House Divided

Little flurries of snow fell last week in Benton Harbor, Mich. Under the leaden sky a melancholy old lady picked up all her belongings and traipsed a half-mile to a new home. She was "Queen" Mary Purnell, wife of the late "King" Benjamin Purnell, self-proclaimed Messiah, founder of the famed, bewhiskered religious cult called House of David.

"King" Benjamin died in December 1927. Soon the House of David became a house divided. "Queen" Mary vied for control with H. T. Dewhirst, onetime California jurist. For 28 years she had inhabited Shiloh, as the cult's property is called. There stands the austere mansion in which secret chambers reputedly conceal a fortune of $1,000,000 in cash and jewels left by "King" Benjamin. There is nothing secret about his mummified body, which is there on display. "Queen" Mary had hoped to cherish these properties, sacred and personal, to preach immortality there in the footsteps of her holy spouse. But Judge Dewhirst wanted to modernize the cult. It was even hinted that, if given control, he might go so far as to order the members of the House to shave. No more would Benton Harbor street car conductors be confused with the motormen by reason of their identical beards (the House of David owns Benton Harbor's trolley lines). No more would the House's famed, crack baseball nine achieve added reputation and profit in its journeys throughout the U. S. from the novelty of long-bearded gentlemen scrambling for flies, sliding for bases.

"Queen" Mary mustered about 200 followers; Judge Dewhirst the same. Thus it was not surprising that, after months of litigation, the question was settled out of court by dividing equally the cult's property and wealth, reputedly a matter of several hundred thousand dollars, farmlands in Michigan and Australia.

This occurred in February; Judge Dewhirst retained Shiloh and its hallowed manse. "Queen" Mary soon purchased ten acres of farm land not far away. There she and her faithful proceeded in quiet procession last week, distraught, injured, but somewhat heartened by thoughts of a new tabernacle, a new beginning.

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