La Junta tribune., 1910-02-12
ONDITIONS reached cli-
max In the home Of b. ID.
Messenger during the past

!
- week. Messenger lost three
OF his children from diphtheria within
q month through refusing to violate
the tehets Of Christian Science and
call 4 doctor until the children were
beyond all hope OF recovery. Two
other children are just recovering
from the saine malady. and the eldest
son, Arthur. l2 years Of age. Il 30 Ill
that littls hope is entertained of his
recovery.
Under instructions from the state
secretary Of the Humane society. E. +
whitehead. local Humane Officer c.
L. Seeley. accompanied ty Officer F.
n. Carlisle. went to the Messenger
home and requested to be permitted
to furnish . physician and nurse for
the sick children. This Mr.. and Mrs.
Messenger natly refused to allow.
They were informed that a physician
would either attend the case without
further difficulty or they would be
placed under arrest. A wordy war
then followed with Mr.. and Mrs. Mes
senger and a Scientist leader, Mrs.
Heirgood. The latter. 1t is reported.
said she would heave a brick at the
officers II It were her home. and they
interfered. Mrs. Heirgood stated that
1t was a pity people could not be al
lowed To attend to their own household
affairs, and, It is alleged. struck HUI
name Officer Seeley In the face to
give emphasis to her feelings in the
matter.
Last Wednesday afternoon. Human
Officer Seeley filed . complaint In
~ Gssnty cpast ~ Asln1es- AeDaaAnl
issued - osAv tastrvs0ag Mr.. an1
Mrs. Messenger to Immediately Sc
cure medical aid for the children.
Upon their refusing to do 70. Judge
Mcdaniel ordered Dr.. c. H. Farthing.
county physician. and DR.. Z. q. I'd
wards. to take charge Of the case and
Miss Estella NcManes. . trained
nurse, was Installed to take care Of
the sick children. There has been
no trouble since the order vas issued
by Judge Mcdaniel and the case is to
come up for an exhaustive hearing In
the county court next Monday.
An examination Of the cultures
submitted to the sflte bacterioIoKist
In Denver showed the presence OF
the diptheria bacillus. and II IL now
the unanimous opinion OF local physi-
clans that the cause OF death in all
three cases. primarily WAS diphtheris
A signed statement OF each one OF tn
physicians who were summoned dur.
Ing the illnexs Of the three children
that died. giving the complete his
tory Of their experience In the family
Ia herewith given:
DR.. Frank Finney. who WAS the
first physician called TO attend the
Messenger children. makes q signed
statement Of his experience with the
family as follows:
In regard to . statement In the
Denver News Of February iith. sign
cd by one Gray Montgomery. relative
to the sickness and death OF three
children Of Mr.. and Mrs. d. d. Mes
sengcr, ! have this TO say. On the
goth Of December. 1909. I WAS called
TO the home OF Mr. Messenger to
see two children who had been III
some four or five days. saw the
children. = 10y aged ~ and = girl.
Rose. aged .. They were both SUI
fering with measles. the boy being
very thoroughly broken out with that
disease. The parents stated that
they called me In order to know
what was the matter with the chu'
dren. I prescribed some treatment
for them and told them to keep the
temperature even and not Ist the chs''
dfen take cold and they would prob
ably get along without any compl'ca'
tieos.
"Mr. Messenger paid me for the
visit and stated Y he wished my ser
Vices any further. hc would let me
know. I heard nothing further rom
them until December 9Th. In the
evening Mr. Messenger came after
me aud asked me 70 80 and see Rose
I vent 10 the house and fosnd the
little girl, Who had besn up and ou'
Of doom two Of three days aster get
ting up fron The nsasIss. ssnsrsas
WITH what I bsItsvs1 vosll rssslt u
,aeuncoia. % stated - The Dos'
aass ~ ashsl thea Y thsy ~