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Charles "Taze" Russellites arrested in 1918...
Charles "Taze" Russellites arrested in 1918...
Item # 722630
May 09, 1918
THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, May 9, 1918
* Rutherford & other Russellites arrested
* Opposition to World War I - WWI
* Pastor Charles Taze Russell followers
* Christian restorationist minister
* Founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses
The bottom of the front page has brief report with a small one column heading: "Russell's Successor Taken By Government" (see image). Unfortunate for the brief report here but nice to have on the front page as such. They would go on trial and be found guilty of sedition the following month. And nice to have this report from the city where they would ultimately be imprisoned at.
Complete with all 22 pages, light toning, irregular along the spine, generally good. Should be handled with care.
Note: This issue comes with a free ac id-free folder for protection
background: On May 8, 1918, federal agents raided the Brooklyn headquarters of the International Bible Students Association—known popularly as “Russellites”—and arrested eight top leaders, including J. F. Rutherford, on charges of violating the Espionage Act for allegedly producing and distributing literature, especially The Finished Mystery, that was said to discourage military service and obstruct the World War I draft. Authorities seized printing plates, publications, correspondence, and office records, arguing that the group’s pacifist teachings and criticisms of organized religion and wartime nationalism posed a threat to national morale. The arrested men were swiftly indicted on multiple counts related to sedition and conspiracy, tried in a hostile wartime climate, and in June 1918 sentenced to 20-year federal prison terms. Public reaction was mixed—some viewed the crackdown as a necessary wartime measure, while others criticized it as an overreach that criminalized religious expression. As public sentiment eased after the Armistice, the case unraveled; in March 1919 the convictions were overturned on appeal due to procedural errors and prejudicial conduct, and the government ultimately dropped the charges, allowing the defendants to resume leadership of the movement that would later evolve into Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Category: The 20th Century
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