New-York tribune., 1906-11-25
PROBE FOR SHILOH.
Queer Religious Colony in Maine
Nay Hare Its Secrets Exposed.

Governor Cobb of Maine gave a hearing the
other day TO complaints made against the
Strange religious sect, called The Kingdom"
by some. by others The Holy Ghost and Us"
colony at Shiloh, in the town of Durham, in
that state. At the close of the hearing il was
decided to postpone for q week or two the lues-
ton Of executive interference with the goings-
on of these odd people. but the delay is not
likely to avert for long thorough probing into
the secrets OF the order, which has been threat
ened more than once before now.
The case which has again brought this insti-
tuition into the lmelight of publicity is that of
the Phelps sisters two young women from Kan
sas City, who six years ago left their homes
work and friends TO join the Shiloh colony.
They We're teachers in the city schools twenty
six and twenty-four years of age, respectively;
OF a highly religious temperament. and ardentIy
impressed with the promise which Shiloh held
out 10 them. Their mother, Mrs Alice Phelps
recently made appeal to them to come home
or, at least. to withdraw from the colony. Get
ting no satisfactory replies from Them she went
10 Shiloh, only TO find the younger daughter
Bessie raviug maniac. strapped to her bed
and wholly unconscious of anything which went
on about her. The other daughter had become
So inoculated with the Shiloh doctrine that she
refused to go with the mother, to treat with
her. unless the mother also embraced the Shiloh
religion.
Your religion is not my religion. Your ways
are not Christ's ways. L respect you, 1 love
you, but must not let you lead me from Christ
As you are now, you are my greatest enemy
rather than my mother" coldly declared Miss
Phelps TO her mother
And pitful cry from the breaking heart of
that mother has awakened anew the synpathies
Of the people Of Maine to such a degree that it
bids fair TO overthrow one of the subtlest
stransest institutions Of modern times
Some years ago, Frank W. SANFORD a gradu-
ate Of Bates College and the Cobb Divinity
School. in Lewiston, Me- proclaimed himself
second Elijah, and assumed that name as his
official title He declared himself chosen of
God TO speak to the people His will and His
commands He actually 50 impressed this be-
lief upon number of persons that eight years
ago he achieved a sufficient following to estab-
lish for himself a kingdom and a school at
Shiloh.
The first principle of the order was a giving
up Of all property to Elijah. The second, an
absolute obedience to his commands.
Marvellous is the story of the sums Of money
which have poured from all the United
States to Sanford Marvellous the which
he has made Of them. On Durham Hill stands
to-day group Of buildings representing hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars He began his
work on this barren sand hill. declaring that
God had directed him 10 build there He owns
ten farms in Durham, real estate in Boston.
London and other places, a fine yacht of 600
tons and one two other vessels. He is
in the Holy Land with seventy of his disciples
Sandford at first called his institution the
Holy Ghost and Us Bible School. Since then he
has changed the name to The Kingdom. under
which title il is Incorporated The establish
ment in Durham known as Shiloh and all Of
n1.,3f God
and this unique deed is file in the registry
office in Auburn.
There are those who charge that want and
hunger and misery and sickness part of
the assets Of the "Kingdom." They allege cruel
1.z and greed and hAIsh tyranny and calIous