The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
A PREACHER SENT TO JAIL
RE WAS A SEVENTH DAY ADpENTIS1
MOVED ON A SUNDAY.


mi. orence was Carrying IL box ot Hook,
Through tho streets OF ~ Penns'i'nrla
Town ON n sundnS-Deciincd 10 Pay Ills
Flne-Htn Jndge's Account OF the Auair.
WARRINGTON. Pa, Aug. 1d.-fn Washington
county when the people arc bad they re very,very
bad, and when they're good they're angelic.
They have n minister of the Gospel in jail hero
for carrying his Bible and some other religious
books on "A Sunday from his former boarding
house TO one whore he had engaged n room.
They say no desocrated the Sabbath.
The man who was guilty OF this crimo is w. H.
Armstrong, pastor of the Church of tho Seventh
Day Advcntists OF West Washington, who dis
claims having goodness enough to warrant his
using the title reverend, though by common
usage he is entitled to 1t by ordination, and who
describes himself as an evangelist. lilo decided
recently to change his boarding house from 100
Ewing street to 27l Broad street, West Wash
ington. He made the change on the first OF this
month. which happened to fall OH n Sunday. lie
had previously removed his clothing and part OF
his effects, and on Sunday he went TO his old
boarding house and got u box containing the
Bible, Life of Christ, Hints for Church Ii.
brariuns," Smiths Dictionary OF the Biblc,'
Natural Law in the Spiritual World" and
other books of the same character, about u dozen
in all. With tho box under one arm. and a small
table on which he kept the books under the
other, he walked for q block and a half to the
scandal of Observers.
At church services that night the thing was
talked about. Samuel j. Wise, u former police
man, who was recently removed from office in
West Washington, informed Constable j. w.
Swihart of the act of the preacher. The very
next day the constable went TO the office Of
Preston Berry. }. p, and made a charge against
Preacher Armstrong OF dcsecrating the Sabbath
nv "ninyinp his household VDDlS' on that uay.
Squire Berry issued q warrant FOR the arrest OF
the preacher, and Mr.. Armstrong was soon be-
fore the bar Of justice. This is the Squirc's
statement of the case as he made it TO u SUN
correspondent:
"In 1880, that's over 100 years ago." he be-
gan, the Legislature o; this State pas sell a law
forbidding any person or persons from moving
on the first day OF the week, which is known as
the Lords Day, that is the sabbath, commonly
called Sunday. The law mentions these Seventh
Day Adventists and was intended for them. You
snow they say Sunday isn't the sabbath; that
Saturday is. but the Constitution, and the
statutes, and the laws of this State say that the
first day of the week. known AS the Lords Day.
That has been tho law for over $50 years and is
:Weli, this man Armstrong went last Sabbath
and began to move his household goods. He was
seen carrying one load along the street and go
planned to Constable Swihurt. and he made the
~intormation before me. At the hearing Samuel
-. " iSc, MrS- Ailcn, MIS-. 11unu, anu NlrS. DhNl0
all swore that they saw him moving his house
hold goods. l could have brought out other
tnings against him, but | thought that was
enough.
S ibere Snsra taer nc Mow' Me- NE ,n Han TIM On A,ltnI1, but
Sunday. In the face OF that offence, his good
character. il he had any. had nothing to do with
speech here which | listened To. He referred TO
me us a Pontius Plate, and said | was like ono
on account of His religion. but didn't mind
that until he started to tell me what the Pope
Saturday being the roal sabbath. That didn't
help his case any With me, and | told him 50. Tor
have Se'i in this se coun ths' today IS .H' SWSs e must fa to .Hm %s
thing to keep these Catholics under control. for
ovSr,h nDn ITe''; pSS fH see se hH% .ne sn are if fr thag 30 10
that they'll overthrow the Government, and
well AS ! said to Armstrong. he didn't help. mis-
the Pope run my office.
found him guilty, of course: couldn't do
costs, and when he would not pay it I sent him
to Jail for siY days, the shortest term I could
the laws tho law. and these people, have to
respect II the same as any one else. He wanted
the law: lie cant appeal, either. MY decision
Is final in this case; lie had to pay up or go to
jail, and that was the end OF it.
There WAS only one thing in which I agreed
with him. That was when he said he would go to
IN West Washington. 1t will do both him and
west Washington more good by having him in
wants to. When :scy we're taking him over he
said to me: I'm golrgt to jail for Christ's sake
hnd ! m sending yod there for Christ's sake.'I
squire Anderson. the other Justice of the
a.iad % OF Nest MashingtGn. was so much inter;
that OF squire Berry, with triAing variations.
Anderson. Now. II they had brought him be-
IiFs R %s' d HGd heb he had h. begun to 9n}Sote the Bible
Hold up. there. You be qualified to that
After he had been qualified "a a said Cit out.
to t. jail: But all squires amt like that. They
don't like to throw away their costs"
hill. who has charge q the e' JAIL P I@stin r APR.
strong was seen. He was cheerful and seemed
eErs,, whomnhe Was trying to Bring to see he et eTTor
OF fdr their ways. 4 number of his friends have Of
the Lord wanted him to go to Jail or he would
h6t nave been arrested. and that he would servo
believe in keeping, the seventh day as the
sabbath, according to the Bible" he said. in the
and l cannot conscientiously pay a fine or al
10y one to be paid for me in a case like this.
arrested, for the Bible tells us, In that hour it
snaii be given to you what you shall speak
The separation OF church and state, but i believe
that events are leading to a closer union OF
was not on account OF carrying those books on
connt y nhet ! WAS sent TO Jail. 1t was on &C
1917 "n VI NJ reilRlouS pellcf. Inc nrSt thing tho
squire said to me was that there was a nest Of
haHensists IN the town that would have to DO
itRious prejudice, not the evidence, decided 1t.
itts persecution on account of religion"
Mt. Armstrong has held preaching services in
me {ail every night since his incarceration, and
nas mao respectful attention from the other pris-
onsrs. one OF them said he was an interesting
Ialker' and that he would be missed when re-
i"aeed. he got a lot OF Gospel hymn books, and his
preaching services have been supplemented by
Sospei song services, He lives on prison fare like
ny other prisoners. He could have better food
II ne wanted IT. but he tells the members OF his
Songregregation who call to see him that he
s ssts h % %ant 1t; as he is willing to suffer for the
sent to him, but he has invariably divided their
oo W among the other prisoners.
n, maSnlnglon people do not seem to regret his
IMPRISONMENT SO much as they do the fact that
u wlil enable him to pose as a martyr, and Will
w :, RionR the little church on the hillside OF
ane act OF April 30, 1894. seems to allow
moving on SundaN Ihnnnh fhnt ,un,,ll a....I