The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-11
CASE OF REV. ROWLAND.
4 SAN rRAN,isCo rArlR rAKts ~
ruI UtputL roR uin.
Interesting statement of iiis rruuble On
the Coast Process By which ~"
Reached Prison.


There is a prisoner at San 0ucn-
tin whose case seems 20 call for the
interference Of Governor Budd.
His name is Henry l.. Rowland,
and he is minister OF the Epis-
copal Church, having lately filled a
pulpit at Los Angeles. Like many
conscientious men of his cloth, he
was a profound student Of the mys-
teries of the border land which di-
vides the body from the soul, and
life from death; and, like many
students, he had reached that stage
in his investigation in which the
inquirer is inclined to follow Swe-
denborg into the labyrinths OF what
we call spiritualism. Mr.. Rowland
invited his parishioners and the
public to meetings i'll which occult
phenomena were discussed, and at
tempts were made to construct the
cries thereon. At one Of these
meetings the proceedings were in
terrupted by a scoffer, heated dis
cussion followed, and the meeting
broke up in rather noisy disorder.
Mr.. Rowland Immediately insti-
gated proceedings against the man
who broke up his meeting, under
the 3o2nd section of the code,
which provides that:
Every person who wilfully dis
turbs or disputes any assemblage
of people met for religious worship
by noise, profane discourse, rude OF
indecent behavior or by any un-
necessary noise, is guilty Of mis-
demeanor.
The defendant happened to be a
wealthy citizen of Los Angeles.
He hired lawyers and secured an
acquittal. He then turned upon
his antagonist, and had him indict-
ed for perjury, the perjury consist
ing i'll having described his meet
ing as IAN assemblage of people
met for religious worship" His
lawyers convinced the jury that
Mr.. Rowland was guilty, and the
court sentenced him TO two years in
State Prison.
This seems strange perversion
of law and justice. By what au-
thority did the Los Angeles court
presume to decide that a spiritual
list meeting, held by minister Of
the Episcopal Church, was not an
assemblage held for religious wor-
ship? Spiritualism may be a
delusion. But to great many
people it is a religion, and in the
lessons, it is classed among the re.
ligions which obtain in this coun-
try. 1t was piece Of rank impu-
dence in the Los Angeles Judge &c
take upon himself to say what
forms Of belief are religious, and
what are not.
1t was also All error in the cour,
to hold that Mr.. Rowland had beer
guilty Of perjury in swearing to al
affidavit which he believed No b,
true. Perjury is the taking of a
willfully false oath i'll a judicia
proceeding. The oath must moi
only be false, but he who takes il
must know that it is false. Mr.
Rowland may have believed thai
lis spiritual meeting was religious
assemblage, met to consider religi
Gus doctrines, for purely religious
purposes; indeed it is certain thai
he did so. By what perversion o
law does the Los Angeles cour
twist an honest statement of hi,
faith-erroneous though it may
have been-into williul perjury
The Los Angelans do not seem tc
: : have learned any law since the day
when the procurator fiscal held tina
disobedience to the mandates Of tn
church was fiat burglary.
The imprisonment Of Mr.. How
land is disgrace to the judicia
character Of the State. 1t is piec
Of ignorant barbarism, which vii
be regarded in the East as proc
that enlightenment and federation
E are unknown on this side Of tn
continent. Governor Budd canno
9 too quickly repair the wrong tina
has been done, by setting Mr.. How
land at liberty.