The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-03-06

to be obedient to the officers and ac-
cept and perform non-combatant ser
vice as defined by the president, and
many of them did so
The charge in the indictment is that
defendants entered into a conspiracy
an unlawful agreement-to hinder
the progress of the war by causing
INSTRUMENTATION, mutiny and disobe-
| dlence in the army and navy. Net
one word of evidence was produced
showing any such agreement or con-
spiracy, and all the defendants posi-
lively swore that they never at any
time had such an agreement or IN
derstanding, and Furthermore never
thought of such a thing. Further,
they stated, as Christians they fully
accepted the Bible as Gods Word;
that Jehovah more than $500 years
ago had foretold this world war, and
they could not as Christians even at
tempt to hinder it, their position be-
ing that as followers of Jesus they
must keep hands off. A conspiracy
to hinder the war being positively
against their religious convictions
and teachings they could not think of
such a thing.
Evidence CircumstantiaI.
The prosecution to establish a con-
spiracy relied on circumstantial evil
dence, namely, the publication and
wide circulation of The Finished Mys-
terry, the B. NJ. S., and writing of let
tiers. To warrant a conviction the
jury must find that defendants pub
lished and distributed this Bible lit
erature with the intent or purpose
Of interfering with the army and ma
w; when, in fact, this Association
had been engaged in the same work
continuously for nearly forty years
before the war. The Finished Mys-
terry was promised and expected as
early as 1886 and was practically all
written before the war. The number
OF volumes issued is fully explained
by the fact that the preceding vol
umes of the series had a far great
er circulation than had been reached
by The Finished Mystery, and those
having the other preceding volumes
would naturally take the seventh, The
Finished Mystery.
The b. NJ. S. containing the Fall of
Babylon, had not a word that could
be construed in violation of the Es-
plonage law, but it contained an adj
vertlsement of The Finished Mystery
and 1t was claimed for this reason
II was part of the conspiracy, when
IN truth 1t was put out in pursuance
OF the policy of the Association fol-
lowed for years. The real feature
OF 1t that caused the trouble but
which could not be claimed as violat-
ing the law was that this B. S. NJ.
exposed the fallacy of Romanism as
set forth In prophecy, and predicted
its downfall
Shortly before the indictment. the
Bible Students Association issued
another paper, the Kingdom News
NO. 3, IN which the proof was adduc
ed that ambitious Roman Catholics
supported by some of their dupes
among Protestant clergy, were at
tempting to get control of American
institutions, and producing the fur
ther proof that such is "The Seed of
the Serpent" as described in the BIZ
bic, and that these men composing
the Catholic machine would resort to
persecution of anyone who dared to
get in their way.
Inc case came on for trial in June.
1919, when the excitement was at its
highest point concerning the war.
Many sober, fair minded persons who
heard the testimony declared a con-
Vlctlon impossible. Before defend
ants could be guilty it must be proven
and found that they entered into an
agreement or conspiracy to cause in
subordination, disloyalty and refusal
OF duty IN the military service of the
United States, and to accomplish this
purpose that they published The Fin
lShed Mystery and wrote letters with
tne intent to cause INSTRUMENTATION
dlsloyalty and refusal of duty. and
thls must be proven by evidence be-
yohd reasonable doubt There was
no evidence whatever that defend
ants entered into any agreement or
conspiracy to cause INSTRUMENTATION
dlsioyalty and refusal of duty. there.
lore the court left it to the Jury to
iil1er such conspiracy from the mere
TACT OF publishing The Finished Mys
terry and the writing of few letters
answering questions concerning the
draft On the other hand, the evil
dence was undisputed that The Fin
lsned Mystery was published as the
result Of an arrangement of the AS
ISOLATION made thirty years before
the war, and the sole intent in pub
fishing 1t was to explain the Bible.
and there was no thought in the
minds of the defendants to Interfere
with the war. If these men are gull
ty then Pastor Russell was guilty
because the design to publish this
book originated in his mind as early
as 1886, and all the members of the
International Bible Students Associ-
alton would be guilty because they
looked forward to the time when thev
could have and distribute the book
and they did distribute it when pub
lished. 1t is really unthinkable that
men could be convicted in America of
a crime basedupon such evidence. The
jury returned a verdict of guilty and
defendants were sentenced to 20
years Imprisonment.
In pronouncing sentence Judge
Howe said, Preachers of religion
when sincere are more dangerous and
| therefore the only reasonable thing
for the court to do is to make the SEN
tence of these men severe" The Ev-
| ening Post, New York, commenting
on this said: I'm the opinion of the
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