New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-02-12
Gives Shop, for
'kingdom'inn
l.ive-Ever Cult
Alleged Victim Now Tells
Court Society of Negroes,
Posing as Jews, Swindled
fIim Out of Meat Business
Spent 10 Days in Bellevue
Supreme Being of the Die.
Never Organization Is i'm
Jail; Member Murdered

Roy A. Murray applied to Justice
Ford in the Supreme Court yesterday
for an injunction to restrain the Live
Ever, Die Never Society from withhold
ing his butcher shop at 1857 Seventh
Avenue from him He said that the
society offered to swap a kingdom for
the butcher shop, but didn't carry out
its bargain.
he didn't take the proposition in
earnest, he said, and anyhow would
rather have his butcher shop than e.
kingdom these days. The society is
ganization which formerly called IT.
self the Colored Settlement Workers
and then changed its name to the Re-
lief Association of Hebrew Settlement
Workers, its members posing, it is al
legged, as Jews.
All concerned in the litigation are
negroes: E.. w. Robertson, the "su-
Never Society, is in the penitentiary
IN Trenton, N. j., thanking his stars
that his sentence for teaching boys to
teal was only five years and not
life"
Adopt Hebraic Names
Not only did the Colored Settlement
Workers change the name of that or
ganization to the Relief Association
of Hebrew Settlement Workers, but it
was alleged that some of the members
have adopted Hebrac names and have
allowed their boards to grow to carry
out the intended deception.
Murray, who apparently has been
marked as backsliding disciple OF
the Live Ever, Die Never Society,""
said that the defendant members of
his organization got his shop by fraud.
He said that they, and particularly Ro-
berson, induced him to believe they
represented a bona fide religious or
ganization and that if he would give
up his business and follow the teach
lngs of Robertson and the defendants
he would live forever.
Murray added that while he was in q
weakened mental condition he gave a
bill of sale for his butcher shop, but
that he received no consideration for
it. About the same time he was COM
rnitted to the psycopathic ward at
bellevue Hospital, where he was under
observation for ten days. When Muir
ray got out of the hospital he was
made an elder of the Give Ever, Die
Never Society" and was supposed to be
endowed with all the powers that went
with the exalted office. On the other
hand, he complained, that during the
ten days he was held at Bellevue the
defendants had taken possession of his
shop and got the lease on it.
Then Robertson Went to Jail
Shortly after all this Robertson was
arrested as fugitive from justice and
was sent to the penitentiary.
II have visited there" said Murray,
0y7H hn ENll
natural powers and could leave the
prison as soon as he desired and JOIN
his disciples. | believed this and con-
veyed my shop without consideration,
and after | discovered the fraud | took
the business back and endeavored to
rebuild my trade. | had to exclude all
the defendants from the business be-
cause no customers would deal with me
while they were around. Although all
the ne defendants are negroes, they claim
they are original Jews, and all the men
seek to let their boards grow long IN
order to impress the ignorant and the
innocent that they are members of the
Jewish race, notwithstanding that
nearly all of them were born in the
United States. They have since barred
me out of my shop"
Miss Edna Murray, sister of the
plaintiff, made affidavit that she was
'''N"SSN ny Aiauu W tuIu over all ner
property, including all her housekecp-
h ing, articles and hair-dressing tools
z with which she had been earning her
living. She went to live at the head
quarters of the society, "where the de-
PENDANTS plotted and perfected schemes
to induce other unsuspecting colored
persons to do likewise, under the belief
That Robertson, who called the prem
Uses his Kingdom had supernatural
powers"
One Member Is Murdered
1t was also alleged by Miss Murray
that Robert Diggs, one of the members.
was shot to death near Atlantic City
and that two fellow members who were
held In connection with the killing
of evidence.
Murray said that Robertson promised
to establish Kingdom" for him If
he would remain faithful.
Murray alleged that the defendants
are receiving money under false repre-
sentatlons from charitably inclined
persons as Hebrew settlement workers.
The defendants are Alfred j. Sim
mons, who calls himself Simons, presi-
dent of the Relief Association of He
brew Settlement Workers.; Kirk w.
white, vlce-president, who calls him
self Kaufman; Joseph T. Taylor, Game
johnson and Mrs. E. w. Robertson, the
'matron" at the premises maintained
by the organization at 81 West l38th
street. Simmons contends that Murray
and his sister sold their market to the
defendants for 1870 at time when he
was in financial distress.
Justice Ford was unable to deter
mine who was telling the truth.
This is not proper case for in
junctive relief on affidavits alone," said
the justice. Therefore, Murray will
nave TO wait until his case is tfied in |
court before he can get back his shop"