The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-24
BACK TO THE NEW JERUSALEM.
MARY AND BENJAMIN AND 4 FEW
DISCIPLES PASS US BY.

IpOO-They1i Then Save -, 900 Souls
Mary and Benjamin passed through
New York yesterday, on the way 20 their
new Christian Jerusalem, which is at Benton
Harbor. Michigan. Last November Mary
and Benjamin went out 10 Australia In
accordance with the direction Of a heavenly
message, which said that there were many
IN Australia ready TO receive the light.
Mary and Benjamin are the present heads
Of their sect, which Ia called the Israelite
HOUSE OF David The office Of Benjamin
and Mary-for they are one lesh-is that
Of Writer Of the Star Of Bethlehem, which
4, tho Living Roll OF Life, Benjamin and
Mary say that they are an angel, one and
the same II would be hard for any unbeliever
in their religious convictions to describe
them at all. although one heather who
looked them over expressed the opinion
that the outfit was the Long Gray Beard
Club.
II ever it should come TO pass that Ben.
jamin and Mary and their followers get
light to the effect that their revelations have
teen in error OF are rescinded there will
te an une xampled opportunity for dealers
in mattress stuffing. They brought in more
hair than has come to this port without
having duty for many a long year. They
Prirs,ss Irene, sailing from Medite rTanean
ports, having brought their followers by
way Of the Suez Canal, passing the anti.
Duatcd and discarded Jerusalem by the
way
Mary b who Is Herald Angel to Mary
and Benjamin, sent letter to the news
papers announcing their coming. IL Is
dated thus
New Creation Date.
Jerusalem. II day. II month. ID year.
The letter tells that the First Messenger
was endowed with power in 1892 There
have been Elk since then. The Sixth Mes
senger came along In 1875. The Herald
Angels letter goes on, none too clearly, to
explain that in 1902 the members Of the
Christian Israelite House Of David knew
that the hands OF the clock pointed TO u,
signfying II Ii Time Then did Benjamin
and Mary begin to gather their flock Mes
sengers went out TO India, Asia, Africa and
Europe and brought back many 70 the
Benton HaTbor Jerusalem, which must be
a happy place, for az far as can be learned,
neither barred windows, nor shackles nor
straitjackets are there, and there 10 free
license TO think long gray bearded thoughts:
The campaign OF the lsraelite House Of
David is working along a time schedule Of
oonsummate elaboration and remorseess-
ness. IL has been revealed that the Devil
Is to be driven into a corner in 1919 when
the population Of the Michigan Jerusalem
will be exactly la, 600 saved souls; that the
Evil One will then be bound and destroyed
and Benjamin and Mary will enter golden
chariot and precede the rest Of their thou
sand gross OF sanctifed souls 10 glory.
Thus Is It shown that Frederic Thompson
Of the Hppodrome, who Transports the
principal performers in his Yankee circus
10 Mars in q gilded airship and the animals
and the lesser performers In later cattle
giV II q AZ Of RanfnTUin
and Marv's revelations.
BENJAMIN Is good TO look upon. Those
who have seen certain members Of the sect
EEGTshiPpng nightly Under the 6 SsTs
rlIdimentary idea Of Beniamin's afiiuencs
In hair. Il has been revealed 20 the faith
full that the Christians who are TO take
tho place Of the Lost Tribes Of Israel and
go 20 heaven in 1918 when the rest OF the
world goes TO hell. must be perfectly clean
Of body and unshom Of hair: Benja-
minis whiskers grow out around his cheru-
bic countenanoe like the rays In stove
polish advertisement.
For legal purposes he has a last name,
which Ia P1rnel, but he does not like 70
use it, and listens more kindly 70 those who
call him plain Benz amin. Mary wears
several ropes Of pearls around her neck;
they looked real, though the Herald Angel
said in her explanatory letter that Mary and
BENJAMIN had both disposed Of all their !
worldly goods long ago in order TO help |
those to whom light had come to journey |
10 Jerusalem.
Mary has a heap Of hair, too. II one |
did not know she was an angel, he might |
easily believe that one Of the Seven Suther- /
land Sisters had escaped from captivity. |
Their followers assembled about them
Yesterday we're many hued gathering. |
All the women, young and old, wore poke |
bonnets OF woven grass, dyed in more col |
ors than JOsephs coat. Some wore rich
jewels There were many little children.
A few Of the men had braided their whiskers
10 save stepping on the ends thereof. Nearly |
all OF the pilgrims were married people,
and the report OF the Princess lrene's
officers Is that seldom has more marital
affection been observed on the bosom Of
the tossing deep than was shown by the
friends Of Mary and Benjamin between
Gibraltar and New York.
Benjamin was interviewed when he came
ashore He didn't mind. He knew lots
more than the shaTpest interviewer could
have learned in a month. In patroniLing
snd weary way he tried 10 explain 70 un-
enlightened reporter folk how and why
he knew he was an angel There was
CLINT Of prophetic and proselytizing fire In /
his eye for moment a. he looked into his
questioners eyes and said:
We are now in the eleventh hour The
cleansing Of the world is az hand and the
angels Of the Lord. Benjamin and Mary
are the angels Of the Lord
But / thought you were Benjamin,
said one slow witted stranger.
ltd! NpleQ the Bentleth1n WIN lue
vertical aureole OF whiskers. Yea, verify, |
50 am Benjamin; am the seventh messer-
ger, the seventh angel"
And your wife?"
Verify. my son and brother. Mary is
nv wife
And an angelo asked the perseverlng
ore
The same angel said the gentle Benja-
min, for is il not written that we are one
fish, even as all the Church Il one In the
body Of Christi
The reporters went away and watched
tho proceedings after that from a long way
on. No violent symptoms appeared up TO |
the time the gay caravan started out for |
the special train which was to take Il TO
Jerusalem, Mich