The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-03
Science and Insanity Were Subjects g %%% $500 49, %Ss%S% g.
Argued in a Contest Over a Woman;s Will @=1$= Z - zzzz5

with the result that she soon became es-
tranged from her brother and sister, and,
her mind becoming weakened by disease.
she was an easy dupe of Mrs. Stetson.
One witness testified that q woman i'll Of
typhoid fever had been told by q healer to
get up and eat ice cream. which order she
obeyed and got well. Other witnesses testi-
fled that even dropping and withered plants
had grown fresh and taken on new life
through the influence Of Christian Science.
1t was shown that the central idea OF the
faith Is the belief that disease exists only
in the mind. and that when belief in dis
ease no longer exists the body is healed.
Mrs. Stetson declared that 1t was Chris
tian Science and not the validity of Miss
Brush's will that was on trial. and that
Christian Science and not the validity OF
Miss Brush's will that was on trial. and
that Christian Science was on the eve OF q
great victory.
When Attorney John NJ. Bowers, repre-
senting the contestants. made his argument
against the probating of the will. the
courtroom was crowded. Mr.. Bowers
charged that the requests to relatives
were put in to enable the will to be de-
Tended on the score that the testatrix had
not forgotten her family. He held that the
failure to specifically dispose of valuable
teweiry and clothing and furniture indicated
haste in drawing the will. which was wit
messed Y George w. Delano and Anna
Holder 10Th believers in Christian Science.
There has been an effort on the part Of
the proponents" said MI. Bowers, ''to
bring into the discussion the tenets and
doctrines Of a so-called religion. I make
no attack on any religion or sect. For
aught l know there may be among the
Christian Scientists persons as sane as
those who worship God under any other
name"
He added that many persons. under a
misconception Of the teachings Of their sect.
had gone beyond the bounds of sanity, and
cited cases Of persons who had turned
against relatives who opposed their beliefs.
The burden of proof. he said. was on the
proponents, and he cited authorities to that
effect
1.-THE question in this case" said Mr..
Bowers. is not what she believed, but
what effect her belief had upon her mind
and judgment"
The memorandum from which the will
had been made was destroyed. and Of this
fact Mr.. Bowers made a strong point
Dissecting the evidence. Mr.. Bowers con-
tinued: The evidence fully warrants me IN
saying that this is the will Of Mrs. Au-
gusta E. Stetson, or of the diseased mind of
Helen c. Brush. disordered by the strange
Influence of these strange ideas. She came
so under the influence of Mrs. Stetson that
she lived and moved and had her being in
her. We are not trying Christian Science:
we are trying the influence OF Mrs. Stetson
and a small band Of her followers over
Miss Brush"
Before the conclusion of the case. re-
porters had discovered that in the household
Of Mrs. Stetson were two invalids-her |
mother, who is rheumatic. and her hus-
band. who is afflicted with rheumatism, /
heart trouble and curvature of the spine. |
Until the publicity given the fact. through
the courtroom. that these two afflicted peo- |
pie shared with Mrs. Stetson her palatial
home. at No. "a West seventy-second street, !