The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-17
KING WITH GIRLS
Head Of the House Of Davidn
In Trouble IN Michigan.
Federal Authorities Investigate
! Alleged Religious" Sect.
IMMORAL CONDUCT CHARGED
Head Of the House Violated
White Slave Law.
Marriages Permitted Only to
Evade Federal Laws.
IMMORAL CONDUCT CHAR6E[

Benton Harbor, Mich. Dec. IL
Federal investigation of the s'1ouse of
David" the Flying Roller" Israelite
colony on the outskirts of Benton
the office Of bureau of Investigations
in Chicago and through the office of
the United States. district attorney at
Grand Rapids, Mich. since last Au-
gust. Affidavits Of three women and
the names Of 81 others mentioned by
the three who made affidavits have
been put in the hands of Hinton G.
Clabaugh. head of the Chicago bu-
reau, and District Attorney Myron
Walker at Grand Rapids.
The government investigation has
been made in an effort to substantiate
charges made by Harry S. Whitney. a
Benton HarbOr attorney, who told the
federal officers that the House of
David" is free love colony, and that
the Mann white slave act has been
violated by BENJAMIN Purnell, the
seventh angel Of the colony and by
his numerous missionaries who have
deavor to increase the membership Of
the sect.
The extent of the federal inquiry
became known here today when At
tOrney Whitney made public much of
the evidence that he has turned over
to Chief Clabaugh Of the bureau Of
Investigations and to District Attor-
| ney Walker.
Get Affidavits.
The three women who have made
affiGavits accusing Benjamin Purnell
are no longer members of the colony.
They left, according to their sworn
statements, because they would no
longer stand the unwelcome atten-
tons of the seventh anger and be-
cause they say no woman can stay in
the colony and oppose the "master's''
slightest wish.
Two girls 16 and ~ wears of o0o
are depended upon by the federal Of
ficials to furnish the ground upon
which Mann act indictments may be
returned against the leaders of the
missionaries
| Indictments and testimony of all
girls in the colony except these two
are impossible, it is said, because they
have lived in the colony longer than
the three years period Of the statute
of limitations
The affidavits turned over to the
federal Investigator were made by
Mrs. Augusta FOurtney Holiday, Mrs.
Lena McFarlane and Mrs. Edith
Clarke.
Marriages Not Allowed.
Their statements were made to At
ttOrney Whitney for divorce in the cir
cult court of Berrien county. Insthe
bill of particulars to her suit Mrs. Nc
Farlane charged that marriage is con-
of David. but that marriages have
been allowed since 1910, when a fed
eral investigation was threatened
because of the lack of the marriage
relation in the colony.
Mrs. Holiday and Mrs McFarlane are
sisters and lived in the colony. six years.
Two years after Mrs. Holiday went to
the colony, she swears in her affidavit,
she was married in wholesale cere-
mony in which twenty couples were
united. M w ~
..A. +he +;r,, w.. x.,or~ ,,,a r,.s<S5 ,,,+o..
the affidavit, benjamin made each girl
sign an affidavit that we were chaste and
had not been intimate with him. This af-
fidavit., he told us, was to protect, the
colony
He Was King.
my siser Lena and I objected to his
overtures and were always out of favor.
1 have talked with over sixty girls at the
colony and they ali tell me about the same
story He would tell them that he was
king and that the king could do no
wrong.
THAT the marriage ceremony doesn't
mean anything in the House of David Is
shown by the fact that BENJAMIN keeps
bands work in outlying farms and the
girls. especially the young and pretty
ones. are quartered in Shiloh Benjamin's
headquarters
Then in one paragraph of her affidavit
Mrs. Augusta Holiday says that her
first night at the colony, when she was
put - years od IAN n cane ft ,n vi., he
one girl in a bedroom where four would
be quartered while the others were pres
ent.
similar nature except, she swears. Ben
iaynin did not come to her -oom until she
had been at the colony about a year.
She was then Is years old.
Mrs. Clarke's affidavit tells of an inner
court in the house of David
81 have seen him initiate as many as
three girls into the inner court in one
IcOm.'