Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-18
DANIEL AN lMPOSTER
So Says Secretary of Presbyterian
Board of Foreign Missions.
SAYS HE is NOT WHAT HE CLAIMS
Declares That Daniel Never Had
School and That He is Not Doing
Christian Work Among His People.
Brands Him as Hypocrite.

In order to brand as an imposter the
"Ven." M. George Daniel, who in Sep
TENDER addressed several Ottumwa
audiences and, after telling of his for
mer life as Turkish brigand and
en- appeal for aid for the
Thomas Christians of Turkey, gather
ed in some of the hard earned sheck-
els of the Ottumwans who listened to
him. Robert E. Speer, secretary of the
foreign board of missions of the Pres
byterian church, has issued letter, in
which he states that Daniel is colos
sal hypocrite and warns people to
have nothing whatever to do with ma
tives of mission lands who come to
America soliciting funds for work
among their fellow countrymen.
Where is Abraham?
When Daniel was in Ottumwa he
was accompanied by a man who called
himself Rev. M. Abraham, and who
seemd to play a kind of second violin
in the Daniel orchestra. He is not
mentioned either in the newspaper ac-
counts of Daniels meetings elsewhere
in the sttae, nor in Mr. Speers' letter.
Just where he is or what has become
of him is rather uncertain.
The Letter.
The letter from Mr.. Speers is as fol-
lows:
"The Ven" Marcus George Daniel,
who sometimes calls himself Archdea-
con, and who processes to represent
the Thomas Christian church in Kur-
distan, has long been known to the
Presbyterian board and it's mission
aries. He was originally from the dis
trict of Jilu in Turkey. He was pu-
pill in the preparatory department of
the college of the American Presby-
terion Mission in Urumia, for some
years before 1894. About that time he
left Persia and was for some time in
Europe. In London he secured some
financial support. and paid some atten-
ton to young English woman. with
whose brother, in 1898, he returned to
Urumia His ayowed purpose was to
go to Jilu and establish a school there,
but the country was disturbed, and he
and his English companion remained
in and about Urumia for some time.
Meantime the Englishman heard that
Marcus was married and had a fam
lily in Jilu, which resulted in their
parting company, as Marcus had car
red his suit to the Englishman's
sister pretty far and it was their plan
that she should come out later and
marry him. Marcus Daniel had all the
money, and the Englishman was pen
niless and his friends were poor, so
that he wcs an object of charity.
With the exception of a few pounds
that after a great deal of pressure,
Marcus refunded-all his expenses
back to England were met by friends.
Afterwards Marcus went to Jilu and
was ordained as an archdeacon by the
HISTORIAN Patriarch, this ordination.
however, amounting to nothing what
ever. Under this new title, he start
ed out again, and the following year
was raising funds in Europe where
he issued a circular, stating that he
had done great and noble work in
hurdistan, that he had opened schools
and preached in many mission sta
tons which were branches of the Kur.
distan mission which he had founded
and that several thousands had been
brought to knowledge of the gospel
through his mission; all of which
statements were absolutely false. The
following year-190U-he came to
and secured letter of en-
dorsement from the Bishop of Fond du
Lac, which was printed with Marcus
picture, dagger in hand, IN connection
with AN appeal to charitable Chris
tians, full of gross misrepresenta-
tons and falsehoods.
- a ltbOuph yho mon hoe
good deal of money he has never had
a school, never did any sort of mis-
sion work, never was the brigand that
he represents himself to have been
At the time of the Armenian massa-
cres he was not in either Turkey or
Persia, but was in Europe The tale
which he has been telling in Iowa of
the reports of the newspapers are cor
rect is as absolutely unreliable as his
past career would lead one to expect
his representations would be. ANY
money given to him with the idea that
it is to be used in reliable mission
work either in Persia or in Turkey is
thrown away.
Money given to these adventures
is both demoralizing to them and to
the mission work, while their career
is an impairment and reproach and
source of constant difficulty to the
honest men who are not begging their
way, but earning it in respectable and
honest industry. We would beg
churches and individuals to have
nothing to do with young men from
Persia and Syria and other mission
fields, representing themselves to be
the agents of individual missions. AS
FOR responsible agencies, so far as /
know, not one has in it's employment
as missionary agent for the soicita-
ton of funds any native of these coun-
tries. Young men from these lands
here in this country should be allowed
to earn their way by honest work lust
as other young men are expected to
do"