The San Francisco call., 1909-11-08
DECLARES LOYALTY
TOMOIhERChURCh
Mrs. Stetson Writes Her Own
Headlines in Christian Sci
ence Controversy
Draws Distinction Between NAL
practice and Self-Defense
in Her Teachings

NEW YORK, Nov. 7.-Annoyance at
a head line in a morning paper, which
said Mrs. Stetson's followers defy the
mother church, today prompted Mrs.
Augusta e. Stetson, the former first
reader of the First Church of Christ,
Scientist, to write her own newspaper
story and her own head lines. The lat
ter read:
Mrs. Stetson's answer. Declares her
loyalty to the mother church. EN-
phaticalIy denies Mr.. Strickler's inter
pretstions of her teachings"
These captions appear upon a four
age typewritten statement which Mrs.
stetson's secretary distributed tonight
in her home. Central park West, ad-
joining the church of which she was
the recent leader From that position
she was deposed because of alleged
mental malpractice OF this chatge
she was acquitted by a board of in
,quiry, and the verdict of exoneration
was indorsed last week by the congre
cation of the church, but the contro-
versy continues.
Mrs. Stetson reaffirms her allegiance
to the mother church in the following
words:
Il wish to state here most emphs tic
ally that l do not deny the mother
church. neither do my followers"
HOW SHE REPLIES
Answering the charges that she had
attempted to invoke evil by thought
upon the heads of certain persons, she
says of Virgil o. Strickler, the present
fiji st reader and her opponent:
/ was surprised that he (stricklerl eeemingly
could not grasp the metaphysical points that
tice and sef.defense ] will give as an Illus
tration what I understood the difference to be
between malpractice and indispensable defense
being attacked. either ignorantly malEiously,
by any person. should fill my thoughts Tfth
the qualities of God truth and love. which
alone render invincible TO whatever pro-
ceeds from the carnal mind.
From this fortress of defense / should speak
to the person addressing him by name. and
then speak TO the error which might be ope-
rating through the human mind. for which
clare that malicious animal magnetism in ay
its phases and forms powerless TO work
through his human personality using him as
hinder the progress of Christian SCIENCE. 1t
is the superiority Of spiritual power over ma
teral sense and Is not malpractice
There was an unusually large attend
ance at the First church today, evident
ly in anticipation of some developm ent
in the controversy involving Mrs. Stet-
son and Strickler, who was witness
against Mrs. Stetson at Boston. 1t was
announced after the service that a spe
cial meeting would be held at p m.
November Is ito take up the matter of
the meeting held November f." This
was the meeting that upheld Mrs. Stet-
son.
CASE AGAINST HER
Adherents of Virgil o. Stricken and
others who believe that Mrs. Sfetson
should be excommunicated issued a
statement last night disclosing inter-
estine phases of the case. This state
ment includes testimony given by Mrs.
Kate Remer, one of Mrs. Stetsons stu
dents. before the directors of the moth
er church in Boston.
This is a sample of Mrs. Remer's tes
timony as given out:
O-Dd you ever hear Mrs. Stetson In the
course OF one of her treatments say OF any
nerson that he or she was ripe for destruction
A.-Yes.
Did you ever hear her say in one of
those treatments "Go TO your place. II 1t
be in God then go there. but If not then go
to the other place.:
A.--Yes.
o-Ever hear Mrs. stetson call herself the
only witness Of Christian Science?
Al think so.
O-Have you ever heard her refer TO the
possibility or probability or uncertainty that
tbe time would come when she would be the
only teacher of Christian Science:
A.-Yes.