MRS. STETSON DEAD

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 121, 27 November 1928, Page 9

MRS. STETSON DEAD

DOCTOR AT THE END FAMOUS CHURCH QUARREL (From "The Post's" Representative.) NEW YORK, Ist November, j Mrs. Augusta E. Stetson, Christian Science leader, who maintained that she would never die, passed away after ten weeks' illness, during tho last few of which she was attended by a physician. Death was believed duo to advanced age —she was 87. Since the death of Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy in 1910, Mrs. Stetson has been tho most prominent figure in the Christian Science movement, despito the fact that, in 1909, she was excommunicated by tlio Mother Church, and resigned from the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in New York, which she founded. Around her centred a great internal quarrel, which at one time threatened to disturb the Church. Consistent with her prediction that she would never die, Mrs. Stetson made a mystery of her birth and early life that was aided by the burning of the records of tho town in Maine where she was born about 1842. In 1867 she married Frederick Stetson, a Civil War veteran, whose health had boon broken by imprisonment after capture. The iirst nine years of her' married life were spent abroad. In 1884 she met Mrs. Eddy, tho founder of the Christian Science Church. At tho request of Mrs. Eddy she came to New York, with the instruction: "I want you to establish the Christianity of Christian Science in New York." REJECTED SY CHURCH; This was the beginning of a career that one time threatened to overshadow in importance the figure of Mrs. Eddy herself, and only the most determined efforts by the Mother Church in Boston enabled it to keep the spiritual leadership of tho Christian Science movement. Within two years Mrs. Stetson organised tho First Church of Christ, Scientist, and her following was so large and influential that she was able to erect a new church at a cost of £250,000, in the corner-stone of which was placed a letter from Mrs. Eddy, showing that at the time she was still in accord with Mrs. Stetson's teachings. Mrs. Stetson planned to build a branch of her church in New York City, but Mrs. Eddy prevented it with a ruling that only the Mother Church could have branches. The dissension came to a head as Mrs. Eddy's death approached, and resulted finally in Mrs. Stetson's expulsion. She was charged with teaching "pretended Christian Science." There was a great deal of public discussion at the time of a practice of Mrs. Stotson's, variously called "mental assassination," "absent treatment," "death messages," and most often "malicious animal magnetism," which was directed against her enemies. She appeared before the directors of the Church, and wa3 excommunicated, along with fifteen practitioners who stood by her. She was never after connected officially with any Christian Science Church. A NATIONAL FIGURE. Mrs. Stetson became a national figure when Mrs. Eddy died. Tho breach Was widened when she announced that Mrs. Eddy was not dead, but would return to earth in taugiblo form. She never abandoned that idea, and reiterated it last year. She also announced that the Millennium was near, and that she herself was immortal. In 1913 she announced herself as successor to Mrs. I'Mdy and spiritual loader of the Christian Science Church. The Afother Church expelled every follower of Mrs. Stetson. Deprived of a church, she resorted to a campaign of propaganda in newspapers and magazines throughout the country. In the next five years she spent £150,000 in advertising alone. During the last few years she adopted the radio, and in August last year she startled her followers by repeating in stronger terms the belief that she would live for ever We said her body, as well as her soul, would never die.

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