The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-09-21
.|VIlII.L|l ! !. PROSECUTE | ! /.
.S|IR||AEI|R'||Sj|[II|R ! [ | !
N|URlER
ENDEAVoR 10 BE MADE 10 CON.
iislvIcTl THEM OF FIRST DEGREE
4 H HoMlclDE ~ ii. AN ITO
Z DEATHsTo n ~ EVE &

20 yS4OulttutlfI fItsst .Slftsl lstey Z
ORLANDO, /, Fla, sept. q. = 4Declar:
ing vigorously fiat bel Will prosecute
to the fullest pr HIS bility fur a con,
yiction Of first degree murder States
Attorney John c. Jones agYb the Uni.
ted Press a signed statement setting
fEfortl histyiewSof the net oi 1.-Two Kis.
|simmcs shackrs, who put q woman
member Of their colony; 10 death Ito
save her the agony sofS the last ;;throes
Of consumption. { His statement fol
lows: y.
by John c. Jonei,,i5 sta9ss attorney,
i Seventh Judicial CirEnlt ot Flori
da.-CopyfightS 81. BY the United
s Press M. Il ~ y /:
+ Regarding your inquiry whether Ell
der Egbert Gillette and Eldress Eliza
beth Sears, OF the Shaker ,col olony In
oscccla county, for the murder of Sa'
die Marchant willthe prosecuted, Il re
ply:
Itflsimy duty to prosecute. them and
] shall certainly do sos Under THE
laws of Florida the unlawful killing
Of a human being when perpetrated
from a premeditated design to effect
the death of the person killed us mur
der in the first degree.
This actEls fully covered by the
statute. Gillette suited that he knew
lchloroform would sklll Tie woman, and
that he gave 1t % her for that pur
rcse. The fac. that the fataE dose
was administered under the belIel
thatshes and the seldress did ~ for the
purpose of relieving pain 81 ja's per
son suffering from: an Sihcurable dis
case or because they belieyed tllell
religious faith authorizes such at
:act. does not alter. or exes ssg siies Grim
l,n,:al ni,aii Is l.ef2 net: n :
lHSFrcedom OF conscience and religions
Itelief is guaranteed by the constitu
tion of the; United States and also b!
the several States, but, this only per
Units tho freedom ofareligious belle
and worship and does not permit the
! commission of any act under conscien
tious or religious belief which involv
ed an .ac. forbidden by the crlmina
laws of the land md by the law o
God. This view has been held ant
established by Chief Justice Field
then justice Of the Supreme Court, ii
Davis VS.. Reason, 1873 U. s., page 1888
and In all trials against the Latte
Day Saints In which, the illegality 0
the polygamous crstoms OF the Nor
mons were decided not to permit
private citizen for any reason, relig
ious, conscientious or otherwise to b.
the arbitrator OF the life or death 0
u human being.
Except in cases of pure lself.defens
or defense OF property where tn
aggression amounts to felony,
would be a most dangerous doctrine
for under such principle the aget
the iniirm, the helpless, the infan
and the diseased would be treated a
irtfey were worn out animals. an
Under such a doctrine torture and HI
man. sacrifice would be legal, not t
mention the opening Of a wide: doc
for criminal acts under circumstance
impossible Of detective and punisl
ment. sF z. Z
However, much Ispity these unfo
tunate people, am convinced tina
they are guilty ofsmurdcr and the
Will be prosecuted under the laws c
the land to the best of my ability. TIL
case will come before the, grand jur
at the fall term of the circuit coul
Of osceola county, which convene
November 2S. 4.
R. S. Ogden, OF Clarksburg, sper
TODAY in tlle city. -