Civil Government and Religion

ELEVENTH CASE John A. Meeks, Star of the West, Ark.

John A. Meeks, aged fourteen years, son of Edward John A. L. Meeks, was indicted by the Grand Jury at the January term of the Circuit Court of 1886, for Sabbath-breaking. The offense was for shooting squirrels on Sunday. The place where the squirrels were shot was in a mountainous district entirely away from any public road, or any place of public worship. The sons of Mr. Reeves were hauling wood with a team on that same Sunday, and were present with the Meeks boy in the woods, and scared the squirrels around the trees for the Meeks boy divided the game with the Reeves boys. CGRSL 129.3

Then the father of the Reeves boys reported the Meeks boy, and he was indicted. His case was held over to await the decision of the Supreme Court in the Scoles case. At the January term in 1887, the boy confessed judgment, and was fined $5, and $3 county tax was assessed, and the costs, amounting in all to $22. The fine was paid, and the boy released. CGRSL 129.4