Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-12-03
A "Heaven" In 7 exas.

Toledo, Nov. o0.-Sarah ]. Shana-
barger has begun action against
Ephrfam Shanabarger, her husband,
for the division of one of the most
valuable oil properties in Wood coun-
ty, this state. The wife is at present
in Texas, and the husband lives on the
farm near Cygent Ohio. She asserts
that she is entitled to half of the 100
acre farm, and that she wants it par
titioned off so that she may do with it
as she likes. The farm is in the rich
est part OF the Wood county oil fields
and produces hundreds of barrels Of
oil every month.
Mrs. Shanabarger together with a
son, deserted the family home some
months ago to join colony about four
miles from Livingston, Tex. There
are fourteen persons in the colony
there, and, according to their belief,
the land they live on is that on which
will live the 144,0OO who will be saved
when the world is destroyed by fire.
One of the number some months ago
found roll of writing, together with
chart, on which 1t was indicated
thatthis number of persons was to be
saved from the burning, and that the
place where they were to live was
where they are now located. This
place was said to be heaven" in the
chart, or Israel" It was to be in a
wilderness, on lands totally unfit for
cultivation
The party, principally women,
journeyed to Texas, according to the
directions of the chart, and finally
found the charmed spot and took up
their abode there. A church has been
made out of the pine timber which
covers the sacred land, and half a
dozen houses built of the same timber
furnish shelter for the residents of the
heaven" No effort is made to earn
a livelihood in any way. Their entire
support, it is asserted, depends on the
production of the oil from this coun-
ty. All of each day is spent in wor-
ship and preparations for the two
destruction of all the rest of the world,
save the two hundred acres on which
they are located. The residents of that
section call them roll flyers" because
of the claim made by them that the
roll" pointed out to them the place
where the chosen few are to be when
the end comes.
N. r. Harrington, an attorney of
this place, has just returned from there
with a batch of depositions, which will
help to show the Court how the Judge
should rule on the matter of disposing
of the property. He states that there
teen, because of the fear that the spot
where they are located is not after all
the right wilderness. One of the num-
Der some weeks ago Thought that he
had discovered that the place was sew
eral hundred miles further west. He
was Immediately cast out of the "hea-
ven" and pronounced false prophet,
but since then the belief has grown
that perhaps after all he was right, and
that the chart they have means a
place out in Arizont.
Before the roll was discovered Mrs.
Shanabarger was at home, and togeth-
er with others in the neighborhood of
Cygent was in search of the hidden
roll revealing the secret place. Final
ly when it was found by a man coming
from Port Huron, the followers of the
strange belief lost no time in starting
for the place. The heaven" in Teaxs
is sacred to themselves and the attor-
ney who went there to get depcsitlons
from Mrs Shanabarger and her son is
said to have been the first person who
has been permitted to invade the sac
red reeesses of the wilderness where
they live. "A large sign, covering one
end of the church, bears the word
Israel" which is, according to the
roll" the name of the place which
will not be destroyed by fire.