Evening star., 1940-07-25
a l Am CuItists
OF Reincarnaiion
Indicted for Fraud
Woshinetonions Among
Group Accused by U. S.
In Misuse Of Mails
BY the Associated Press.

BY the ASSOcl1teo freSS.
LOS ANGELES, July 25.-
Twenty-four leaders Of the I Am
Foundation, religious organization
which assertedly teaches reincarna-
ton and demands that its members
practice sex abstinence, have been
indicted on charges Of fraudulent
use Of the mails.
A Federal grand jury indictment
yesterday listed 16 counts Of misuse
of the mails and one Of conspiracy
to obtain large donations on prom
ises that members would become
immortal.
The Indictment charged that the
defendants broke up homes among
many of the members" and encour-
aged divorce, even where there were
dependent children, in teaching ed
herents to practice absolute sex
confluence"
Charge $4,000, 900 Given.
Most of those indicted are from
Los Angeles, Chicago and Washing
ton, D. c. Bonds ranged from
S2,500 to $4,000. Arrangements are
to take place within 10 days, and
the case was set before Federal
Judge Leon r. Yankwich for trial.
A trial date has not been an
nounced.
Norman Neukom, assistant United
States attorney, who presented the
case to the grand jury, said the
I Am group had collected almost
5000 900 since organization in 1880
and claimed to have attracted mil
lion converts throughout the Ma
ton.
Temples or instruction centers
were listed as being at Los An
geles, San Francisco, Chicago,
Washington, Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, Cleveland, Denver,
Salt Lake City. Fort Worth, Dallas
and West Palm Beach.
Among those indicted were Mrs.
Edna Ballard and Donald Ballard,
widow and son Of the movements
founder, Guy Ballard, who died De-
cember 20.
The elder Ballard, who called
himself st. German and held that
he was a reincarnation of George
Washington, was listed also as a
defendant merely for the purpose
of convenience"
Deny Soliciting Funds.
The true bill called Mrs. Ballard
Alias Joan of Arc, Jesus and Lotus
Ray King" Her son was identified
as Lafayette" and under his true
name, Edona Eros Ballard, which
the young man rarely uses.
I'VE have never asked a human
being for a dime to carry on our ac-
tivity. through the mails or other
wise" said Mrs. Ballard.
I'VE have offered only good and
love for America beyond all words
to describe. I accept the challenge
of the Government to show the d.
vine truth of the mighty I Am
presence"
Among the others indicted were
Charles M. Sindelar. editor of the
cult magazine. The Voice; Mrs. SIN
delar, Paul Stickel, Louise Majerus,
Cecilia Majerus, Mary McGinnes
and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Potter, all of
Chicago; Frances Ekey, Phila-
delphia; Sallie Bressler, Bond Bress-
Ter, Stanley Conrad and Mrs. Ada
Cox Fisher. Washington; Ratana
Hendrickson, Alhambra, Calf, and
Bert Corporon, Long Beach, Calf.
Claimed Immortality.
The defendants were accused of
falsely representing that Guy Bal
lard had attained supernatural
state of self-immortality, which
condition enabled him to conquer
disease, death, old age and poverty"
and bring forth money and riches.
1t was charged that the same rep
resentations were made as to Bal
lards wife and son and that they
could transmit this supernatural