The Disciples of Christ is the name of a religious denomination that is not well known to most people.
Today there are about 600,000 members in North America, so it is very much a tiny part of Christianity. The Disciples are a broad minded group, with few strict doctrinal beliefs, and a strong emphasis on local direction and control of each church.
Over the years there have been several Disciples congregations (sometimes called the Christian Church) in Wellington County, notably in Eramosa, Erin, and Fergus. There was never a hint of scandal or controversy associated with any of them.
It was something of a surprise, therefore, when Rev. Frederick Hedden of the Disciple’s Church in Erin was hauled before the Guelph Police Court on Aug. 18, 1917, charged with sedition.
By an agreement among his lawyer, the prosecutor, and Magistrate Hull, Hedden was allowed to go free, provided he leave Canada within a week. His only real option at that point in the war was to head south to the land of the free, where he had been born.
It would appear that the good reverend had been uttering various anti-British comments during the previous couple of months, and he had created something of a stir in the otherwise quiet village and its environs. It was all too much for Daniel Gray, a farmer in Erin Township.
Furious at such impudent criticism of British actions, Gray reported Rev. Hedden’s public statements to the RCMP in Ottawa. Senior officials there despatched an officer, an Inspector Reynolds, to investigate. Accompanied by County Constable Green, the RCMP inspector visited the minister on Aug. 17, interviewed him, and arrested him.
During the summer the newspapers had been filled with accounts of atrocities, some of them embellished, that had been committed by German forces in Belgium. Rev. Hedden had commented publicly, several times, that German activities there were no worse than those committed by British forces against the Boers during the South African War.
Today, few historians would disagree with Hedden’s comments, but in the inflamed atmosphere of 1917 he would have been wiser to keep his opinion to himself, especially because he was an American citizen, and was distrusted by some residents. When he appeared in court the next day there were a number of witnesses ready to testify against the minister.
Prior to the case coming before the court, Hedden’s lawyer conferred at length with Inspector Reynolds and the Crown Attorney. The result was an agreement that Rev. Hedden would leave Canada within the week. Inspector Reynolds objected to the minister being allowed to return to Erin, but two of Hedden’s friends, named Hull and Wood, guaranteed his good behaviour and that he would leave Canada within the allotted time.
No evidence was heard in court, and Magistrate Hull dismissed the charge, subject to Hedden leaving Canada. Hedden’s lawyer told the court that his client had no intention of offending Canadian soldiers or of hurting the feelings of Canadians. If he had done so, he regretted his actions.
After the court session, Hedden returned to Erin to pack his belongings, bid farewell to friends, and make arrangements to leave Canada.
The night of Rev. Hedden’s arrest a committee from his church met to investigate Daniel Gray’s charges and complaints. Gray attended the meeting, and insisted that the church leaders prepare a statement of its actions.
He wanted the statement to be submitted to all the newspapers in the area. The congregation, not anxious to attract attention to themselves or to further inflame feelings, was reluctant to do so. The church sent nothing on the meeting to any publication.
The case elevated feelings in Erin and Guelph, particularly those of the ultra-patriotic elements of the population. There were complaints that the minister had been treated far too leniently.
Some of his critics hoped that American authorities would deal with him, and more severely than the Canadian court had done. There were letters to the editor, a couple hoping that American authorities would not let him return to his homeland.
The ultra-patriotic voices were loud, but they did not represent everyone in the community. Many people had little enthusiasm for the war, and considered that Rev. Hedden was close to the mark in his comments. Not a few people had expressed comments and opinions similar to those of the minister. Hedden’s arrest had a chilling effect on them.
The Erin Advocate warned darkly that those who were not fully committed to the British side in the war had best be careful of their words and actions.
Adding to the controversy during the late summer of 1917 was the determination of the Canadian government to introduce conscription. That measure increased opposition to the war, especially amongst farmers. The Hedden case remained a hot issue in Wellington County and beyond for more than a month.
Among those keeping the pot stirred was the original complainant, Daniel Gray. He was bitter that the Disciples Church did not publish an account of their meeting the night of Rev. Hedden’s arrest. Gray submitted a lengthy piece to the Erin Advocate, which was published in the Sept. 13 issue. He claimed that the minister had been uttering his so-called anti-British statements as far back as September 1914.
Gray, it would appear, had received some criticism for his role in initiating and pursuing the prosecution of the mild-mannered minister.
He wrote, “I have no apology to make to any person for the part I have taken in this affair. From my viewpoint, it was in the best interests of all concerned that this man should get out. My end of the case has been fought as a man of British lineage should always fight – in a square, above board manner….”
One of Gray’s complaints was that several newspapers, and in particular the Guelph Herald, had published unsigned letters about the Hedden affair that differed from his own opinions.
He stressed that he always put his name on any of his words that were printed, and criticized his opponents for not doing the same.
Gray concluded his remarks by warning those “who have been foolish enough to endorse and repeat some of his ideas” that they might soon wish that Rev. Hedden had gone two years earlier, and that they might soon find themselves in court.
By October of 1917 the Hedden issue was quietly dying away. Rev. Hedden himself was long gone, and the issue of conscription and its administration had taken centre stage.
The huge number of Canadian casualties – which would top the 100,000 mark at the end of the hostilities – had, by 1917, caused many people to change their attitude to the war. Rev. Hedden’s comments seemed trivial and inconsequential by comparison with the carnage being reported in the newspapers.
Rev. Frederick Hedden was one of a number of Wellington County residents to be singled out by over-zealous patriots and Anglophiles during World War I. It appears that he was the only clergyman on that list. The others, as might be expected, were either pacifists or foreigners who were guilty of nothing more than speaking with thick accents and perhaps eating strange food.
Altogether, the persecution and mistreatment of residents who did not agree entirely with the pro-British fanatics during World War I was hardly one of the shining episodes in our local history.