The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-01-19
lie is A FRAUD.
RABBI JOHN sERGlUS BEN ISRAEL
NOT WHAT HE CLAIMS TO sE.

People all Along the Line-The Rabbi
and His Story Denounced by the Au-
ihorities In Eernandina.
Rabbi John Serglus Ben Israel, who
figured in Ocala and Gainesville and
other Florida towns about q year ago
as a Christian Jew, the Savannah
News finds out to be fraud.
The following article from the News
will no doubt be interesting to the
church people here by whom he was
deceived:
Rabbi John Sergius Ben Israel
claimed to be descendent of Jews
from India of the lost ten tribes, who
were IN Jerusalem and were convert
ed 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 a large
congregation of Jews in Travaneore,
on the Malabar coast, in Madras Pres
idency.
The Rabbits wife and three children
accompanied him The former was
said to have been a Zenana mission
ary, of the London Missionary Society
lie and his flock were very poor and
he asked assistance for both.
! CAME WE'LL IND0RsED.
Numerous letters of commendation
We're shown from clergymen for whom
he lectured or preached, and who took
up collections for him. Several min
listers in Savannah were thus induced
| to let him address their cOngrega-
tions, and took up collections for his
use. His statements, however, were
| cut of accord with reliable history.
| Other circumstances, too, aroused
suspicion that he was not what he
| professed to be, and inquiries of great
missionary boards and of persons who
had commended him failed to clearup
the matter.
A letter of inquiry was finally writ
ten by Rev. L. G. Vass, DID, pastor of
| the First Presbyterian church, to Rev.
! s. Matter, a missionary of the London
Missionary Society in Trevandrum,
TravancoIe district, Southern India,
Sergius claiming to have come from
this section of the world. Recently
the following reply has been re-
| ceived
THE RABBI SHOWN UP.
TREvANDRuM, Oct. :, 1893 Dear
DIR. Nass, your letter comes to me as
Mr., Mateer is in England. Never
having heard of any Christian Jews
in the L. NJ. S, or southern part of
Travaneore, sent it on to DIR. Hodges.
c. NJ. :. Church Missionary Society,
bishop of Travancore. His secretary
writes me for him: "Sergius is a
gross impostor, for there are no Chris
tian Jews in Travancore." The VEN
cradle Archdeacon Koshi, DID,, ma
tive gentleman of long experience of
! this land, says: II have never heard
of such person as Sergius, or of a
Jewish Christian congregation in Ira
vancore. The whole story appears to
be black species of impOsture.
This is to my mind conclusive, that
is, if his refer nee 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 sure. I
am sorry cannot send you better
news
Yours most sincerely,
HAROLD r. WILLS, NJ. A.
Lay Missionary London Missionary
Society,"
STILL GOING THE ROUNDS
/ The latest news news from Rabbi
Sergius is from New Berne, ". c.,
where he New Berne Journal says ne
preached in the Baptist church Sun
/ dAv. Zoe 3lst, and lectured in the
! lo.m@ Nien's Christian Association
/ hull. From the above letter it seems
! that he is IN impostor, and that he is
simply getting money under false
col0rs.
The American Israelite, edited by
the distinguished Rabbi Wise, of Gin
cinnati, O., deD0unces him as an
Oriental scamp and says 1.-The story
that MIR, Seryius tells altogether lacks
| probability, and we have no doubt he
is laughing in his sleeve at the fine
harvest he is reaping from his dupcs."
Sergius is man of low statue,
stout, with dark and long hair whis-
kers. His address is plausible, mis-
manner unctuous, and his English
very broken and indlstinct. He left
Savannah astensibly for the Worlds
Fair, leaving his wife and children
here. They lived for a while in little
house on Second avenue, but finally
disappeared and are supposed to have
| joined Sergius in his travels.