The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-03

wRIrrEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
" HE Surrogate's Court. New York. has
decided that the will of Miss Helen
c. Brush shall stand. The confess
tants. however, announce that the
case will be appealed.
BY the will OF Helen c. Brush. an elder
w unmarried woman of refinement and
education, q fortune Of 100000 was left TO
the First Church of Christ, Scientist. New
York. to the practical exclusion OF near
relatives. The relatives promptly filed suit
to bseak the Will.
This suit has been one of the most In
eeresting that has engaged the attention OF
. lawyers and the public in general for many
q year, as 1t involved the question, rs
Christian Science q proof of insanity" The
7 disciples OF the faith feared that the cult
would suffer a blow, in comparison with
which the money loss would be as nothing.
should the law declare that Miss Brush was
mentally incapacitated from making a
sound will.
Some years ago Miss Brush read Mrs.
Mary Baker Eddy's book, Science and
! Health, With Key to the Scriptures In
the fall OF 1895 she was taken Ill with pneu-
monia and was treated by Mrs. Augusta +.
/, 6tetson, a noted Christian Scientist. Miss
, Brush recovered and. believing that she had
been healed by the strange science, be
F, came an ardent disciple of its teachings.
She gave frequent and public testimony OF
her faith, in spite of the fact that her rela-
dives did all within their power to dissuade
het.
Later Miss Brush was discovered to be a
sufferer from consumption. and in May,
lsso. she summoned Mrs. Stetson to her side.
In her testimony, Mrs. Stetson asserted
49, NEl-. Dr,,rh N,,p 90 ynoEa her a
Beneficiary under her will for 5000. which
she declined. The testimony also revealed
that Miss Brush had directed Mrs. stetson
o. to the making Of a will. and gave her a
psrd containing q memorandum Of its pro-
visions, Mrs. Stetson said she took this
card to Lawyer Delano. q Christian Scien-
list, who. in q Few hours. returned with q
W1n. It il this will which was contested
Tho First Church Of Christ, the tnstitu-
zion to which the bulk OF the fortune was
Millsd. 10 the church in which Mrs. Stetson
holds the ONCE Of first reader. To one OF
her sisters and q brother Miss Brush left
loo each. Another sister received a be-
guest Of $4,000.
James E. Brush, the brother, declared
that his sister had become. mentally I'M
balanced through Christian Science. and
brought noted alienists to swear that a
person who believed that disease could be
healed by ignoring its presence and by men,
tai effort was insane.
Clever lawyers questioned and Cross
questioned the leaders Of Christian Science
who were witnesses. and who explained the
slements OF their belief.
Physicians OF the faith, men and women,
bold how they had healed through mental
sforts on their part and on the part Of
their patients.
While these persons talked. representa-
hives Of the State sat by busily taking notes.
their purpose being to secure evidence by
which to later prosecute the witnesses un-
Ter the health Law.
Il VA claimed by the contestants that
Miss Brush, believing herself to be cured
of pneumonia through Christian Science
when physicians had said she would not re-
poyer. became q member Of the new church