Note and Comment

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 30, 1903

OPPOSITION to the truth in Wilburton, I. T., is showing itself in the form of religious persecution. The following facts are given by Brother J. J. Johe, of Hartshorne, I. T.:—

DEAR BRETHREN: There has developed a bit of religious persecution in the town of Wilburton, I. T., where our church is located. Brother H. Syar has been arrested and brought before the courts at two different times for working in his repair shop on Sunday. The first arrest was on Sunday, May 31, 1903. The marshal took him in charge and bound him over to appear in the mayor's court the following Monday, at which time they convicted him, imposing a fine of one dollar and costs. But he took an appeal to a higher court, which will not meet until next January.

The second arrest occurred Sunday, June 7. His trial was set for Tuesday, the 9th, at which time a hearing was granted the defendant, and a plea of not guilty was made by the attorneys for the defendant, according to the statutes which they produced, exempting those who keep another day than Sunday.

This hearing came before the judge of the commissioners' court. The judge reserved his decision until next Monday, June 15. The city marshal made the arrest in this case also, and then turned Brother Syar over to the United States marshal, who placed him in jail, where he stayed for several hours, until a bond of one hundred dollars was made for him.

Brother Syar is the only one who has been arrested for working on Sunday, although the livery stables, ice-cream parlors, and other places do a flourishing business every Sunday, and are not molested. Also employees of the coal mine operators work on Sunday, and are not molested.

It also became known that they had threatened a man who lives in Hartshorne, and runs a loom on Sunday (meaning me), that, if the mayor did not stop him, they would send after him themselves, or something to that effect.

The town of Wilburton is quite stirred up over the matter, and public opinion is running high in favor of the persecuted.