Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-10
|ONA GIRL G QUEEN
She Reigns Over the Notorious
Spirit Fruit Cult Farm
In Ohio
CAREER OF MISS BELLE NORRIS
Mysterious Influence Seemed to Hang
Over the Brothers and Sisters of a
Well Known Family of Webster City
Became Associated With the Wide
ly Known Emma Goldman.
ecial to Times Republican.

Webster City, June 10.-Miss Belle
Norris, queen of the notorious spirit
fruit farm in Ohio, is Il former Web
ster City girl the daughter of one OF
the most beloved pastors who ever
preached in the city. For years he was
minister of the First Congregational
church, and it was hare that the largest
part OF the girlhood days of Miss Belle
were spent, and it was here that she
grew into womanhood.
The spirit fruit farm attracted the
attention Of the whole country short
time ago thru the rescue OF Blessed
Herbson. the high priestess OF reason
in the settlement maintained by Jacob
Beilhart. Many girls have been m
weighed into the place OF abode of this
strange religious cull and since the res
cue of Blessed" He,bson, the queen OF
the place is Miss Belle Norris. Spirit
fruit farm is the home of the adVo-
Gates of a free love belief. Beilhart de-
mands Of his converts 'unreserved
abandonment of worldly things; entire
submission to his will, the uncondi-
tional surrender of self. etc.
Chicago papers. which have been
making a special Investigation of the
spirit fruit farm, have been unable to
interview Belle Norris as to her past
They have bee. entirely unable to
learn anything of her. except that she
has suddenly appeared at the farm
and at once became its accepted queen.
- -. - Dahl Ma &C.
life?
What is this hidden mystery?
why is she an inmate of the spirl,
fruit farm?
Why does she remai there?
Does her father know where she is?
II SO, why does he not. take her
away?
The answer to some of these ques-
tions would be difficah. A black hand,
like dark pail, has always hung over
the Norris children. however. and the
strange influence of this unknown fate
has probably led the girl to take up
the teachings of Jacob Beilhart.
Both Belle and her brother Charles
long ago embraced he anarchistic be-
lief as taught by The widely known
Emma Goldman. In this lies the dark
hand influence in the life of Miss
Belle.
Three years ago, when the Chicago
authorities We're seeking Miss Goldman
to detain her and learn If possible
whether the assassination of President
Mckinley was the result of a carefully
aid anarchistie plot or not. the wonfar
was finally found in the rooms of
Charles Norris, which Miss Belle was
at that time keeping. The episode
placed Charles and Belle Norris in an
unpleasant light TIE police had been
searching for the Goldman woman for
several days. 1t being known to them
that she was somewhere in Chicago in
hiding. Belle. however would have
risked anything for her belief, and the
Shielding of Miss Goldman was but the
carrying out of this belief. 1t was like
her. II she wanted to do it, II is Hike |
her to enter the spirit fruit farm.
The Norrises will be remembered In |
this city as among the most cultured |
and refined of people. Miss Belle is a
very attractive and beautiful young
woman. She was widely known here.
A girl OF brilliant mind. she was always
considered by her closest friends to be
-ather queer in some respects. Quiet
md extremely reserved, it is easy for
Webster City people to believe that all
attempts OF the Chicago interviewers
o Interview her have proven of no
wall.
The whole life stor-y of Belle Norris
las been an interesting one. Born OF
highly cultured parents, her early en-
'ironments We're such as to encourage
he student side of her character. This,
ogether with her natural fondness for
literature and the finer arts. tended to
ring her whole life under an influence
f high intellectually. Unmoyed b.
he con1moner things, she lived in a
calm of her own