People v. Cole

25 N.Y. Crim. 350
CourtNew York City Magistrates' Court
DecidedFebruary 18, 1911
StatusPublished

This text of 25 N.Y. Crim. 350 (People v. Cole) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York City Magistrates' Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Cole, 25 N.Y. Crim. 350 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1911).

Opinion

Freschi, C. M.

—This is an application for a warrant made by the complainant, the New York County Medical Society, through its learned counsel, upon a summons issued by me in pursuance of the provisions of the “ Inferior Criminal Courts Act of the City of New York ” (Laws 1910, chap. 659, sec. 82).

The information presented and filed charges the defendant, Willis Vernon Cole, with the practicing of medicine without being duly qualified and licensed, as defined in section 160 of the Public Health Law of the State of New York. This section provides:

* * * u tj' The practice of medicine is defined as follows: A person practices medicine within the meaning of this article, except as hereinafter stated, who holds himself out as being able to diagnose, treat, operate or prescribe for any human disease, pain, injury, deformity, or physical condition, [351]*351and who shall either offer or undertake, by any means or method, to diagnose, treat, operate or prescribe for any human disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition.”

The exception in the Health Law is stated in section 173 of the same law as follows:

“ This article shall not be construed to affect * * * the practice of the religious tenets of any church.”

It is alleged in the information and the testimony establishes that the defendant did hold himself out to and did actually treat Mrs. Isabella Goodwin, a police matron, and Mrs. Frances Benzecry and the latter’s infant daughter Lucille, for the ailments and diseases from which they claimed they suffered. His treatment consisted substantially in sitting opposite each patient for several minutes in mental prayer and in reading to Mrs. Benzecry certain passages from a book of Mary Baker G. Eddy entitled Science and Health.” The defendant admits that the treatment given by him was the recital of prayers, and asserts that in this treatment he was practicing the religious tenets of the Church of Christ, Scientists, of which he was a believer and known as a healer ” or practitioner.” From his testimony it appears that his authority to treat ” was derived from the publication of an advertisement in the Christian Science Journal, a publication of this church. This advertisement was paid for at advertising rates, and the application to insert the “ card ” or advertisement was passed upon by the publication committee ” of this church, which- made, it is claimed, a personal investigation as to defendant’s life and his moral fitness, and only after it received three signed statements of persons who had been cured by him. In the language of the witness, Virgil O. Stickler, first reader of the Christian Science Church, “ the publishers of the Christian Science Journal publish the cards of practitioners in the Journal whom the publishers of the Journal have investigated and consider worthy to have their names printed in the Journal. There are many [352]*352other Christian Science practitioners whose names are not included in the Journal, hut those included in the Journal are those who have been investigated by the proper officials of the organization, and, in a sense, they are looked upon as being better practitioners.” Furthermore, the defendant testified that he practiced before the publication of this advertisement.

“ Practitioner ” Cole maintained his offices in an office building at No. 225 Fifth avenue, New York City, and there the patrons or clients who visited him were treated for their alleged physical ills and to alleviate suffering by methods known as Christian Science treatment, and this for pay, the charges therefor being fixed, for each visit. Mrs. Goodwin narrates in detail her visit to the defendant’s place of business on January 7, 1911, and states that upon entering his private office the defendant inquired, What is the matter with you ? ” and that she replied that she was suffering from palpitation of the heart and bladder trouble, and whereupon “ he told me to sit down in a chair.” The defendant then seated himself opposite her, a few feet away, and held his hand to his face for about fifteen minutes. Complainant further testified that Mr. Cole said to her, I think you will be benefited at once: you seem to be responding to treatment,” and she paid his charge of $2 when the defendant told her to call again. She admits that the defendant did not perform any operation, nor did he make any examination or give any prescription. Mrs. Benzecry testified that on her first visit to the defendant’s office she inquired if he was a doctor and that he said he was a Christian Science healer, and when he inquired what was the trouble she said that she suffered in the eyes, and Mr. Cole said I must keep my glasses off.” The defendant told her in the course of the visit that he could cure locomotor ataxia by prayer. She asked him about a pain in her back, and he made reply that it is a disease, but couldn’t tell what kind of sickness it was. She discussed the system of treatment generally and paid defendant [353]*353his fee charged for the treatment on the occasion of each of several visits.

The learned counsel for the defendant has waived the question as to whether or not these facts constitute “treatment” within the meaning of the “ practice of medicine ” as the same is defined in the statute, and relies entirely upon the following language of section 173 of the law, which reads: “ This article shall not be construed to affect * * * the practice of the religious tenets of any church.”

When the constitution of 1894 was adopted, section 3, Article I of the preceding constitution of 1846, without change, was continued in full force, providing as follows: “ The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed in this State to all mankind; and no person shall be rendered incompetent to be a witness on account of his opinions on matters of religious belief, but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of this State.” (N. Y. Const., Art. I, sec. 3).

Thus the establishment of freedom of worship and religious liberty was guaranteed.

I must hold that the defendant was given no greater liberties by the exception provided in the Public Health Law than he enjoyed under the State and Federal Constitutions. It is undisputed that religious liberty and the freedom of worship were among the defendant’s inalienable rights even before the enactment of that statute law. The establishment and the teaching of the religion in which the defendant is an ardent believer contravened no law. Prohibiting the free exercise thereof would clearly be unconstitutional, but the freedom of religion cannot be extended to prevent the punishment of crime (Davis v. Beacon, 133 N. S. 333). Story in his work on the Constitution (5th ed.) says at section 1879 that the whole power over [354]*354the subject of religion is left exclusively to the State governments, to be acted upon according to their own sense of justice. The organic basic law of our State must therefore govern. The Public Health Law (supra) does not infringe upon the constitution.

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Bluebook (online)
25 N.Y. Crim. 350, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cole-nynycmagct-1911.