The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-09

early in the fall he caught Matchett eating crackers and codfish in Lis- bon Falls grocery store. For this of- fense he and his family were forced to live in a tent. Though Mrs. Match ett held a nursing babe in her arms, she was made to leave the farmhouse, where they had lived for many years and join her husband in tent life.
 Since the last snowstorn Mrs. Match cit has contracted a severe cold and IS now threatened with pneumonia.
 The death rate at Shilch has rapidly increased during the past year. The burial ground, which is located on the south side of the hill, within sight of Olivet, the children's home and very near the sand dunes, now contains sixty-two bodies,S thirty-three having been placed there this year The graves are marked with wooden slabs.
 The Phelps case is a particularly sad one. Probably the activity of Mrs, Alice Phelps in an effort to get her daughter May away from Shiloh, was the indirect cause of the investigation by the Governor. Six years ago when Rev N. H. Hartman, now of Boston, then one of Sandford's evangelists, was conducting a series of meetings in Kan sas City, the Phelps sisters, Bessie and May, teachers in the city schools, be- came converted to Sandfordism.. They resigned their positions as teachers In the city schools, left their parents and with other converts came with MT Harrimanf to Shiloh. Here they lived for years without communicating with their parents.
 Their father, George Phelps, died broken-hearted. and then their mother, Mrs. Alice Phelps, borrowed money and came to Maine to regain her daughters. She visited the Hill Top, but was re- fused admission by the elders, who told her that her daughters didn't want to see her. Not satisfied, she engaged counsel and. taking an officer with her, again visited Shiloh. At Bethesda the door was bolted in her face. and She was ordered of the premises. She. with the aid of of the officer, broke down the door and entered the build ing.
 In the insane ward she found her eldest daughter Bessie, whom she had not seen nor heard from for nearly five years, a raving maniac. She was bound to a cot, tied hand and foot. An ordinary horse blanket, which from it's appearance, had previously been used in the stables, was the only cov- ering over the helpless body and hid from view the cords which bound her feet and hands,
 Her mind was blank. She did not recognize her mother and turned her head away. Mrs. Phelps immediately began proceedings to have Bessie re- moved from Shiloh to the insane asy- lum at Augusta, County Attorney Crockett acted for Mrs. Phelps, and af- ter a legal fight with the institution, the girl was taken to the asylum, where she still remains a violent patient, Superintendent Sanborn of the State Asylum for Insane, says that 1t IS doubtful if the girl will ever regain her reason. ''Wrecked in body and mind, she Is not long for this world" said he
 Now Mrs. Phelps is trying to save her other daughter May. When vis- ited Shiloh a few weeks ago." says Mrs. Phelps, May was thin in flesh, poorly clad and her mind seemed af- fected. She had a cough. When l en- gagged counsel last week and told the Elders at Shiloh that was going to have my daughter or die in the at tempt. she was spirited away from the Hill Top and taken to Elm, Sandford' s Boston headquarters.
 T followed her up. She would not speak to me; told me that was wicked and was trying to lead her to hell. She requested me to go away and never write or speak to her again. She is on the verge of insanity, but mean to save her if it Is in my power to do so. If I fall now, 1 shall go before the Maine Legislators this winter and ap- peal to them as men to help me and A hers who have relatives or friends at shiloh"
 The clergy and others in the State active in the present movement against Sandford, say that hey will go before the Legislature at the next session and advocate measures authorizing the proper officials of the State to take such action against Sandford and Shi- loh that will close the institution and