Persecuted for Conscience’ Sake
On Copper Ridge, in a country district about twelve miles from Knoxville, are a Seventh-day Adventist church and a school. Among the members are the wife of a prominent and well-to-do merchant, who lives near the church, and a good and respectable citizen by the name of Davis Cruze. The merchant does not belong to the church, but is in sympathy with the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist religion. Some of the neighbors do not like it because the merchant attends this church, and they have opened a store in opposition to him. Previous to the erection of this church, it was customary for the neighbors to buy necessary articles on Sundays. The merchant has kept this custom up, and has recently been indicted for selling goods on Sunday. It is also the custom of the neighborhood for the men to chop wood and do other chores about the farm on Sundays. A short time since, Davis Cruze, early one Sunday morning, chopped a little wood for his wife to get dinner. On the complaint of some of his neighbors, he has since been indicted by the grand jury of Knox County, Tennessee. Many of the neighbors of this vicinity deplore the proceedings that have been taken against these two gentlemen, as they are esteemed to be among the most worthy citizens of the county, which proceedings demonstrate the partial enforcement of Sunday legislation for religious persecution, and for the gratification of personal revenge. The following is taken from the Knoxville Journal and Tribune, published July 28, 1909: “Indicted for Chopping Wood on Sunday”
“Davis Cruze, a Seventh-day Adventist, and a respectable citizen, living near Powell Station, was indicted by the grand jury for chopping wood on Sunday. He had been working for a neighbor during the week, and on Sunday morning his wife requested him to chop a little wood so that she could get dinner. He did so, with the above result. Others in his neighborhood, not belonging to his religion, have, it is said, chopped wood on Sundays, on such occasions, without being molested. His case is continued until the next term of the criminal court.”