The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-26
A POPULIST MARTYR.
Blackburn, the Letter-Writer,
Wishes to Pose as Such.
IS ALSO AGAINST PREACHERS.
vs.,..< r4~tters Seat 20 Rev. Dr.. George
His Hesrfng Centfnmed-Es-
Isassd en- Bonds.

\
far uritIng threatening letters caused bis
arrest Friday evening on warrant sworn
o,,t by Postal inspector Thrali, was not
conclnded Yesterday before Commissioner
rn~vv. On motion Of the defendant the
case was continued until Monday after
noon.
sieer,ng In a dungeon eesl' seemed 20
have somewhat cooled the energies OF the
hold atheist. for when be was brought into
ronrs Yesterday he was very sorry and
thoroughly detected man. He vas repre-
.ensed bv Judge Richard Winsor and r.
IefYriex and the prosecution was repre-
sent~d bv United states Attorney Brinker.
Postal Inspector ThraIi was called and
told how he had caused the arrest Of
EIaokhurn On a charge Of mailing SIX
postal cards ssn which we're written words
~ defamatory. christening and sour
r.Iou. character. This wss the only Wit
res. exaroines and. at the instance of
Judge Winsor, who complained that he
had not had sufficient time 10 confer with
his client, further hearing was postponed
un.il Mondny. Mr. Jsffries endeavored 10
have the defendants bond reduced. but
the commissioner refused T. ID. Hinck-
lev. owner OF the block which bears his
-
tile sord,und Arc Light Company. quail
fed as bondsmen. and Blackburn was al
lowed TO go home.
1t cane to light yesterday thai the editor
of the Pos1-IxrxLrfagscEE. President
Grover Cleveland and ]. q. Carlisle are
not the only persons 10 whom Blackburn
has addressed letters and postal cares.
Rev. ". r. George of this city, received
1t lac III,
all of them OF scurriious and threatening
nature. Mr.. George answered the first TWO
or three postals. bat becoming convinced
that Blackburn was a vicious. dangerous
character he declined TO further CORE
spend with him. Mr.. George vas present
in the court room yesterday and gave Dir.
Thrail the correspondence which had
passed between him and Blackburn On
February II last Mr.. George received the
following letter, IL having been written IN
answer TO kindly one mailed by himself:
SEATTLE, Feb. II, 5 p. m, i. NJ. eas,
"'Res' ". L. George, ID. D.'-.Sir:
Never call me brother. I am an atheist.
have a supreme contempt for all preach
ers. Yes. know your Bible Is a lie and
your God q nonentity. All the evil and
Injustice in the world Is proof.
Jesus Christ never existedi no historical
existence! All churches are hotbeds of
superstition. Sir, there are no Christian
mysteries. II is simply lot OF priestiy
aud Biblical deception. You do not num-
Der with you all the really great thinkers
of the ages. Where is your Hu1aboldt.
Uaeckel. Daraeia. Herbert Spencer Husieg.
Tyssdal. Edison, etc, etc, etc. 1 Will give
81 600 IN gold coin TO prove the existence
of God, Heaven hell or devil If
you know thing you can prove it. | be-
hat al "a nd
preachers, from the Pope down. are I'M
posters, and hope to meet better men in
he'll. CHARLES f. BLACKBURN.
..l420 Sixth street. Atheistll'
Later DIR. George received the following
remarkable letter:
SEATTLE, March IL, 'a3
~. r. George, City: Ii assume hell
for the sake of argument il Is no proof of
its existencei do say there IN no God as
taught by the Bible and Christianity. and
Ii you claim there IL then / ask you TO
prove His" existence. Trot out your
God, and IL You are so anxious to have mo
become a Christian, produce your God
aud convert free thinker, an iniidei and
an atheist. You Christians are such con-
snmmate impostors that you are:rapidly en-
ueayoring to rob humanity of what little
liberty that Is left. Not satisfied with hav-
ing the Worlds fair closed SUNDAYS YOU
o. exempt your hot houses of sapersti-
siun' --ehuTches--from taxation. Your
se-calied houses of God ought TO be blown
up with dynamite and burned down with
fire, and that Is what will be done yet if
you don't do what is right. The French
iniidels had cause enough to strike down
yrlsstiy despotism, and. sir, an American
intidel viii do more thorough work than
what MAS done in France. IL YOU were
not void Of all sense OF Justice you would
pay taxes on your churches aud refrain
from closing ths Worlds fair ON SUNDAY.
DO yon think yeu Christians are max
Ing anything by such damnable oppres-
sion? SIR. the more of such ietesta6ie inn
position you saints try 10 force on the
people the more strongly We resist, and If
YOU make your game work We will tear up
the whole foundation and make such a
scattering of your stock In trade that the
future will never again be cursed by relig-
ioit. The object of religion Is TO justify
crime. and | say d--n the object You
ask il | will let Christ tthe priest) save
mcf | say, SIR. there Is nothing wrong
with me--l'm not lost. have no desire
to be saved. | would not be Christian
for any consideration. Christianity is
false; the nihle is lie.
you seem 10 be anxious to know who
am. VIII say | am young man with
ea years tmore or lesS) experience in the
world. and the longer live the more be-
come conscious OF how vast is the fraud
known rs religion. 1t is . notorious fact
that sill religions teach that the innocent
can justly sn1ef for the guilty, tChris-
uaniiyD | say 90 HI with the asmnahle
imposition. IT rob Smith and the Lord
fargives oe. how does that help Smith 7
g., | have supreme contempt for your
doctrine.
land am glad 90 see your religion
erunh,sng, Sotng down before an enlIght-
sned world. and hope aad will work 20
advance the light of science and reason
and tear down the barriers OF theological
and rriestly deception. Christianity has
burned millions Of human beings 10
death without the least biG OF moral provo
cation. Thousands were burned for the
impossible crime of witehcraft- Your
infamous old bundle OF superstition says,
'sater not witch 30 live In eoncsu-
sion. sir, simply have TO say you cans
sca.e me With your hell Ere. Bible. chrss-
tau, church doctrine, for I fear neither
man, God nor tho 'iesigr know han
Is right. What IS good and what is true.
and | viii never leave them aud Join an
inssltatton OF deception. nor help impose
the oogmss OF superstition ON humanity.
On the contrary. IA here % tighE for the
rights Of msn and the age of reason.
''CHsKIES h. BLACKBURN (Ashelstl"
An amusing feature Of the hearing ye.
ter,iay vas what seemed "a he an en-,
deavor on the part of Judge Winsor, in his
csossexaminaiioa of Inspector Thrsll, e
make il appear that the prosecution oi
blackburn Was . slap at the People.
party. 1t will Re observed that Blackburn
ID an enthusiastic Peoples party man;
Judge Wlnsor Is an active worker in that
party. and Jeffgiss was for = time aSsoci