The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-11-07
MUST BE CRAZY
Leader Of tue holy Ghost and Us Socie.
g is Arrested Up in hains
QUEER DOINGS OF SECT

There Were Seven Deaths From
scurvy on a Cruise That Led No.
where Which Has Decided the Gov
ernment to Stamp Out the Fanat-
cal Society If it Can.
After nearly twenty years there is
strong probability that the Federal
government has at last obtained a
hold upon the Holy Ghost and Us
society strong enough to disrupt that
extraordinary sect and to prosecute
the Rev. Frank w. Stamford, it's
leader Mr.. Sanford, has been arrested
on a charge Of manslaughter in con-
nection with the death Of Charles
Hughey, of Portland, Maine, one of
the crew of the Coronet, yacht own
ed and commanded by Mr. Sandford,
which recently ended voyage mark
ed by terrible privations and from the
effects of which seven have succumb-
ed. Another action against him as
civil proceeding brought by Mrs.
Florence A. Whitaker, who demands
$4,000 damages on the ground that
she was illegally detained and cruelty
treated on the yacht.
When Mr.. Sandford and his COM
pany set out five months ago it was
on the Kingdom, which he called his
flagship, with the Coronet, a little
racing yacht which cost him $4,000,
as auxiliary. The Kingdom was
wrecked on the African coast, and
the crusaders were forced to crowd
aboard the tiny Coronet. For months
they were tossed about the seas, suf-
fering starvation and disease. The
charge now sthat Mr.. Sandford, by
neglect and cruelty, withheld food
and thereby caused the death of
Charles Hughey, which was ascribed
to scurvy. 1t is alleged that Mr..
Sandford had refused to put into port
when off the coast Of Newfoundland,
where aid might have been obtained.
1t was a sorry sight that greeted
the quarantine officers when the Cor
onet dismantled and almost disabled,
entered Portland harbor. Fifty-fiVe
persons, men and women, were in the
company, all emanoiated from lack of
food, and many of them afflicted
with Scurvy. Seemingly Mr.. Sandford
did not regard this situation as at
all distressing. Whether or not he is
sincere in his faith, there can be no
question that he is an optimist. Ev-
en- though he shows marks Of the
hardships endured on the voyage he
retains his sincerely.
Roland Whittom, until recently
sailing master of the Coronet, who
is one Of the deserters, described the
privation which he said the leader
forced upon his flock. "Soon after
we reached the West Indies from At
rica," he said, "a man named Sellick
was taken i'll with fever. Mr.. Sand
ford called his wife before him and
told her that her husbands illness
was due to the displeasure OF God at
the doing of herself and her family.
He then ordered them to fast "a
hours, and during that time their
child died of convulsions. Not a
word of sympathy same from the
leader, but again Mrs. Sellick was
told her babys death was the judg-
ment OF God upon her family"
These stories Of the crime have
served to recall the remarkable his
tory of Shiloh Hill. 1t is more than
Is years since Mr.. Sandford establish!
ed the colony. Since then many ef-
forts have been made to put an end
to the so-caIlcd craze and to punish
the leader for alleged crimes commit
ted either directly by him or by his
commands. Children have died there
from diseases, hunger and neglect
it Is alleged, and on one occasion Mr.
Sandford Vas arrested on charge OF
manslaughter.
There are in the colony about SIS
persons, men, women and children
gathered from all parts of the Unit.
ed States, and reports from there are
to the effect that these people have
very little to eat and that little chill.
dren go to bed at night crying and
praying for bread. One girl Of Is
years, one Of the a Kansas family
that Joined the "Holy Ghosters
eight years ago ran away from Shi'
loh and told their story:
81 have no sympathy for the mer
and women at Shiloh. If they want tt
stay there and suffer let them do it
but something ought to be done tc
relieve the sufferings of the poor lit
tie ones, who are unable to hell
themselves. 1t is pitiful. heart break
ing, to see them starving. | myself
have been as long as 16 hours with
out food Once I came near dying oil
hunger. l was ill and they save me
only cow beets to eat. | couldn't ca
them and there was nothing else ex
cept beans. BY the time they got the
beans cooked l was too weak to eat
at all.
"The little children often get sc
hungry that they cry for bread ant
when they keel at their beds at nigh