Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-25
SUNDAY IN TENNESSEE.
Even the Seventh Day Adventists Must
Obey tho Law.

Even the Seventh Day Adventists Must
Obey tho Law.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich, March 25.-A
peculiar case was tried in the circuit
court at Troy, Obion county, Tenn, re-
Gently. The Indictment was against r..
nj. King, and was based ON the follow
ing charges "Plowing on Sunday and
doing various kinds of work on that day
without regard to said Sabbath day.
Mr. King is member Of small but
respectable sect of Christians known as
Seventh-day Adventsts, who observe
the seventh day, Saturday, as the Sab
bath. Six witnesses were examined,
five for the prosecution and one for the
defense. All the witnesses testified to
the good character of the defendant as Il
law-abiding citizen with the one eXcep-
ton of working on Sunday.
The defendant offered to prove that he
had been brought before justice and
fined for the principal offense charged in
the Indictment, and that he had paid his
fine, but the court would not permit him
to do so. The examination of the wit
nesses showed that two of them belonged
TO an organization whose membership
had bound themselves together by q
written agreement TO prosecute every
violation of the Sunday laws.
The counsel for the defendant then Of
lered to prove that men in the neighbor-
hood where Mr., King lived had cut
wheat with self binder, RATED logs and
done other work on Sunday. for which
they had never been called in question,
but the court would not permit him to
prove it, The work done by Mr. King
was all on his own premises and not in
sight of any public place or worship.
The witnesses all testified that they
We're not disturbed in any way, except
that their moral and religious feelings
were shocked. The cross examination
developed the fact that two of the wit
nesses were going to another part of the
neighborhood after a COW, and "a third
was engaging harvest hands when they
saw Mr. King at work on Sunday Tho
defendant had lived in the same neigh
borhood from child, and had always
borne a good character.
About two years ago he changed his
religious belief, uniting with the Sew
enth-day Adventists, since which time
no opportunity has been lost by his for
mer brethren to harass and iniure hifa
The prosecuting attorney made an in
fiammatory speech in which he con-
founded the Adyentists with the Nor
mons. In the conclusion of his speech
he said:
81 wish we had more Methodist
churches, and more Baptist churches,
and more Presbyterian churches, and
more Episcopal churches, and more
Catholic charches, until every man was
brought under the benign influence of
these churches; but / do not want any
Adventist churches or Mormon churches.
Mr.. Giteau, when he had a revelation
from God (and | expect had a Seventh
day Adventist lawyer to defend HIM took
a pistol and shot down the ruler of this
nation, and they hung him, and that is
what they ought TO do with all these
fellows"
The jury brought in a verdict Of guilty
and assessed the fine at $75. In over
ruling a motion for a new hearing, the
Judge said:
"The law is clear. | charged it prop
erly. The fine is a reasonable one and
well warranted The laws are made 10
be obeyed, and Mr.. King and all the
other men should and must obey or leave
the country.
81 make these remarks that they may
know that | intend TO have the law
strictly enforced in the future Mr.
King and his brethren have right to
keep another day if they choose. but az
Christian men il is their duty TO obey
the laws Of the state and they must
do it."