The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-09
LEADER INDICTED
OAMURDER CHARGE
Sanford, of Holy Ghost and Us
Society, Held on Six
Counts.
VIVID STORY OF SURVIVOR
Sailors Fed on One Biscuit a Day
While Leaders Family
Toasted.
VIVID STORY OF SURVIVOR

I
dictment containing six counts for tho
death of six of hi, followers on the
/ cruise of the yacht Coronet, was re-
ported to-day by tho grand jury of
! the United States District Court aguinst
Rev. Frank W. Sandrord leader of the
{ Holy Ghost and Us Society The trial
4 of the Shiiohtte leader was begun Inn
| nedlately.
! The indictment charged SANFORD with
having coused the death Of George
Hughey, Charles Hughey. Ralph Mer-
rill. Stuart Wolf. John Bolstor and John
(! Adamson,
! 1t vas charged in the Indictment that
Sanford did 'un!awfuliy. knowingly
! and wilfully cause and allow the Cor
onet TO proceed and continue upon a
voyage with suitable and sufficient food
TO supply the necessities a Id sustain
+ the life of George Hughey and the OFF,
GERS. crew and passengers"
Sanford. after listening to the read
/ Ing, pleaded not guilty. He dismissed
his attorneys early in the week. ex-
planning that he could defend himself.
God, he said. "is the only counsel !
need"
| Followers SIN Have Faith.
interest In the unusual case Is at a
high pitch. An amazing feature is the
way In which the followers of Sand
| ford cling to their faith In him after
all that has happened.
F.! Forty of Sandford's disciples were
! with him whom the barkentlne King
dom sailed from Norfolk, Va, II being
announced that her destination was n
port on the coast of Palestine, where
( the leaders intended to establish a coll
ony for the propagation of the new
| faith She was next heard from at the
1 VI lei
I II was declared at that time that tho
! vessel had not been to the Holy Land.
I but had spent the previous six months
J In cruising up and down the west coast
i OF Africa. seeking converts and also
! on the lookout fer a suitable place for
I colony.
/ Through European shipping agen-
! Giles came the news May IS that the
Kingdom had been wrecked Off San
gomar, on the west coast of Africa,
and that the survivors. numbering six
teen. had been landed on the coast. It
Is not known what became OF the
| twenty-six other members Of the
party. as It was denied any colony was
established anywhere. The Kingdoms
people were afterward taken aboard
the Holy Ghost yacht Coronet, and
then In June began the terrible voyage
TO Portland. Me. George and Charles
! Hughey. of Portland. who died on
board the Coronet. are only two out
of half dozen who met the sauna fate
Survivors of the cruise declare that
they begged Sanford for moro food,
but he constantly refused them, al
lowing rat!ons OF one biscuit day
Ralph Paine. a sailor on board the
vessel In I'LL Its wanderings UP and
down the seas. tells a vivid, almost a
gruesome story of the cruise.
! Story of the Cruise.
We were sometimes living on a
ration of one biscuit a day" he said.
/ Il had to take my turn at the wheel
besides helping to do tho work re-
/ until dropped from faintness.
I'VE left about q year ago. The
! idea was to evangelize the world, and
| those who asked why Mr., SANFORD did
| not begin at home were told that
| America had reached SO high civIll-
zation thai. at the appointed time,
conversion would come easily, and that
| the less civilized countries should be
| evangelical first.
| Whenever we signaled the shore OF
n new country all hands would be
| called on deck. whether they were
working or sleeping. and Mr.. SANFORD,
with uplifted arms. would pray for the
salvation of tho natives.
From Africa we went to South
America. and for thirty days cruised
| up and down its coast. AS each cora-
try was approached we never went
near enough to enter port and get
something to eat, and the prayer SER
Vice was always renewed.
| why they didn't think of China or
! some other country as fit subject for
evangelization I don't know. but, any
, way. We started for Greenland Mr..
Sanford decided that lts natives were
in need of salvation. and that In the
interim of the passage the members
| portunity to attain that absolute pu-
/, rity for which, at home and abroad,
| they are constantly seeking.
| I'VE never got as far as Greenland,
but the distance we did go was
enough for me and and all the rest.
| Weak From Lnck of Food
| when the time of the wreck came.
every man was required to man the
pumps on ration of one biscuit a
day. ! was formerly strong, but i
| tainted. My fainting did not secure
me more food; was relieved, of ne
/ cessty. from work.
MIR. Sanford took his own turn at
the pumps. but Elijah did not for a
! day. nor did his family. go without
! full meals OF the kind that one ought
to have In order to do any amount
Of work and really live.
| When we were in desperate danger
of being sunk. when all but few had
given up hope of ever seeing land
again, when only faith in God that
was greater than our faith In Mr.
Sanford, Kept UP our spirits. relief
came In sight in the shape of O yes.
sci.
From 1t supplies of 500 or 600
pounds OF salt pork and two quarters
OF beef were then sent to the Corone,
in @ boat manned by sailors from the
other vessel at the risk of their lives
THE food was welcomed with tears
on board the boat. Men who had tor
days been keeping up the fight for
1 life purely on their nerve, unsustained
almost wept at the sight OF real food
And yet few OF us ever saw one
mound OF the new rations.
THE others still had to go on theil
previous rations OF one biscuit n day
The time came when of Newfound.