The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-10
PRISON BARS
WILL FALL APART.
Rev. w. Frank Sanford, Leader Of
Holy Ghost and Us Outfit Of
LunatIcs Was Found
Guilty.
THREE HOUR SERMON
Said the Lord Was His Attorney But
the Jury Only Took Ten Min
utes to Bring In
Verdict.

UNITED Press Leased Wire service.]
PORTLAND. Me-, Dec. 9.--"Ages
ago God split prison walls to set his
apostles free. If ask Him, he will
do the same now"
This statement was made tonight
to a United Press correspondent by
Rev. w. Frank Sandford, Elijah II"
leader of the Shiloh Holy Ghost and
Us, as he was taken to Jail to await
sentence, following his conviction this
afternoon on charges of mans1aught-
er. Five minutes after Sandford en-
tered the cell he furnished $4,000
bail and went direct to Shiloh.
Sandford faces a possible sentence
of fines aggregating $60,O00, or i'm
prisonment for sixty years, or both,
having been found guilty by jury
that deliberated but ten minutes, of
being responsible for the death from
starvation and scurvy of six members
Of the crew Of his Holy Ghosters.'
Sanford will be sentenced on Dec.
IS. He says, and his followers be-
lieve him, that If sent to prison, the
walls of his cell will be rent by the
Lord, and he will again be free to
lead his scores Of fervent followers
in their battles against wickedness
and vice.
Sandford's trial was short. But it
was the most remarkable criminal
case in the history OF Maine. BY mar
row margin Sandford had kept out of
the clutches of the law for eighteen
years
Less than a year ago he boarded
the Corina with about half a hundred
/ of those of his Shiloh flock who
were nearest to God"
God commanded me to visit far-off
shores and show the benighted in.
habitants the light" exclaimed Sand.
/ ford at his trial today. He refused
to object to jurors and he refused to-
day to question witnesses when they
/ told how they had begged him to
seek port when one after another
/ his crew fell i'll from insufficient food
4 and exhaustion. Only when three OF
4 his sailor followers died, did
Sandford finally put into port. Then
state officials went abroad and took
three other sailors off. They died the
next day of scurvy and starvation. II
marked the end of a cruise which got
! as far as the African coast, where the
bark Kingdom, another Of Sandford's
ships, went down.
i When asked if he had counsel
Sandford said the Lord was his law
4 yer. Asked if he had any witnesses
or evidence, he said: "No, but would
like to make statement"
I Facing the jury he talked for three
hours, explaining how he never die
i anything unless God personally tolc
me to'
4 God ordered me to continue t
Greenland to convert the heathen,
he said, "and i had to go. am speak
ing before two courts today. One II
unseen but it is the more powerful
could easily convince you of my guilt
/ lessness if were willing to perjur'
j myself before Gods tribunal, but
4 will not. Gods punishment would b,
worse than mans"
He quoted frequently from th
: bible. He denied that he had eater
three full meals a day while hi
shipmates had a cup of thin grue
once day. "They are not liars" h
said, "they are misguided only, an,
think they spoke the truth. God know
who tells the truth here
If he was affected by the verdic
so quickly returned, Sandford did no
show it. Walking with dignified mel
to the cell with his guard to awai
! furnishing of bail by friends, he sal
again, and again:
"The Lord is with me. He will nc
desert me. He will show the worl
the true religion"
: Sandford refused to listen to a
! torneys who advised a plea of insar
: ity.
!, shot and Killed.