The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-06
PILGRIMS REST
IN MINNEAPOLIS
TWO "FLYING ROLLERS" REACH
HERE FROM SEATTLE,
Bicycle Journey Begins on Aug. 10 and
Made by Easy Stages-Pair Belong
to Religious Sect Whose Chief Tenet
Is Second Coming of Christ. r

Dusty and travel stained, their
clothes soiled and their boards long
and untrimmed, Thomas Pennington
and Joseph Thole, two members Of the
flying rollers,' rode into Minneapolis
today on bicycles, having made the trip
thru on their wheels from Seattle.
They are en- route to Benton Harbor,
Mich, where, at the ingathering Of Is
r ra,,5 sant III and publication of
OF the Benjamites, or children Of Israel,
sect that believes in the second com
ing Of Christ. They are more common
ly termed "fying rollers.''
Mr.. Pennington is Canadian by
birth and Thole is a Missourian, but
both have lived for some time on the
Pacific coast. They left Seattle Aug.
IL. Thru western Washington they
averaged twenty-five miles day, but
after leaving Missoula, Mont, made
fifty miles. Some twenty-five days
were spent in resting and preaching.
At Devils Lake, N. d., tents and
blankets were. abandoned and the men
pushed thru in light order to Mime
boards and dusty clothes, quiet de-
meanor and serious faces, they attract
ed much attention as they rode into the
city. Pennington is So years Of age
and Thole is 40. 49,. .
=. Not 'sEIoly Rollers.''
The men were careful to explain that
they are not members of the "holy
rollers.' It was in that sect that the
recent scandals occurred resulting in
the killing. of a man by a woman. The
holy rollers,' and the "fying roll
iers' are distinct, neither has the J." fly
Ing rollers' any direct connection with
the Second Day Adventists. The sect
in no way leans towards Dowieism, but
is Of itself and by ITSELF. It's tenets
are many, but the buttress of it all is
the belief in the second coming Of
Christ: It's adherents expect the ac-
complement of this by the year 1916.
Pennington and Thole have not al
ways been "fying rollers.n Penning-
ton formerly conducted a bicycle es-
ia e, bllshment at Bellingham, Wash, and
Thole was the proprietor of steam
laundry at Anacortes in the same state.
Stirred by the iniiquities of the world
dependent starting points, came, they
say, from desire for the tr nth, to delvee
into the scriptures. Conviction forced
itself 4, upon them that only by regen-
GRAFTON. only by the coming again Of
the Christ, the elimination Of the ever
increasing power Of evil and the puri-
ncat1on Of men IS souls, can the world
be redeemed from sin. When Christ
came before, they argue, the world
knew him not and recognized him not,
and when he comes again the world at
large will not know him, jbut the few
faithful, who know that he will come
again, are preparing now for his COM
/ Ing and are striving for the purifca-
ton and specification of their own
souls that they may be worthy to meet
him. 80, 80
Center of Cult.
Benton Harbor is the center Of
strength and it is there that the sect
IS most strongly. entrenched. There is
published Shiloh's messenger and there
Is handled all correspondence relative
| to the affairs Of the sect, communica-
tons being addressed to Mary and
Benlamln, Benton Harbor, Mich, and
receiving answer in the same form.
The publications are rather quaint in
make up. The last bears date "Jeru-
salem, sixth month, fourth year of the
new CREATION r. - >, :,
It, is. expected that at least 1000
BenJamlnltes will be in convocation al
Benton Harbor this month, and the two
pilgrims will remain in Minneapolis
| only a few days to rest, perhaps to
preach on the streets one night. to
spread the word, and will then push on
to Chicago and thence around the end
Of Lake Michigan and on to Benton
Harbor, to participate in what prom.
Uses to be the most important gather
Ing OF the sect ever known.