The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-02
While Voyagers Were Nearly
Starved Sanford Had Two
Square Meals Every Day.
SANFORD UNDER ARREST.
He Is Broken in Health Now
and Followers Fear He Will
Never Recover.

fouled with barnacles, a white schoon-
er dropped anchor in Portland har-
Dor, Saturday morning. Oct. q, more
resembling some unfortunate fisher
man than the once palatial yacht
Coronet of the Holy Ghost. and Us
society fleet.
The vessels topmasts were gone,
her flying jibboom was missing, every
sail with the exception of one jib
and two patched storm trysails had
been carried away, and the crew had
been at the pumps steadily Tor seven
days.
Men and women had been forced to
pump for their lives and even the
Rev. Frank w. Sanford, lender
the society, had taken his turn with
the rest of his flock.
IL was the first appearance OF the
| Coronet in Portland harbor for year,
and instead of being the handsome
schooner yacht which sailed away with
Elijah III. on board, she came back a
| wreck. The hull of the once famous
ocean racer Is now full OF worm
holes, and ii is believed she will
never be fit to make another ocean
voyage.
Twenty Stricken With Scuryy.
When the United States quaran-
tine officers climbed over the Cor
onet's rail they were met by half
starved men, women and children.
The officers soon learned that the
Goronet had been sailing about the
Atlantic for months, relying on pass
ing ocean liners and fishing vessels
TO supply those on board with food.
Further investigation revealed that
fully 20 of the party of So on board
were suffering from scurvy, the dread
disease of the sea.
As a result OF the eventful trip the
Rev Frank w. Sandford. who Is be-
lieved to be Elijah III. by his follow
ers, has been arrested by Maine Of
ficers on charges preferred by Mrs.
Florence ~ Whitaker. The federal
authorities have also arrested him on
the charge OF having caused the death
Of one member of his crew by know
ingly and wilfully keeping his yacht
out to sea when he easily could have
put into some port for provisions.
The federal authorities further
charge Sanford with having with
held food and nourishment from those
on the Coronet, and 1t is intimated
that four more charges Will be
brought against the modern Elijah
later by Assistant District Attorney
Arthur Chapman. of Portland.
The terrible hardships of the trip
have told upon Sandford and he is
so broken in health that his follow
ers, especially his chief lieutenant,
Capt. Austin X. Perry, fears that the
head OF the Holy Ghost and Us so
ciety may never recover.
Frightful Story Of Suffering.
The story of the long voyage and
OF the sufferings endured by those on
board was obtained by the New York
World representative from Capt.
Roland Wilton, who was in com
mand of the Coronet from the time
she sailed away from Portland one
year ago until she reached the. shores
Of Chesapeake bay, last August.
In his story. Capt. Wilton scores
Sanford for keeping the yacht out
to sea short Of provisions. He also
says that Sanford enjoyed two
square meals each day, while the
others on board subsisted on two
crackers and two glasses of water
each day for many weeks.
at was about one year ago when
the Coronet and the barkentine, King
dom, met in Chesapeake bay" said
Capt. Whittom. There were 80 mem
bers of the society on the Kingdom
and there were 80 men, women and
children on board the Coronet at that
time.
When we sailed away from the
United States IL was the intention OF
Sanford to skirt the shores OF many
countries and simply TO offer prayers
for the natives OF the foreign lands
He claimed to have received mes
sage from God directing him to go
forth upon the water and spread
Gods truth.
tied many ports along the coast of
Africa. and on the night of April 10,
1911. the Kingdom ran ashore OF
Sangomar when Capt. Perry mistook
a buoy for the entrance buoy of Bath.
urst harbor The Kingdom could
not be saved, and so the SO souls on
board the barkentine were trans
ferred TO the Coronet
with 81 on board we sailed due
south few days later. We had only
so gallons OF water on the Coronet.
and instead of going ashore TO get
more Sanford ordered us TO get the
yacht under way, as he claimed he
had instructions from God
I'VE finally sailed about the Carib-
bean sea for many days and at times
we were nearly starved. cannot
say just how many days We were sail.
ing about without any definite objec-
tive point in view. but on June %
we started up the coast once more.
We were of Cape Henry when our
supply of provisions was running short
and there was long discussion as 10
where we would go
Many OF the men on board wanted
to go to Chesapeake bay and land,
but Sanford finally settled the mat
ter by saying that God had directed
him not to 20 10 the United States
or Canada, but that he had received
a message directing him TO remain
at sea.
When We were up OF Norfolk.
Va, Sanford decided to send Capt.
Perry. who had been in command OF
the ill-fated Kingdom, myself and
two others into port for a supply OF
provisions despite the fact that we
We're then about 10 miles OF shore.
shat ,ra v-n,II 80 ~. .tta a..