NOT SUSTAINED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21818, 22 November 1940, Page 7

NOT SUSTAINED

CHARGES AGAINST JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES By Telegraph- Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, November 21 Two charges relating to the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses were dismissed by Mr Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Accused were Allan Mervyn Belcher, aged 23, and Walter MacDonald, aged 34, both ordained ministers of the Sect, who were charged that at Kaiapoi they took part in the activities of a subversive organisation. . Constable Warren, of Kaiapoi. said he saw the two men in Hilton Street. Kaiapoi, at midnight. With Constable Round he stopped the men and asked them what they were doing there at such a late hour. The men said they were only wandering about. Both denied they had been in Hilton Street. They had not been seen delivering pamphlets, nor did they have any in their possession. Both admitted membership of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later a search was made in the locality and pamphlets were found in letter boxes at the homes of men called in the ballot. There was nothing to connect accused with the pamphlets except that they had been in the vicinity. Evidence was given of similar pamphlets being found in MacDonald's home. The Magistrate pointed out that the prosecution had failed to connect accused with the distribution of the pamphlets and he dismissed the case.