
a Miss Perrine, of Providence, L. l.,
on her twenty-trSt birthday. She was
worth S12, 900. They moved TO Fargo,
North Dakota. Here, after swindling
q number OF persons, the General"
skipped with his wiie's money.
The General had previously lived
in Griffin, Ca, where be was known as
"Major Horace Oakley Wood" He
married there Miss Lizzie Hill, the
belle of the place. The father gave
his daughter a large sum Of money, and
q trip 20 Europe was made. On their
return the major" induced his wife to
borrow $4,000 for him from various
persons This pOcketed, he ted.
10 was then unearthed that the ma
jor," known as "Engene Bannerton,"
had 10 1878 married an actress in To-
r0ntO, Ont. de induced his wife 70
leave the stage, and they moved TO New
Lisbon, Wis. Here "Bannerton" prac-
tised law, and after forging a number
Of notes he skipped, leaving one more
wife In the lurch.
The next chapter was "BannertOn's
eareer in Charleston, w. Va. Here he
was known as Judge Crawford" he
was nominated by the Republicans for
Congress, Immediately after which he
swindled various persons out Of several
thousand dollars and departed.
AFTER this publication the good people
OF Saugerties, n. y, remembered that
Judge Crawford" was a native Of that
place. His name was Samuel Crawford.
He fought tn the civil war Ia the Union
Army, went 20 New York and studied
law In Columbia College, went to Rose
vile, n. j., and preached the Gospel,
had TO leave the Methodist Church be-
cause his behavior was not up TO the
standard then went to Albany, n. Y,
forged, was sent to the penitentiary,
served two years aud went West.
All these Incidents were scarcely dry
In the press-ro0ms Of the World Office
XheS~SSree more wives popped up.
miss Moore, a telegraph OPP
stON ladelphia; Miss Gay Fin
'nideld, ErcRicago, and Miss May Bar
low, Of NSnia, o. la each city Worthing-
ton had Assumed a different name from
any hitherto employed.
TO cap she climax 10 was learned from
the wild and wOOlly ''Hoosier" State
that WorthlngtOn had stumped Indiana
for Benjamin Harrison, and had helped
carry the State through his elOQuence
as a 'spelbinder."