GOVERNING BODY IMPRISONED.

Pureheart

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have any information on the court proceedings for the Rutherford imprisonment?

Pureheart

Fredhall

The court procedings are printed in two volumes called Rutherford v. United States. Which I have in my library.

Amazing

Hi Pureheart: I have the entire transcript of the trial of Rutherford along with some commentary. What would you like to know? - Amazing

battman

Fred is the one always dropping his
soap in the prison shower room.
meow, meow me pussy cat

I would like to know the "real reason" Rutherford was sentenced to serve in prison. I only have the WT explanation. Also I would like to know if he was completely exonerated of the charges that were brought up against him?
Basicly some details of the charges and the some of the details of the court proceedings.

Pureheart

Fredhall

Battman,

If I was you, don't do any push ups in the shower room. Unless I'm to late to tell you it.

Farkel

: I would like to know the "real reason" Rutherford was sentenced to serve in prison. I only have the WT explanation.

The book "The Finished Mystery" contained statements that the U.S. Government considered seditious. That book was released about the time the US entered into WWI, and so nationalism and patriotism was frenzied.

: Also I would like to know if he was completely exonerated of the charges that were brought up against him?

Rutherford compromised his much vaunted "Christian integrety" by having sections of the Finished Mystery the government deemed seditious cut (literally!) from the book. The society doesn't like to admit that embarrassing fact.

He and his cohorts were released after (as I recall) spending 18 months or so in prison and later the Supreme Court exonerated them of the charges.

I'm relating this from memory, but I'm sure Amazing or others will correct any misstatements I've made.

Farkel

"I didn't mean what I meant."

Amazing

Hi Pureheart: I will get my copy of the transcript out of my boxes and bring it to the office. I can briefly state that essentially, Rutherford and his seven officers who were convicted and imprisoned were not completely without guilt.

Some of the Society officers received correspondence duing WWI from service men, or their families, and responded by encouraging them to leave the military. This is a fact not told to us by the Society. Also, the trial was "not" a 'railroad' job as the Society likes to proclaim. The US Government had done much preparation on the case, and had a significant amount of evidence to prove their case.

The Society is correct in that it was a time of war hysteria, and as a result they are partically correct in believing that Rutherford and company were jailed as an overreaction. Because of this, Rutherford and the seven Society officers were reviewed by the President of the USA, and pardoned as an act of mercy, and as recognition that the Government did go overboard. So, they were released from prison early. I don't recall if they received a "writ" 'exonerating' them, in which case they may have been entitled to damages --- which I am sure Rutherford would have pursued. Or, maybe as part of the early release they may have promised not to bring suit --- or if they received a "writ" of pardon. A "Pardon" is not "exoneration" but is rather "forgiveness" --- I just don't recall right now what the actual "writ" was.

For decades the Society claimed this 'railroad' job into prison, effectively shutting down the Society, was a major fulfillment of the "Two Witnesses" in Revelation who were killed and later came back to life with Jehovah's tacit approval.

Interestingly, in their new history book, "Proclaimer's" --- which replaced the "Divine Purpose" book, manages to completely ignore this so-called major fulfillment, and drop the application of "Two Witnesses" in Revelation. It is amazing how they do that.

When I get my copy of the trial transcript, I will post more to you in a new post. - Amazing

ThiChi

Forgive me, WW1? I thought it was WW2??? Please set me right......

BluesBrother

Thi Chi,
Proclaimers,page 719/720 says they were sentenced June 21st 1918, released March 26 1919

GOVERNING BODY IMPRISONED.

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