Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-05
Mrs. Stetson Is Acquitted
Of mental Malpractice. "
Further Investigation Of v. 0.
Stricken, Her Successor.
Mrs. Stetson Highly Praised by the
Investigating Committee.

| New York, Nov. Airs. Augustus r.,
Stetson, formerly head reader of the First
! Church of Christ. Scientists in this city,
was exonarated today of charges of
mental malpractice in the report of Il
special board of inquiry, presented to d
consres alton of 900 persons al a long and
stormy meeting in the big white stone
church ON Central Park West. The en-
uncration of Mrs. Stetson was endorsed
| by the members of the church. but Il
/ portion of the boards report which CON
! cerned Virgil q. Stricken. her successor
as first reader. who had appeared in Bos-
! ton as witness against Mrs. Stetson.
WAS referred back t" the board of in
uurN for further consideration.
! The congregation, all members of which
! underwent close scrutiny before being ad-
mitted, b gan the consideration Of the
| sion lasted six hours. and it was only
, after a heated debate and various par
! liamentaly Interruptions that the con
2resation voted its endorsement by Il
Close margin of the report in Mrs Stet-
sons favor.
Twenty-eight charges had been made
against Mrs. Stets"n 1T the instance OF
the board of directors Of the mother
church in Boston. Thereupon The inquiry
was ordered by the trustees of the New
Yorl, church al the request u: Mrs. Stet-
son, who meanwhile was deposed from
her position as authorized reader
Anon. the charges the most important
were, in effect, that Mrs Stetson's
teachings tended to disloyalty to Mrs
Mary Baker G.. Eddy, founde and leader
of the sect. and that Mrs. Stetson was
guilty of mental malpractice in bringing
Christian Science 10 bear upon people
who did not welcome ii by hypnotism
mesmerism and similar methods"
The report of the board of inquiry
which followed four-weeks examination
| OF witnesses, the taking of 1000 pages oi
testimony and 81 sittinss OF the board
was Il complete exoneratlon of Mrs. Stet-
son. and declaration of loyalty of the
New York church TO the mother churcl
in Boston. The report says:
THESE false reports We're engendered
by malicious animal magnetism which is
the opposite and the opponent of Chris
tan Science. and they We're circulated by
persons who did not properly protect
themselves against aggressive menta
suggestion as engendered by our beloved
leader
The committee sums up Mrs. Stetson's
work fer tue church AS follows:
she has promoted in d mark d degree
The moral and spiritual progress of the
members OF this branch church. She has
freed great numbers of them from sick
ness and sin. Ia which they were in bond
age previous to their coming in touch
with her She has enabled many of them
t" acquire such AN understanding of
Christian Science. such a love and Loyalty
to Mary Baker Eddy and such consacra-
tiOl. to Gods Divine principle that they,
too, have ben enabled 10 free many of
their f"llow men from sin and sicin IS in
their various phase She has secured fcl
these who herdcd her teaching and ex-
| ample, present liberation from previous
personal conta2inn OF control and an
ever increasing exercise of the freedom of
| he sons of tiod-those who realize that
they are really made in the image and
likeEess of spirit and are therefore not
ma erial, but spiritual: not mortal. but
immortal"
During the meeting tine following an
Holnc tinelit WAS read:
Mrs S;ets"n is not present this after
neon in person She trusts her students
and church members To demonstrate tlr.
chlistman in this hour of test of their
faith in God and His power to mighty
low" 10 bless and heal and save mankind.
way shower and the beloved leader Mary
Baker Eddy. by loving God supremacy
and by loving their neighbor as them
selves.