The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-16 00:00:00

THE "PECULIAR PEOPLE" AGAIN.

At the laet °nett Petty Sessions, John Baker, a
man in respectable circumstances, we charged with
having neglected to provide necessary medical aid for
his child, Jesse Baker, aged two years and eight
months, who, it was presumed, had been allowed to
die without any medical assistance.

Mr. A. H. Hunt, clerk to the Oreett Board of Guardians,
attended for the prosecution, and stated that the summons
was taken out by the guardians, who considered it now their
duty to take the matter up, owing to several deaths having
lately occurred, and prosecute according to the powers
given to them by a recent statute, list anti 32nd Vic., C. 122,
sec. 87, • Inch enacts that where parents allow their children
to die without medical aid they shall be liable to six menthe'
imprisonment. This was the second child the defendant had
within the past few weeks allowed to die.
Mr A. W. Mercer, surgeon, was next called, and his evi-
dence went to show that he was ordered by the Coroner to
make • post mortem examination of the body of another
child belonging to the defendant, and while performing the
operation he saw the second child now alluded to in the
present cane lying very ill. As the first child had been
allowed to die without medical assistance, he strongly urgt.ii
the mother and three other women to permit him to give
the chill sonic medicine, silt waa very dangerously ill but
the mother and the other women positively reinsed him per-
mission to give the child anything. He then advised them
to put a plaster upon it, and give it stimulants, but that they
also refused. . . . . . .

Ann Cminingham stated that she was one of the three
sisters who attended the child. It had every nourishment
but hni no medicine. Everything that was possible to do for
it according to their religion was done. The elders were
sent for, and they laid Maude on it, and they annointed It
with the holy oil.
That being the case for the prosecution,
The magistrates asked the defendant what he had to
say to the charge.
The Defendant What I have to say is this—The Lord
saved me from my sins eleven years ago, anal now go accord-
ing to the Scripture, and follow I:hrist. In the days nt
Christ, just before he departed, he said, ''lf I depart I wit I
send the comforter unto you ." and It was that Spirit which ,
I received eleven years ago that guided me to fulfil his com-
mands in this case. The word of God tells me to pray, and
that if any are sick, let him send for the elders of the church
to annoint the sick with oil, and pray over him. This is what
I believe in, and what I have done; and if my child had not
been sick unto death, it, would have recovered, but as it did
not recover it was the Lord's will that it should die. In the
last chapter of St. Mark does it not say of them that believe
"In my name shall they cut out devils.... They shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Here a number of brethren and sisters who were In the
court shouted out—" Yes, yes; Blessed be Ills name ;"
awl other similar ejaculations.
The Chairman : But there is nothing in that to tell you
not to send for • doctor. . . . .

The Defendant: There la no pease.ge In the whole book
where I ant told to Gaud tor & doctor. The command l&

ama ella lea mm 107 00001
On him and antoint him with oil."
One of the elders of the church was next called, who
Stated that he was a wherfinger, and one of the elders the
child's mother sent for him, and he went and laid hands
upon it, prayed over it, and annointed It with oil on several
OCCSItOns.

The
: What name do your denomination give them-
selves?

--Witness: Just what the Bible says we are—" a chosen and
• peculiar people, holy unto the Lord." We are not eshamed
of our name. There were other elders sent for besides me.
We had a prayer meeting in the room, and there was a lot
of us there the night the child died. We held the meeting
from seven till nine

The Chairman What would you do yourself if you had
a leg broken? You would send for a medical man then,
would you not?
Witness : If I live unto God I shall not have a leg broken
It Ido not, I inlet be liable to such a chastisement. God
has promised to take care of the righteous, and there hare
been no broken legs amongst us.
• ••

--•
After very voluminous evidence, the bench retired
for consultation.

The Chairman, on returning, said they gave the
defendant credit for sincerity, but they were bound to
convict. Neverthelese, as it was under a recent Act,
not generally known, they would exercise a power
given to them to discharge him now on eutertog into
his own recognisances to come up for sentence when
called upon. They hoped such a case would not
occur

The 11:tendon': Well, I mean to go on exactly u I
have done; and whether I break the law or not. I mean
to follow Christ, and jolt my trust in 111 m. I bleu 6.1 now
for having taken my case up. It is lie that has come to my
aulstance now.

Here a number of the brithren and sisters shouted, "Yes,
yes; praise Him and trust in Him.

The 'Aran then left the court, evidently under the
belief that the defendant was a rescued martyr.