New-York tribune., 1918-06-20
.ussellites' Case
To Be Submitted
To the Jury To-day

With the contention that the follow
crs Of Pastor Charles Taze Russell
we're complying with the provisions of
lie selective service act as we'll as
oheying the religious injunction Of the
Fifth Commandment in claiming exemp-
ion from military duty and advising
their "consecrated brethren to do like
wise" Jesse Fuller yesterday summed
mp the case for the eight Russellites
on trial for conspiracy and attempt to
Instruct the draft before Federal
Judge Harland B. Howe in Brooklyn.
These men interpret literally the
Biblical commandment Thou shalt not
KILL" Mr.. Fuller told the jury, "and
Congress has shown its appreciation
of the attitude of conscientious OBJ
jectors by making special provision for
theG. The defendants have been cate
chised as to their belief as expounded
in The Finished Mystery but sub
nit that any man who reads and be-
lieves and follows literally the very
Bible itself could be questioned along
these same lines, for the Bible ex-
i,ressly tells men they shall not kill"
Denies Defendants Guilt
Mr.. Fuller then declared that the de-
PENDANTS did not in his Judgment evil
fully conspire to obstruct recruiting
or create insubordination, disloyalty
Ind refusal Of duty in the American
army" as the indictment charges. He
admitted that mo act prohibited by
law is justifiable on the ground of re-
l.gious belief" but said that the eight
defendants were not indicted for pub
lshing their book but for "conspiring"
and "wilfully obstructing" the draft.
Of Jesus Christ who interpreted the
Bible with no wilful purpose OF hinder
ing the work of the government in any
respect" continued N.Y. Fuller. "The
book was prepared during a great peace
propaganda when He kept us ont Of
var and 4 Didn't Raise My Boy to Be
Il Soldier were the most popular ex-
Iressiors of public sentiment. Il is
wrong and vicious to ascribe motives
IT, men now that existed before the
United States went into war, for the
c1ange IN the entire public feeling is
SO sharp" 40
Frederick W. Sparks, senior counsel
for the defence, began his SUMMING IN
after Charles Buckner had spoken
brefiy for the government on the evil
cence. Mr.. Sparks attacked the date
wnlch the government assigns to the
alleged conspiracy. asking the jury how
conspiracy could have been hatched
On that date, April s. when the book
was written largely before that time
end the selective draft act was signed
litter that date. He admitted that cer-
;ain alleged seditious portions in the
book were unfortunate expressions"
Introduces New Letter
letter that was the cause of re-.
opening the case yesterday morninr
vas introduced in evidence by counsei
for the defence just before the sum.
ming, up. It was written by one Of
the defendants, William E. Van AM
burgh, treasurer of the Watchtowar
Bible and Tract Society, in answer to
correspondence from Private Char!es
W. Person at Camp Upton, who had
appealed to Van Amburgh to "get hin,
away from camp" Van Amhureh,s ra'
Fly was to the effect that Person had
not Caught the idea of what it is to
DC member of the International R;ble
Students Association, which was m
dertaking in no way to assist those osa
Hho are not members to avoid the
United States draft" ''e
:, Following the final summing up of
tne government case by Prosecutino
Attorney Isaac Oeland, the case will OK
to the jury to-day. 81