The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-04

to Schweinfurth. While in the Mes
siah's hands it acquired a good sized
mortgage. but when he got into trou-
BILE with the Winnebago county criminal
court Schweinfufth. decided IL back,
mortgage and all, to Weldon, who now
holds il.
sSchwesnfursh promised the angel.
some time ago he would move the
Heaven TO California and they should
ell go with him Snch move, however.
takes cash, and the elect are now be-
ginning TO fear that II will not be forth
coming these hard times, and their
Messiah has deserted them
In the meantime they would Ike 70
know whether he and Mrs. futile are
to be married.
CONFESSION WAS MADE.
Two years ago, one afternoon when
the TWO were sitting IN a grove On the
banks of the Rock River, which flows
through Byron. ILL.,, George J. SchTein-
furth confessed his sins 70 George Eddy
chief of his disciples.
He told how for fourteen years he
had Systematically deceived tis people:
rem born 10 Mrs. Tuttle, Mary Weldon
and Maggie Teft, and of other misdeed
which had gone 10 make up long life
Of hypocrisy and deceit,
Yesterday, sitting in the same place,
Mr.. Eddy told the story 10 a reporter
a story which he has kept secret until
now-and a curious enough tale il was.
Mr.. Eddy IS an old man who has been
a resident of Byron for z number OF
years. His record in Byron is that o.
an excellent citizen, and all the people
Of that little place, where every one
knows ali about everybody else, speak
well OF him, the only reservation being
he is a little off on the Beekmanites."
The fact OF TIE matter is, Mr.. Eddy is
a religious enthusiast. On all other
subjects than religion. however, he is
as sane as any man, his reputation for
trutdfullness and honest dealings is
first-class. and all the villagers are his
friends. They know he is sincere in his
religious beliefs, and respect him ac>
cordingiy, if they do not agree with
him.
The manner IN which Mr.. Eddy pro-
cured the confession from Schwetn-
fourth was peculiar. II was the old
game OF pretending TO know more than
he did, the one constantly employed by
the police in extracting admissions from
criminals. But in this instance Mt
Eddy really believed he knew what he
claimed 70 imagining the information
had been conveyed TO him from on
high The plain matter OF fact was
these visions were simply dreams by
night embodytng suspicious which came
to him by day, but IN his religious en-
thuSasm he believed them visions AID
convinced him he had been divinely in
G,,tz n -
terested man who had the same OPP
portuntty of seeing what was going on
at the Heaven" would have been NOR
ally convinced were the facts by put
ting two and two together.
But this belief In the divine source
of his inspiration, together with the in
tensity OF his religious enthusiasm,
caused him to attend Schweinfurth so
vigorously and unhesitatingly in their
various conversations that the bogus
Messiah became convinced Eddy real
ly had actual proofs of the charges ne
made and induced him 70 try and silence
him by making a full confession. with
a promise OF future good behavior. Re-
lating TO the story yesterday, Mr.. Eddy
said
Il was the first convert Mrs. Beck
man made here
1t should be stated the Beekmanite
church Of which the Rockford "Hea-
ven" was the outcome was organized IN
Byron.
'She was a holy woman, Mrs. Beck
man, and gave 10 me and the fifteen
others the consolation we had long
sought in vain in other churches and
other religious beliefs. Then she died
and Schweinfurth took her place. He
was not one of the original disciples,
having Joined the church about four
years after it was formed, but 1. with
others. believed in hin and thought
him the Christ.
Then the body moved back to Rock
ford. but / did not go with them I
to reside here. but was at
Rockford a good part OF the time. and
my wife was there more, she being the
at the Heaven All this
time I was sure Schweinfurth was the
Christ, and constantly defended him
againSt the charges OF my neighbors,
who said he was fraud. They used
10 especially assail the truth OF S-hwein-
furth's story that the children born in
The Heaven were from the Holy Ghost
md charged Schweinfurth was their
father. I had complete faith in him
.hen, however. and told my neighbors |
80. adding that were / convinced Mr.. |
was the father OF those !
children would denounce him and his |
Methods as strongly as 1 then upheld |
hem.
81 had no suspicion everything was
rot all right until dancing was intro |
iuced in the Heaven I warned Mr.. |
Sch weinfurth that dancing was an |
!, N.o- IN "a ri IF Cd III
10 good could come out of IL He paid |
10 attenti to me, however, and Mrs |
futile laughed at me. This was some |
hing over two years ago.
AT that time my wife was at the /
Heaven constantly. but L was living /
fere and only going TO Rockford about
nee a week. 1t was then 1 began TO
ret visions from on high, and they told
ne Schweinfurth was not Christ, but
nti-Christ-that he was the devil and /
lot the Messiah.
Then I had a long talk with Mr..
;ch weinfurth and told him what knew
vt not how the knowledge had come TO
ne He made no answer but said he
0ould see me IN the morning. I left him
Irging him 10 confess and telling him
low David had been made holy by hls
ontessicn- He then made an appoint
nent with me and nay wife IN the morn
ng.
But in the morning ~ did not come.
nd after waiting for him a while I
vent 10 the stable, got out my horses.
nd started for home. had a present.
1ent he would follow ne Sure enough
e did, ana a little after o'clock that
ftsrnoon he came TO my house here.
We went out 70 the grove on the river
ank end sitting down he asked me
That I knew.
- told him knew ne had stolen the
very or heaven 20 serve the devil 81.
nd told him the only chance for him