Show NEVER GAINED DIVORCE FROM FIRST SPOUSE KING ADMITS Chief of Michigan Sect Brought Into Court Courton on Stretcher STATE STArE ASKS SPLIT Denies Mistreating Girls or 01 Women of Colony ST ST. JOSEPH Mich Aug 12 By By The Associated Press Ben Ben- Benjamin Benjamin jamin Purnell on the stand as a wit wit- witness ness for himself in the slates slate's disso dissolution lution n suit against the House of David today admitted on cross examination by b Assistant Attorney General George GeorgeE E E. Nichols that he had never secured a legal divorce from hIS first wife Eighteen or 19 attorneys told me I didn't need one I was Igno Igno- Ignorant Ignorant ignorant rant boy then he said It has been blen the contention of the state that Purnell was a bigamist His wife Queen Mary had previously in insisted In- In Insisted Insisted that Purnell had obtained a di- di orce sorce and ond that she was legally mar mar- married married ried ned to Purnell FOLLOWERS PRESENT The admission came after a com- com brief direct examination by Purnell's own counsel In which In a monotone of noes and I never ne did Benjamin categorically denied charge after charge that has hns been laid a him by states state's witnesses Purnell was brought Into court on ona ona ona a stretcher and permitted to testify from the cot The courtroom was crowded and back of Benjamin were scores stores of ot his followers A colony nurse hovered attentively around the cult cul leaders leader's stretcher Purnell said he was born on March M 27 21 1861 He was somewhat vague ague concerning his early life but said that tha he and Mary Purnell who testified Thursday had been members of a col- col only headed by Michael Mills In De De- Detroit Detroit troit some 20 years ago I dont don't think I did was vas his answer to a question as to whether he had written two samples introduced by the state and claimed to instruct colony colon members to perjure themselves 1 If necessary DENIES HUSH MONEY MONET He denied flatly any mistreatment of girls or women members of the colony c lony and also denied ever having offered hush money to Ruth Swanson Swan Swan- son solo a state slate witness V to persuade her hernot hernot tWy not to t testify e about mistreatments n t al al- al alleged by the state When Purnell ad ad- ad admitted muted he had not been divorced from Crom his first wife seiZe his attorney William Willian J. J Barnard Darnard interjected with a state slate statement statement ment that a divorce was VIas not necessary in Kentucky if a couple separated be before be- be before before fore they were 18 years ears of age Purnell testified that a II petition for divorce was filed long before he mar mar- married married ried clod his present wife but the pro pro- proceedings proceedings were never ne consummated be because be- be because because cause his attorney advised him a di divorce dl- dl divorce vorce was unnecessary The direct examination occupied 40 minutes After 15 minutes of cross examination a recess of 10 minutes was vas taken at the request of the nurse to allow Benjamin to rest lest |