Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-15
MRS.STtTSON IN PERIL
Directors of Mother Church
Summon Her to Boston.
TO FACE FRESH CHARGES
If Found Guilty She Will Be Elk
communicated.
ADMONISHED A SECOND TIME
Mental Practice Of "Self- Defense"
Not Legitimate and Not Known
to Christian Science.
ADM0NISHED A SECOND TIME

! NEW YORK. November 13.-Mrs.
Augusta E. Stetson. over whom the
! First Church of Christ, Scientist. is in
upheaval, went to Boston last night on
summons from the directors of the
! Mother Church. She will appear before
them today to answer fresh charges of
breach of church discipline. The hear
ing will be i'm progress when the uptown
congregation assemblies this afternoon to
vote on the proposition of her trustees
to censure and punish by removal from
office First Reader Virgil o. Stricken,
whom they charge with having brought
on the present troubles. The congrega-
ton will know when acting this after
noon that Mrs. StetsOn is in peril OF ex-
communication.
Will Work Without Haste.
AS the Boston authorities have de-
clared themselves aTerse to hasty ac-
ton. it is said the new examination will
probably not be concluded for several
days. At the time she was deposed as
teacher and healer in September Mrs.
Stetson received an admonition that she
would be expected to take the discipline
to heart and carry herself circum-
| specify.
Within the last fortnight a second ad.
monition was sent to her. 1t reminded
| her that, far from showing herself sub
missve, she had held meetings at her
house with the sixteen practitioners
placed under ban with her and that she
had permitted her friends to assume a
defiant attitude toward the highest
church authority The next logical step
in Christian Science discipline is excom-
munication.
Her Statement Not Approved.
obi
Stetson made public statement. which
was not approved in Boston. although
| it provoked no criticism from that quar-
ter Her second statement. printed last
| Tuesday. in which she referred to Ger
tain practices instituted as measures of
protection, drew from the Boston d.
rectors. through their representative In
this city. Eugene r. Cox, the following
comment:
while the mental practice described
by Mrs. Stetson in this mornings papers
is not the practice of Christian Science.
he said, lit is to be observed that there
is wide difference between her practice
as described by herself and as described
by her students. Even her most partisan
students admitted at the recent inquiry
i'm Boston that she was in the habit or
making mental and audible attacks upon
persons in the nature of imprecatfons and
curses.
Distinction Is Unknown.
The distinction which she attempts
to make in favor OF mental practice.
which she says is legitimate as self
defense, in unknown to Christian Science.
A Christian Scientist defends himself
| from all forms of evil by keeping his
| own consciousness free from II and not
by hurting thoughts at supposed enc
my"
This procurement that she still de-
tends false doctrine foreshadowed the
examination now ordered. The course
Of her adherents in pursuing Mr.. Strick-
Ter after authoritative denial from Bos.
ton that he was responsible for present
troubles practically assured the action
now begun.
She Will Be Tried.
From inquiries made Of the Boston
directors as to the scope and character
of the new hearing. it is learned that
Mrs. Stetson will probably be tried by
the directors for having failed to heed
the admonitions. She will have oppor-
tunity to defend herself, to be fully heard
by her own testimony and that of wit
nesses. and to utilize the services of
ecclesiastical counsel of her own choos-
ing. The assurance from Boston is that
she will have a full and fair trial, and
that the conclusions of the trustees will
he deliberately reached