Shelburne Free Press
Thursday, November 9, 1905
Melancthon farmer Harry Scace was committed to trial by Police Magistrate George Rutherford Tuesday on a charge of manslaughter in the death of his daughter Sarah. The charge against him alleges: “That, being under legal obligation to provide necessaries for the said Sarah Adeline Scace, his child, he did, without legal excuse, omit to provide necessary medical treatment and other necessaries or medicines for the said Sarah Adeline Scace, whereby the death of the said child was caused, and that he did thus unlawfully commit the offence of manslaughter according to the Criminal Code.”
The first witness was Dr. Martin of Dundalk who said he had refused to see the child the night of her death when the father refused to promise to give her the necessary medicine for what a post mortem established was diphtheria.
Two other witnesses, Mr. and Mrs. William Campbell, told the hearing that they and the Scaces were members of the Church of God who did not believe in medical attendance but had been praying for the child’s recovery.
In committing Scace to trial at the county sessions of the peace in Orangeville in December, Magistrate Rutherford allowed the prisoner to be released on $3,000 bail.