Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-05
ACCUSE BOLY ROLLERS
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST
MEMBERS OF FANATlCAl RE.
LIeious SECT.
BROTHER AND SISTER
PLACED UNDER ARREST
Other Members OF Family Held For
Perjury-Exeuse Wrong Doinss BY
Declaring Sins Had Been Forgiven
- arentase Of Children in Doubt -
Other Iowa News.

Cedar Rapids, March 5.-A case al
most unbelievable in character. evil
IDENTIFY partly due 10 human depTavity'
and partly 10 religious fanaticism, was
ureartheI by the police and Assistant
Police Natron Jones last night IN Hhich
& brother ard sister have. according
to the statements Of the police officers.
confessed to having lived together as
man and wife. The man and
woman are F. G. True and Mrs. Nellie
Childers, the latter woman -
years OF age ana the mother OF nine
children. Both are prominent members
and workers in the Holiness associa-
ton or Holy Rollers" and give as an
excuse for their actions that the Lord
has made il right.
The couple lived at 42S South Sec
ond street west. near the building il
which, the Holiness meetings are held,
and not fa- from another building in
which q number OF women who arc
members OF the sect are housed under
the direction OF q nan named Fersu-
SON who Is the preacher OF the as
ISOLATION. With the man and woman
lived four children. a girl Of Eve. and
three boys OF about seven, nine and
eighteen. For many months the neigh
bors in that vicinity have been COM
planning regarding the actions OF the
couple, and these complaints became
unusually bitter several months ago
when il was learned they We're brother
and sister.
The police and probation officer
made an investigation? some time ago.
bur were able 10 learn anything
that would warrant an arrest. At
that tine the woman vas in hos
pital. her illness, so i is said. having
been caused thru the manner in which
she had been living. The investiga-
ton has been carried on quietly since
that time. however. and about mid
night last night Detective Cook. Ser
geant Christensen and Assistant Ma
tron Mrs. Jones went TO the house and
arrested the couple.
Claim Brother is the Father.
When questioned at the police sta
ton Mrs. Cililders admitted that F. G.
True was her brother, and that ne was
the father OF her two youngest chill
dren. aged about and I. She ap-
parently was not certain as TO who was
the father of the 9year-old boy, and
ali three of the children are now be-
ing cared for at the station.
After the couple were arrested the
officers returned TO the house and
brought back her son Jesse Childers
and his wife. TO whom he was married
on December 9. The charge made
against these two is perjury. Childers
being only Is years Of age while his
wife testified thar he was 81 when they
secured the license at Marion. The
woman was formerly Miss Myrtle
Steinbeck Of this city.
Nellie Childers and her brother. F.
6. True. came 10 Cedar Rapids from
Missouri to join the Holiness Asso-
citation. and have been prominent work
e-s in the organization. Her husband
from whom she has rot secured q di-
vorce. according to her statements
lives in Oklahoma, and the Oldest son
lives with him.
The police state that this is one OF
the most gla-ing cases of human de-
oravitv they have ever handled. A
strange feature OF the matter is that
the woman apparently thinks she has
done no wrong, and that the Lord
has made everything right"
Just what charge viii be made
against them viii be decided later.
T!-ey- were arrested or charge Of
aduIter--, but It is probable that this
will be cha nged to incest. A charge
OF perjury has been made against
Jesse Chiiders and his wife.