The Search for S D Rogers

There are some people in history for whom we have little background. Like the Bible character Melchizedeck (although of lesser reputation) we don’t know where they came from, and we can’t confirm where they went. They turn up in our narrative, give a few hints, and then disappear. It is frustrating for a researcher when this happens. This article is about one such case.

Back in 2016 there were several articles on another blog, written by Rachael de Vienne and myself, on a possible later sighting of S D Rogers. Recently returning to this subject, an interesting trail has been followed, with unexpected results. This article is that story.

But first, for any readers new to the subject, let’s examine what we know about his Watch Tower history. He always appeared in the pages of ZWT as S D Rogers. What the initials stood for was not known, which complicates identification. He appears in the 1880s. He was apparently born around 1847 and came from Michigan, and may have been born there. He was a vigorous and successful colporteur for Zion’s Watch Tower, but then was sent to Britain in 1893 which did not go well. He was subsequently involved as a key “conspirator” in A Conspiracy Exposed (1894). He was reported to be in league with Nelson Barbour and then disappeared from view. Then there are numerous accounts of a dubious religious character in the early 20^th century using the name S D Rogers. We will come to this later.

We arrive at a birth date of around 1847 for S D Rogers by assuming his entry on a ship’s list from 1893 is accurate. Rogers was travelling from New York to Liverpool in October 1893. The full details from the register show that he arrived in Liverpool on 4 October 1893. He called himself the Rev. S D Rogers, occupation Minister, and he is listed as single, aged 46. This gives us his approximate year of birth.

As to where he was from, we have several references to Michigan as either his place of birth or the place where he and his family were viewed as from.

Here is one of several examples from newspaper reports of sermons given in 1891. From the Buffalo Commercial (New York) for June 5, 1891.

A letter from S D Rogers in ZWT for August 1889 shows that his parents were living in Michigan at that time.

The problem is that nearly all of the 1890 American census returns were destroyed by fire in 1921 so we don’t have these to supply any background to the above. And a search of 1880 and 1900 provides no answers.

Using the approximate birth date of 1847 there are a number of potential candidates. Born in Michigan there is a Samuel Rogers, born c.1848. Living in Michigan in the 1870 census, there is a Sylvanus E Rogers, c. 1845 (born in Ohio), Sherman Rogers, c.1847 (born in New York), another Syvlanus Rogers, c. 1852 (born in Canada), another Samuel Rogers, c.1844 (born in Canada), and a Sol Rogers, c.1847 (born in England). Most promising on the surface would appear to be Samuel D Rogers, born Lodi, Michigan, in 1847. But this S D Rogers turns out to be a farmer with a wife and several children. While he could have “moonlighted” as a ZWT colporteur - which would have made a great story - this S D Rogers’ parents died some years before 1889. Playing round with different initials and locations has always proved to be a frustrating exercise.

Wherever he came from originally, Rogers entered the ZWT story in January/February 1889 in a letter from J B Adamson, who obviously became a close friend. (The letter is found in the original ZWT bur is not found in the abridged reprints). There are later references to Rogers rooming with Adamson and his wife, and Adamson of course was one of the other “conspirators” in the 1894 split.

Rogers' first letter to ZWT was dated May 2, 1889 from Detroit, Michigan (again omitted from the reprints). He became a highly successful colporteur, regularly sending in details of the vast quantities of Dawns he had sold. As well as Michigan, he worked extensively in Canada and New York, and was obviously doing this work full-time, supporting himself on commission. Apart from his parents in Michigan already referred to, the only other personal detail his letters let slip is that he had a brother who also worked as a colporteur with a Brother Zink at one point, probably in Canada.

He was so successful in this work then when it was thought beneficial to send someone to Britain to galvanise this kind of work there, Rogers was the choice.

Rogers determined that a better plan than circulating the printed page would be for himself, as ‘Rev. S D Rogers,’ to hold a series of public meetings with himself as the speaker, and to solicit money for them. The book Bible Students in Britain basically accused him of expecting to be treated like a conventional clergyman of Christendom, with local Bible Students funding his meetings and funding him to a degree that went beyond expenses. Letters of concern winged their way from England to the Bible House in Allegheny.

On his return there was a lengthy article by CTR in the April 1, 1894 ZWT on The Work in England, and Rogers – after six years as a colporteur - left that activity. He assured CTR of his continued interest in the message and was planning to return to England, but not as a ZWT representative.

Then came the campaign by “the gang of four,” Bryan, Adamson, von Zech and Rogers. They sent out a circular (not extant) and CTR responded with in A Conspiracy Exposed (special issue of ZWT April 25, 1894). In subsequent developments (ZWT June 11, 1894), Rogers was accused of visiting congregations with bad intent and in Rochester, NY, introducing the faithful to Nelson Barbour, described as a “bold and relentless enemy.” This came from a report by Maria, CTR’s wife, who went on a speaking tour in Rogers’ wake to counteract his activities. According to the June 11 special ZWT, Rogers split with the other three when they refused to hire a hall for him in Pittsburgh to “expose the errors of Millenial Dawn and Zion’s Watch Tower.”

                                                        

It appears that Rogers subsequently returned to Britain because one of the letters published in the June 11 ZWT was from a J Brookes in England whom Rogers visited. CTR assured the correspondent that Maria had no intention in following Rogers there.

