Amazing Superstition.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 252, 23 November 1903, Page 4

Amazing Superstition.

SUFFERINGS OF A FAITH-HEAL-ER'S CHILD. What is known as the "faith-heal- j ing case" cftme recently (Says ah English paper) before the Manchester Magistrates-. The defendant was Frank KhowleS Butterworth, master printer, Cottenham-street, C.-nn-M.| and he was charged at tWs Instance of the N.S.P'.y-.U. with having neglected his child Elizabeth, aged ten years, in a matnner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injuly to her health. Mr Hotkih, in opening the case, Saul the prisoner carried on business in Bull's Head Yard. He had live children, the youngest of whom was the one In nuebtion, who was lh() only one who tUd hot work. On the Brit inst., the child was a't school, and on leaving she fell clown some stone steps. When she returned home at twenty minuted to two, she made ft complaint to her mother. The child was then suffering acutely and nearly fainted. The pain was so great that Mrs Butterworth was compelled to cut the straps of the child's clothinjg in order to gut the' clothes oh" her shoulder to see what was tte matter. She found that the arm was discoloured, and it was evident that something was wrong. The prisoner returned home at 4.iA\ and his wife alt once drew his attention to thfe Condition of the child. PRAYER AN!) BROKteN HONES-. She asked his permission to take the child tt> a doctor-, and lie replied : " Never mind, it will all come right ; God will put it right." Matters went worse, and on the Oth, which was Sunday, the mother noticed a lump on the arm. She again, drew her husbfamd's attention to it, and again asked his permission for her to take the child to a surgeon. The prisoner, however, again refused, sayinig : '" I will not ajllww you to take her to a doctor. We will pray for her." On thp Bth, Mru Butterworth saw what seemed to be a bone protruding from the shoulder, and s!he pointed it out to her husband, and again asked permission to take the girl to a doctor. Permission was once more refused, but the prisoner said She could take the girl to a Mr Sardinjg], a chemist, as she had sug|g|ested. This Mrs Butterworth did, and Mr Harding at ehCb Saw t'ftat it" Was hot it. fcftse for him. The collarbone, he said, was fractursd, and the child ought to be taken to the Royal Infirmary. The mother told the prisoner what the chemist had said, and the accused told the child to igo upstajrs and say her prayers, and keep raising her arm up. In that way, he said) the injury would becohie eur&d. On the ninth, the girl was no better, and tihfefatbher took her to the Zton Chapel at Chorlton-cuni-H'ordy, this being a chapel connected with the particular sect with which Butterworth was associated. His instructions were that the elders at the chapel pray over the child. CABLING TO DR, BOWIE.

On the 10th the girl was no better and the prisoner cabled to Dr. Dowie, iZion City, America, asking him to pray for the recovery of the child. On the 11th the SJ.S.P.P.B. got to know of the case through the police, and Inspector Goff visited the house. Ho noticed that the child required surgical treatment, and ho went to the prisoner's place of business, but Buttcrworth declind to allow ai doctor to see the child, and expressed the opinion that doctors were maimers and thieves. Shortly afterwards, the prisoner returned home and took the child, he believed, to the 2ion Chapel. The ciders again prayed for the girl. On the morning of Saturday, the 12th, he again took the child to the chapel, and did not return home with her till five o'clock in the afternoon. Where the child was during the wholo of the day, he (Mr Hockin) did not know. He did not suppose she was in the chapel all the day, and he thought that profoubfy she was being taken care of by some friend who was a mc/ber of the same persuasion. On the following Tuesday the prisoner stated his intention of removing the child from Manchester, so that no doctor couldj get to her. He said : "The Lord has begun His work, and he will finish it." He took the child away, but before doingr so he cabled to Dr. Dowie again.—The Prisoner : That is wrong. I did not ca)()Je twice.—Mr Hockin went on to say that before going away the prisoner st<i|d he would cajble to Dr. Dowie. The mother did not know where the child was taken to, bu( it transpired tflia-t Butterworth took'l he ! child to Southport, and he returned I with her last Saturday. He \.i>s apI prehended on Monday, and on his own application was remgnded. The Magistrates made an order that the child should be taken to Cliffordstreet Hospital, and under surgical treatment she was progroßsing fuvourably. If the Magistrates committed the prisoner lot trial ho would ask them to hiake ah order giving the Rev. B. Waugh, of the the custody of the child until such time as she had completely recovered, probably two months. Mrs Butterworth, wife of the prisoner, bore out i» the main Wr Hockin's statement. She said the child suffered days. Mr Butterworth was commitpain for six days, and cried for three ted for trial, and allowed bajl. (He was subsequently sent to gaol for a month—Ed. E.S.)