The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-11

Benton Harbor, Mich, Dec. Il
[ NEAl--SpeakinL Of Big Business
and the cult Of Success
king" Benjamin Purncll, who
fell afoul of the law after reignng
over the House of David for nearly .
"A quarter of "A century, started IN
life as the pcnnlcss offspring Of I
poverty stricken Kentucky farmer
BY his own effort. he built up an
here worth $l2,00o,000 be-
sides laying away large personal
fortune.
Whiskcrs or no whiskers that was
an achievement.
II means that the long haired cult
leader is something more than Il
mere fanactic, Il deludcd rcligionlst.
He also is IL business executive OF
ability.
King Bcn's past is not too clearly
lighted, but it is known that he was
born in 1861 in Maysville, Ky. lie
had little education, except that he
faithfully studied the Bible: As 4
youth he worked in the hill country
al various trades.
Ills Career Begins
1t was in 1902 that Puinell started
on his strange career.
Startled farmers near Fostoria, o.,
saw bearded man riding by on Il
junk cart, proclaming to all and
sundry that he was the younger
brother of Jesus Christ. Failing to
impress Fostoria, he drifted to Miehl-
gan, and there, with his wife, Mary,
met one Michael X. Mills, who had
established az Detroit 4 colony simi-
lar to the present House Of David.
Mills eventually was arrested and
the colony broke up, but Purncll had
The Idea. He headed for Benton
Harbor ard there proclaimed HIM
self, not only Christ's younger
brother, but also the seventh angel
mentioned in the Book of Revela-
tions. A handful of followers,
| slourhcd off from the wreck of Mills
colony. followed him and the House
Of David was born.
In Benton iIarbor was = family
|
$4,000. Purncll converted these
people and induced them to turn over
their money to him. and the pros
perity Of the colony WAS assured
With the $4,000 nest egg business
began to pick up.
Converts Come
More converts came. They eaile
some Of them, from England; others
we're drawn from the sandy western
Michigan farm lands. One and all
they turned over their property t.
PurnelI and worked for him muci
like serfs. purnells title Of King
was no empty one. tie ruled by di
vine right and brooked no opposition
The end Of the world, he an
! nounced, was close at hand. TIL
last trumpet soon was to sound. Ih'
ordinary run of mortals would dix
and be raised from the dead, passing
into hcaven--if they mcrited it-a:
sexless creatures who would tast'
Of a very mild eternal happiness
But members Of the House of David
y
would 70. die at all, and would b.
given a paradise on earth, to enjo.
with their earthly bodies, tasting
freely of all the bodily joys they hat
previously denied themselves. The.
would marry and be given in mar
riagc.
Immortality the Lure
SO came the peculiar state 81 AT
!. fairs in the House Of David. Th
TOO odd converts lived simply, cla'
in homespun, their long locks hang
ing about their shoulders, hard work
ing and austerc; but King Bel
dressed in flowing silk robes, live.
E in a palace called shiloh, en-
joyed the best Of food and drink
p consolcd himself with feminine com
: panionship--it is even said, on ap
S parcntly good authority, that h
g maintained IA harcm, Il real oae.
e How did he get away with il
Easy. To his followers he explainc
/ that he, personally, already had a'
I tanned Immortality. He had bee
n sent back to earth to lead Ia
humble to righteousness. Const
qucntly. what more fitting than tina
he should give them perpetual oil
jcct lesson Of the felicity that WI
Y in store for them? What he WI;
now they would be in the futur
+ when the thunder Of the trumpcts {
! the night had been looscd over Ian
& and sea.
u Sells Amusement
L On the outskirts Of the colon
d Purnell established big amuscmci
|. rark, which was highly profitabl
IS Through it he rode in IA palati
70 glass-cnclosed car, monarch of all J
It surveyed. The colony had inves
h ments which prospered. and the co
IS fers became full.
r Purnell taught his followers not
J. believe in death. If q member die
I, it was a sign he had sinned secret
n and his fellow members would ha'
4. nothing to do with his body, whis
J. was buried in ''uncOnsccratct
e ground in the land Of the Gentle
= For the House of David members b
y lieye that they are the descendan
of one or more of the ten lost trib
of Israel Strangely, however, n
l-l one of them is what the modcl
u world would call Jewish.
g High island
In connection with death there q
+ ugly rumors in the House Of Davi
/ 4 ~ !.