The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-07
SEE NO DOCTOR.
DUBLIN MAN PLACED HIS FAITH IN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

with One Child Dead He Is Fined
$500 and Costs for Criminal Neg
Iect of His Children-Justice Sai,-
He "Was Putting His Faith in
GOd"-The Laying ON of Hands"
All the Treatment the Sick Chill
dren Have Received.
Dublin, Ca, Sept. 6.-For failing to
provide medicine and medical attention
for his children when they were iii,
Scion Justice, a white man. was fined
$500 and costs by Judge Adams, of the
City Court, or given the alternative Of
serving twelve months on the chain
gang of Laurens county.
This is believed to be the first in
stance in Georgia where a fine has
been entered against a believer in the
so-called Christian Science or faith
cure Just before passing sentence
upon Justice, Judge Adams asked him
ii he had anything to say. He replied.
Il am putting my whole trust in God
Justice was arraigned on an accusa-
ton sworn out by his brother-ln-law,
J. Y. Warren. Five witnesses were
put on the stand by the state. They
swore that Justice refused to give med
icine to his sick children or to permit
a physician to be called. He has now,
they swore, a very sick child and that
he states he is not going to tempt his
God by giving medicine to it.
On one occasion recently he carried
the child, so they swore in the heat
or the day to the home of another faith
cure apostle, claiming that it was not
sick although it had then several de-
grees of fever All the treatment the
sick children have been permitted to
have is that laid down in the doctrine
of the faith curists, that of laying on
of hands,
Those who believed in this doctrine,
swore the witnesses would call at the
Justice home and spend their time in
singing songs. No prayers would be
uttered, as it is contrary to the teach
ings of those particular Christian
Scientists at least, never to pray in
public.
1t was brought out in the trial of
the case that recently a child of JUS
tees died from lack of medical at
tention. No amount of persuasion
could induce Justice to send for a phy-
stefan. When importuned to do so his
invariable reply would be, 1T Is not
sick and 1 cannot tempt my God by
sending for a Doctor"
The jury which tried Justice was
out only a few minutes after being
given the case. One of the jurors was
a man who had previously protested
faith in this doctrine. The particular
charge Justice was tried under was
failing to sustain his children properly
by furnishing them necessary medical
attention when they were i'll. The at
torneys for the state bitterly denounced
Justice in the trial of the case. no man
ever before in the court room here
having been so thoroughly excoriated.
During it all he sat unmoved, appar-
emily putting his trust in God" as
he expressed it.
Justice put up no defense. He did
not even make q statement to the jury.
His attorneys relied solely upon win
ming the case on a technicality, or the
failure of the state to prove that Jus
tice had not given his children medi-
cine. They contended that the law
compelling a father properly to sus-
tain his children, does not apply to
medicine. Also that the fact that JUS
tice stated he did not intend to give
his children medicine was not evidence
that he had not done so.
Justice has given bond and will ap-
peal his case to the Supreme Court. If
he escapes justice in this case for any
reason his brothers-in-law will indict
him for the death of the other child.
They also state that they will see that
\ he allows a physician to see the one
now sick or again have him arrested.
Justice lives about five miles from the
city. The community where he lives
in is greatly stirred up over the mat
ter.