Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1920 — HOLY ROLLER PASTOR IN BAD [ARTICLE]

HOLY ROLLER PASTOR IN BAD

Was Former Resident of Jackson Township, Newton County. Older residents of Jasper and Newton counties will be interested in the following clipping from the Los Angeles Times. The principal, Jame» Albert Chamberlin, was raised In Jackson township and left there about 30 years ago. His mother still lives at Brook, and he has been there to visit her of frequent years. The Times article follows: -Pamona, May 9. —As he was about to depart on an evangelistic trip for the Holy Roller cult, of which he is a prominent member, James Albert Chamberlin, reputed wealthy miser, who for years has permitted bis wife to take in washings and his three step-daughters to work in other homes as cooks and housemaids, was today rearrested by Constable Frank O. Blanker on u statutory charge. He is said to have mistreated his youngest step-daughter, Lucile, ever since she was 12 years of age. She Is now 15. Chamberlin after hds second arrest, confessed to Constable Blanker not only concerning his shameful relations concerning the little girl, bnt also of the same treatment to the two older girls, for whose alleged mistreatment he was first arrested the day previous, on a contributing charge. They are Edna, 19, and Rene, 17. All three are now In Juvenllle Hall, Los Angeles. "I am a dirty dog and ought to be hung,” declared the Holy Roller evangelist to Constable Blanker, after making his confession. He admitted that he told the girls that it was his duty to so conduct himself toward them, as it was always a father’s place to do so, and as they had no father, he would act in lieu of pne. According to the confession made by Lucille to Mrs. Rogers and later to Dep. DistrictAttorney Joos, he told her that he would kill her if she told a soul about their relations. The girl’s mother, Mrs. Chamberlin, declared to Mrs. Rogers that she never suspected the illicit relations between her three daughters and her husband, which have been going on for years. Chamberlin was first arrested Friday and after his arraignment' before Judge Sydney B. Reeve in the Juvenllle court, Los Angeles, was released on $1,500 cash bail. He came home that evening, and although the family had been informed of his misdoings with the two older girls, their mother told Mrs. Rogers, probation officer, that he offered a long family prayer at the breakfast table. “But those prayers didn’t go any higher than his own head,” declared the mother. According to Mrs. Rogers, who has been Investigating the case for some weeks, Chamberlin was planning to leave today for the evange-i listic trip. The 15-year-old girl was

to, drive their automobile, and it was to be a camping trip all across the continent. The mother had such confidence in Chamberlin’s con' fessed purpose that she probably would have only gone a few hundred miles apd then have returned here, leaving her daughter to go on alone with her stepfather. Last summer, according to the confession made to Constable Slanker, the little girl made a motor trip to Yosemite and return with Chamberlin and they occupied the same room every night when stopping at hotels, ' Although reputed to be worth more than $20,000, the man has practically forced the girls and his wife to seek employment, in spite of his attentions to them. He now says that he will make no fight and not employ an attorney. His bail has been set at $5,000, and it is expected that it will, on Monday, be set for the same amount on each count, or $15,000 in all. He says he will make no attempt to raise the amount. He is said to have been married many times, and an investigation is to be started by the district-attorney, to learn if he is another “Bluebeard.”