The Washington times., 1923-04-28
DENOUNCES
HOUSE Of
DAVID
Judge Declares King" Ben
janin Is Guilty Of Mistreat-
ing Young Girls.
By International News Service.


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, April
2S.-The House of David, a re-
ligious colony at Benton Harbor,
Mich, was branded as a fraud,
a disgrace to Michigan and king"
BENJAMIN Purnell, leader of the
cult, as an autocratic leader,
guilty of mistreatng young girls,
In a decision handed down today
by Federal Judge John Safer, in
the suit Of John Hansel and
family for $4,000 against the
colony.
HanseIs Win Decree.
The opinion grants compensation
to ali members OF the Hansei fam
ny. now OF Nashvil1e, Tenn, and
former members of the colony. Com
pensation due is to be computed BY
attorneys. The court held the $780,
900 asked by the Hansels was ex-
cessive. The Hansels will receive
many thousands of dollars, however,
it is estimated.
Judge Saters opinion took up
sixty-six pages and bristled with de.
nunciation of King" Benjamin and
life in general at the mysterious
colony.
Bentamin's political power, which
has prevented local Investigations
so often. also was denounced by
the court. Benjamin's practices.
immoral conduct and petty thefts
have become common in the col
ony, the court held in setting forth
his conclusions.
Has Taught Perjury.
In this connection the opinion
says that King David for his own
protection and to prevent discIos-
ures by investigations conducted by
public officials as to evil prac-
tees attributed to him, has claimed
divine character and in certain OF
his teachings, Benjamin has DELHI
erately and Systematically taught
utterances of falsehoods and the
commission of perjudy. Secrecy as
to such teachings is enjoined. His
utterances, oral and printed, given
out to the general public and to
the members when collectively as
sembled, do not conforms to his real
teachings to an inner circle and to
the manner of life prevailing within
such circle, but in the third volume
of the Star Of Bethlehem, which
goes to his people. il is openly
taught that even the courts cannot
make them testify against them
selves as to any evil they may have
conferred or cause them to touch
upon the same.
Has Debauched Girls.
Benjamin has SO taught his re
frVf> - ~
the female members of the colony
to submit to immoral relations with
him. He has in the name of re
ligion persistently debauched a con
siderable number of credulous and
trusting young girls and women
On account of the secrecy enjoined
by him on his victims, knowledge
of his relations with them did not
extend to the members of the
society except for the relatively few
Whether the evidence of the
plaintiff or that of the defendants
be considered alone, a low moral
tone, adultery, and petty thefts has
existed in the colony and had gone
unpublished and in almost all cases
| unrebuked. Efforts have been made
to deceive public officials and stiflt
investigations when they were
uSdertaken and to besmirch seceed
ers from the colony and those desig
mated as scorpions.
"Hansefs contribution undoubted
ly profited the colony and also
profited BENJAMIN in his leadership
increasing his powers and import
ance and offering an increased
number of girl victims on whom Il
practice his immoralities."
Judge Safer quoted extensivel,
from the book Of rules of the col
ony and said that this, with othe,
publications gotten out by Benia
min. make clear that he dictates AZ
to both spiritual and temporal af
fairs and exacts implicit obedience
The court also quoted from THE
Key document as proof that col
ony members are instructed Il
falsify. He also referred to THE
Book of Wisdom" and quoted the
Following sentence: Zone important
key is this: He calleth these thing.
(which be not as though they were.