The Uninvited Amen
A man is hauled into court for his untimely enthusiasm during a church service in Tolt.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
William Caldwell, deputy prosecuting attorney, returned from Tolt yesterday where he represented the state in two cases. The first case tried was that of a man named J. O'Leary, charged with creating a disturbance at a religious meeting. One Richardson charged O'Leary with saying 'Amen' when the spirit did not move him. It was plainly shown that O'Leary was arrested merely out of spite work, and on motion of Attorney Caldwell, the case was dismissed at the complaining witness' cost. The costs amounted to $17.50, and Richardson was ordered committed to jail until they were paid.
“One Richardson charged O'Leary with saying 'Amen' when the spirit did not move him.”
This story highlights the thin line between social nuisance and criminal conduct in small, tight-knit religious communities. It is a classic tale of petty local grudges backfiring on the instigator.
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