The sun., 1909-11-05


former pupils Of Mrs. Stetson who was
Ssadmonished' by the church authorities
IN Roston. A person In high standing In
the First Church opposed to the StetsOn
faction and who took an active part
IN the debate yesterday afternoon gave
n out n different version Of the oommittee's
'fiatlin gs '' .-'1 $50 .- r-.
s~y"fhs" charge OF the board OF di-
s,rRctoFs that Mrs. Stetson exercised
Z sAn unhealthy control over her students
which tended TO hinder their moral and
spiritual growth was met only by cita-
lions from witnesses that had been ex-
Rynined that such has not been their
ihdividual experience, said this infor-
n-pant, @The charge that Mrs, StetsOn
tried TO obtrllde herself upon the atten-
y .tion of her students in such manner as
% 70 turn their attention away from the
8i13iNins principle was not answered at all.
ivLAspHactical confession was made OF the
txnth, Of the charge that Mrs. Stetson
consent and evidence was entered to ex-
cuse the practice. The whole report
gave no facts in rsbuttal of the charges
u made. bsit insteadt IL gave the conclusions
,Aof witnesses" ..-. ... o..
This same individual. saying that he
knew whereof he spoke. revealed what
n he characterized as an important element
8 an Che compilation OF the committees
Before the committee began taking
testirhSny, said he, Mr.. Hatfield called
2 me witnesses that were to be heard be-
sv-1oreH hinr and told them that they might
; -1fcei ~ liberty to testify from, spiritual
\ point of view What he meant was that
.gstheagh the individual in the flesh could
bAell the truth the spiritual self might
III falsify and the heshly ego ould not be
-theld responsible for such spiritual amend |
hmente or alterations of the truth. Chris |
~ tianr Scientists will understand what l
mean. for they will see how he twisted q
scientific truth to fit false design. For
srthe layman it is sufficient to state that in |
the case of many of the witnesses exam |
a ined by the committee of inquiry there |
asWas wide discrepancy between what |
W. they told before the, board of directors !
In Boston two months ago and what they |
g told tha committee in New York"
As soon the report had been read |
the spirit of division among the members |
Asof the First Church asserted itself. A
-motion TO consider the report was amended
4 70 read that the report should be adopted,
AID to this was added the amendment
that preepitated the afternoons strife.
1~A Mr., Hebert, who s the father OF Mrs.
Letitia Green, one Of those students OF
n, Mrs, Stetson's who were deprived Of the
right TO practise healing by the directo-
rate in Boston, moved that the report be
adopted. but that the latter part Of il
& dealing with the censure of First Reader
Strickler for his bias manifested against i
s-1&ess Ststson, hs reported back 10 the
trustees of the church for action.
lz As-' chairman, put the question OF this
foarhendment. there was such. confusion in
the viva voce vote that he had to call for
siie sta standing vote. While the yeas were %
Btrickler and he pointed to Mr.. Hebert
and asked him II he were not a member
and officer 10 a Unitarian church in the
city. Mr.. Hebert admitted that he was
=. Then the amendment is out of order,
y shouted the first reader. His triumph
was short lived. FOR another was quick
y TO make the same amendment and this
secpnd one had TO stand.
Then began the hours Of talk A per- ,
sistent member finally gained the door
and wanted 70 know whether the First II
Church OF New York was in error in all
this Stetson matter or the mother church
= IN Boston. This was the signal for half
dozen people to bounce to their feet.
Some OF the women began by arguing
the question and swiftly dropped into
disquisitions upon the spirit and purpose
OF the church. what it had done for them
and how. necessary it was to hold divine I
principle ever foremost. !
We have no right to question the
Mother Church. said William II. Taylor, /
one of the trustees and a member OF the
investigating COMMITTEES. ID
But | consider it very pertinent
question" the First Reader put in from
the platform, turniRg-to where -Mr. Tsy-
lor sat behind him in the circle OF hostile ,
trustees, -and one not to be dismissed ,
by such an answer"
Yes. yes, answer that yes or no..
called a. woman from the pews With /
that a score jumped up again. and the I
discussion began all over
A gray haired man sat trying to re- !
strain his-wife. who was nervously fdget- ,
ing in her scat.
Calm yourself, my dear" he said !
please try to calm v vourself."
But 4 cant sit still here and hear !
all those things being said against Mrs
Stetson Just listen to that woman. r
now"
A member OF the congregation wanted
to know il IL were true that Mrs. Stetson =
had any real enemies. At that question
woman arose and said that she wished I
70 go on record for the fact that Mrs.
Stetson had often asked her to pray for
the health of persons who were generally 9
considered enemies of Mrs. Stetson.
She said that Archibald Mcclellan, the I
editor of the Christian Science Sentinel
was one of these and she read from a I
paper the names of fifteen twenty
more.
Hayne Davis interjected himself more g
than once as a general pacificator He
talked much about the value OF truth.
loyalty 20 the church and one great family.
Once when he was in the midst of such a
speech a voice Interrupted him:
You safd all that once before. Give
us some facts
A motion was put that the final action
upon the committee report should be de-
ferred for a month, hut all the church
members wanted TO fight it out on the spot
though o clock and thene drew around
left the church. One elderly man stopped
TO speak to the reporters who had been
decorating the church steps.
There's no telling when some one
will shoot Of pistol in there said he.
and there was disgust in bis tone, They'll
be calling for a squad OF policemen to
quell riot before long
Somebody within began to urge the
question about o'clock and one Of those
who opposed the First Reader arose to
say that as long as the First Reader, who
was so intimately concerned in the COM
mittees report, held the chair there was
no likelihood OF reaching a vote for a
month OF Sundays Although by the la We
of the church Mr.. Strickler had the right
20 be chairman he might yield his place
temporarily, said this critic.
II have no desire or intention OF Welding
the chair" replied the thoroughly aroused