The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-12
TOOK IN MANY PEOPLE HERE
Rabbi John SeIgiuS Ben Israel Not
What He Claimed 10 Be.

Rev. DR.. vass Finds There Are No
Christian Jews Where Sergius Repre-
scented He Had a Church-The
Rabbi and His Story Denounced by
the Authorities In Trevandrum.
! Sergius Now Somewhere In North
Carolina-His Plan Of Working Ex-
posed.
Rabbi John Sergius Ben Israel, who fig
ured in Savannah last summer as a Chris
/ tian Jew, turns out to be not what he
represented himself to be.
He claimed here to be a descendant Of
Jews from India of the lost ten tribes, who
were in Jerusalem and were converted on
the day Of Pentecost, or were won to
Christ by the Apostle Thomas in India
He claimed that there are many thousand
Christian Jews there, and that he is the
pastor of large congregation of Jews in
Travancore, on the Malabar coast, in
Madras Presidency.
The rabbits wife and three children ac-
companied him. The former was said to
have been a Zenana missionary, Of the
London Missionary Society. He and his
flock were very poor, and he asked assist
ance for both.
CAME WELL ENDORSED.
Numerous letters of commentator
We're shown from clergymen for whom he
lectured or preached, and who took up
collections for him. Several ministers in
Savannah were thus induced to let him
address their congregations, and took up
collections for his use.' His statements
however. were out of accord with relia-
bic history. Other circumstances, too,
| aroused suspicion that he was not what
he protested to be, and inquiries of great
missionary boards and of persons who
had commended him failed to clear up the
matter.
A letter OF inquiry was finally written
by Rev. L. O. Vass, d D.. pastor of the
First Presbyterian church to Rev. S.
Matter, missionary of the London Mis-
sionary Society in Trevandrum, Travan-
core district, Southern India, Asia,
Serglus claiming 20 have come from this
! section of the world. Recently the fol-
lowing reply has been received:
THE RABBI SHOWN UP.
Trevandrum, Oct. Z, ls93.-Dear DR.. Vass:
Your letter comes to me. as Mr. Natter is in
England, Never having heard OF any Chris
tan Jews In the L. M. s., or southern part OF
Travancore, sent it on to DR.. Hodges, G. M
>. Church Missionary Society, bishop OF
| Travancore. His secretary writes me for
him: 'Serglus is gross impostor, for there
are no Christian Jews in Iravancore" The
venerable Archdeacon Koshi, d. D.. native
gentleman of long experience of this land
says; i have never heard of such a person
as Sergius. or Of a Jewish Christian congre-
CATION in Travancore. The whole story ap-
pears to be a black species of imposture,
Ihls is to my mind conclusive, that Is, II
| his reference to Travancore Is correct This,
OF course, Is but very small part OF India,
and we should know the name Of the place
where his schools are, TO be quite sure. >
am sorry l cannot send you better
news. Yours most sincerely,
HAROLD L. WILLS, NJ A
Lay Missionary. l.. Ia. S., Mondon Mis-
sionary Society,"
STILL GOING THE ROUNDS.
The latest news from Rabbi Sergius is
| from New Berne, N. c., where the New
Berne Journal says he preached in the
Baptist church Sunday, Dec. 81, and
lectured in the Young Mems Christian
it seems that he is an impostor, and that
he is simply getting money under false
| colors
The American Israelite, edited
by the distinguished Rabbi Wise,
of Cincinnati, o., denounces him
as an Oriental scamp" and says
''the story that Mr.. Sergius tells alto
| gether lacks probability, and we have no
doubt he is laughing in his sleeve at the
| fine harvest he is reaping from his
| dupes."
| Sergius Is a man of low stature, stout,
with dark and long hair and whiskers
| His address is plausible, his manners unc-
tuous, and his English very broken and
indistinct He left Savannah ostensibly
for the worlds fair, leaving his wife and
| children here. They lived for awhile in a
! little house on Second avenue, but finally
| disappeared and are supposed to have
| Joined Seraius in his trnVals