And it is at this point Rogers disappeared. The subsequent lives of Bryan, Adamson and von Zech can be traced, but what happened to Rogers and his self-belief?

We find a number of references to a Rev. S D Rogers in newspapers between the years of 1903-1928, all linked to Michigan. To try and avoid confusion we will hereafter refer to our ZWT certainty as “SDR” and the 20^th century references to “S Donald.” Some 20^th century newspapers give Donald as the middle name to the Rev S D Rogers. See for example The Wood County Reporter (Grand Rapids, Wisconsin) for June 22, 1922.         

We will briefly outline S Donald’s known activities and then draw comparisons.

The known S Donald can only be described as a con-artist, and judging by the number of times he was encouraged to move on or got arrested, a particularly inept one.

 It can only be the vastness of America and the lack of communications that allowed him to try the same stunts year after year, while getting caught year after year. He may have had a penchant for pretty girls, or perhaps was just accident prone. Here is a typical headline from the Chanute Daily Blade for January 5, 1904.

He would start off by riding into town claiming to be writing a new book on the Bible; subscriptions gratefully accepted. Later he added raising contributions for a Quaker settlement, claiming to be a great grandson of Timothy Rogers, the Quaker who founded settlements in Vermont, and Canada. Timothy Rogers (1756-1834) was married twice, and had twenty-one children so this was a little difficult to verify both then and now.

S Donald’s real estate dealings had a sort of “kiss of death” about them. From the Witchita Daily Eagle for December 1919, his business dealings were (quote) “about everythng but successful” and were “always according to Hoyle” (a reference to gambling). Local real estate men were warned to have nothing to do with him.

The headline in the Wood County Reporter (Grand Rapids, Wisconsin) for June 22, 1922, with variations, became depressingly familiar.

Gradually a picture is built up of his back story.

He had “a new method” of preaching the gospel. His proposed tome entitled The Opening of the Books focused amongst other things on the year 1874. From an interview in the Chanute Daily Blade for January 5, 1904,

He had his epiphany while in England in the 1890s.  From The Journal Times (Racine, Wcisonsin) for May 3, 1905: S D Rogers, “Christian minister and evangelist,” was planning a religious school in their city.  Soon to publish The Opening of the Books he is of Quaker lineage and believes in direct revelation to man. Rogers “claims that about ten years ago when working in England that the great mysteries of the scriptures were opened up to him in a personal and direct way by the spirit of God.”

In 1928 he was still at it. From the Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, Missouri) for March 15, 1928, he had again been arrested for obtaining money under false pretenses. A proposed Quaker colony and his named magnum opus The Opening of the Books is the all-too-familiar story.

S Donald was described as a “shrewd book salesman” The businessmen who paid out now worked out that it was going to cost them even more if the case went ahead, so voted for dismissal. The full news report mentioned THAT book again – The Opening of the Books – and hinted that it still hadn’t actually materialised. The report also covered some of the areas Rogers had visited.

Later in 1928 we have our final sighting of him at work. The Daily Iowan for September 29, 1928, gave him the heading: Davenport Police Arrest Imposter – Alleged Minister Gets Donations from Local Men. 

S Donald’s less than illustrious career came to an abrupt end in November 1928. I am grateful to researcher Philip for bringing this cutting to my attention. From the Washington Evening Journal for November 5, 1928:

The account relates how S Donald had recently been released from the slammer. He then left his local hotel - without paying the bill. The suggestion is that he was attempting to board the train without buying a ticket. Papers in his bag indicated he was from Detroit, although the chief of detectives there said no-one there had heard of him. He had with him printed cards as a minister of the gospel according to the Quaker faith with more than one address. Local Quakers said he was not a minister of their faith and were (quote) “indignant” (Davenport Daily Times November 10, 1928). His age was judged to be about 65. No family or friends or details of his real identity were traced in time for his funeral on November 8. His death certificate, totally devoid of family details, gives his occupation as “minister.”

A search of genealogical records finds only one reference we can clearly tie into an S Donald Rogers of the right age in 1920. He is single, born around 1866, and is a “roomer” so staying in lodgings of some sort in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This gives his occupation as “author” and says was born in Canada.

So in summary, what can we say when comparing SDR and S Donald Rogers? Here are a few comparisons:

SDR called himself Reverend.

S Donald called himself Reverend.

SDR came from Michigan.

S Donald claimed to be from Michigan, either Vassar or Detroit.

SDR had a new way of preaching.

S Donald claimed to have a “new method” of preaching the gospel.

SDR was the top colporteur for CTR resulting in him being sent to Britain.

S Donald was a “shrewd book salesman.”

SDR wanted to make money.

S Donald certainly did.

SDR spent time in England in the 1890s.

S Donald claimed to have had his epiphany while in England in the mid-1890s.

SDR promoted ZWT theology.

S Donald’s proposed book focussed on 1874 as the start of the 7^th x 1000 year period of human history.

Put all that together and it just “feels” right that S Donald is our man. Until we have this 1928 record of his death of course, which throws it all out. Because a man born around 1847 would have been 80 in 1928.

Of course, it is always possible that the age for SDR when coming to England in the ship’s log is out by 15 years. Or that the coroner’s analysis of S Donald’s mangled corpse diagnosed a man of 80 as being around 65…  Yeah – sure. But certain phrases come to mind.  House of cards…  Don’t count your chickens…It’s not over until the fat lady sings… And yes – back to the drawing board.

Anyone out there like to take up the baton?