fraud was to be effected by opening and intending to open correspondence, and communication with such divers and sundry persons, as aforesaid, by means of the postoffice establishment of the United States, and by inducing and inciting such divers and sundry persons to open correspondence and communication with her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, by means of the said postoffice establishment of the United States, which said scheme and artifice to defraud was, in substance and effect, as follows, to-wit: That is to say, the said Helen Wilmans Post then and theretofore representing and advertising herself to be a Mental Science Healer, and practitioner of Mental Healing and Mind Cure, did before, and at the time of the committing of the offenses hereinafter mentioned, fraudulently assume to, and did pretend to practice what she termed 'Absent Treatment,' by which means and practice she published, advertised and procured to be advertised of and concerning herself, that she could and would cure various and all kinds of diseases known to man and woman, and did hold out to the public generally and to divers and sundry persons, that she was able to, and could and would by means aforesaid, treat and cure all patients and persons desiring and applying for said treatment of, and for, any and all diseases, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness, and all undesirable conditions; said so-called 'Absent Treatment' for cure aforesaid being conducted by her, pretending and advertising herself, and procuring herself to be so advertised in the name of Helen Wilmans, to be able to cure third persons through the instrumentality of some second person, of all such said diseases, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness, and undesirable conditions, although the fact of such alleged treatment through such second person was unknown to such other, or third person, no matter at what distance from each other and from her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, representing as aforesaid, that she could and would send such other or third persons, through such second person, her thoughts, vitalizing, healing power, and healing thoughts for the cure of all diseases, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness and undesirable conditions, by such second person, holding such third person, receptive to, and in close relation with, the thoughts of her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, and further represent, by letters written and caused to be written by her, and various publications and circulars, published and caused to be published and circulated, through the United States mails, at Seabreeze, by her, as a part of said scheme; that she could and would cure all persons of disease, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness and all undesirable conditions, by such said mode of absent treatment; that it was designed and intended that such said divers and sundry persons should be induced and procured to apply for and take, such absent treatment, by means of certain letters, at present to the grand jurors unknown, written and caused to be written by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, together with various advertisements and publications, addressed to such divers and sundry persons, and deposited and caused to be deposited by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, in the United States mails, and postoffice at said Seabreeze, for transmission and delivery to such said divers and sundry persons, to the grand jurors unknown, for the furtherance of and a part of said scheme; said letters, publications and advertisements, so addressed and mailed, for the furtherance and part of such fraudulent scheme, containing, and giving advice, and instruction to such divers and sundry persons induced to apply for, and take such said treatment for third persons and rules for such second person to follow.

"The method employed by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, to bring about such pretended results and so-called cures aforesaid, being to require the said second person to sit for treatment for such third person, at stated periods, instructing them as follows: 'If you are sitting for treatment for another person who is being treated, without his or her knowledge, you must hold the thought, that you are the medium for the transmission of my thoughts to that person; you must hold both the person and myself in your thought, and feel that you are the link in the chain between us,' and other instructions at present to the grand jurors unknown, directing such said second person as aforesaid, to sit at given times for certain periods instructing the applicant or second person, for the treatment of

other or third person, that the healing thought of her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, could and would be transmitted through them to such third person, and cure him or her, as aforesaid, which such representations were false, and well known to her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, so to be, at the time of making them, and devising said scheme, and mailing and causing to be mailed, as aforesaid, such letters and publications, hereinbefore and hereinafter mentioned, and at the time of the committing of the offenses hereinafter mentioned, and not capable of performance by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post; that the price charged for such absent treatment of a third person through a second person generally, was three dollars per week, or ten dollars per month, payable in advance, but varying according to circumstances, and by which said fraudulent scheme she acquired and appropriated to her own use, large sums of money, the amount thereof being to the grand jurors unknown; and that she sent various advertisements through the mails to induce such said divers and sundry persons to take such absent treatment, as aforesaid, of and by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post for the cure of disease, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness and undesirable conditions, and to fraudulently obtain money therefor; that such said scheme was fraudulent, fictitious and ineffective for the cure of any disease, old age, poverty, liquor habit, drunkenness and undesirable conditions; that such scheme was a deceit and a fraud at the time of devising the same, as aforesaid, and continued so on up to and at the time of the committing of the offense, hereinafter mentioned, and was so known to and understood by the said Helen Wilmans Post to be a deceit and fraud; that the letters to applicants for such pretended treatment, and during the time thereof after engagement for such said treatment, sent through said mails and postoffice establishment in the furtherance of said scheme, were not written by her, the said Helen Wilmans Post, but were written by typewriter and hand in a stereotyped form and manner by her employés, stenographers and clerks, by her direction."

Here it will be observed is a distinct charge that the representations made by the defendant as to her ability to cure, etc., were false, and were well known to her to be false; that the scheme was fraudulent and fictitious, and that her promised treatment was ineffectual for the cure of any disease, and was a deceit and a fraud at the time of devising the same, and was known to the defendant to be a deceit and a fraud; and that her promises were incapable of performance. The gravamen of the charge here is the falsity of the pretenses, and that such falsity was known to the defendant. The allegation of mala fides pervades the whole scheme. It does not present a question of the lawfulness of the calling of a mental healer, or whether or not mental science is a fraud and humbug, but it presents the question of the good faith of the defendant. It does not assume, as the other three indictments, that she could administer the treatment promised; but it is expressly alleged that she could not, that her representations were false and known to her to be false, and that her promises were impossible of performance. It is also alleged in this indictment that the defendant was not "intending to give such treatment and to cure patients," but it is not assumed that she could, and, on the contrary, it is averred that she could not, and that she knew she could not. If she could not, and knew she could not, it follows, perhaps, without allegation, that she was not intending to give such treatment.

A great many exceptions were taken and errors assigned upon the charges given and refused. While it is impracticable to comment upon all of them, it seems proper that we should express an opinion on such questions raised by the record as may arise on the new trial.

The case should be tried with the distinct understanding that the practice of mental healing is, in federal law, as lawful as healing with drugs. As to the right to use the postal establishment of the United States, no discrimination is made between those whose vocation is healing, whether they be allopathists, homeopathists, osteopaths, or mental scientists. But the use of the mails in furtherance of an artifice or scheme to defraud, under the guise of practicing the vocation of healing, is equally condemned by law, whether the accused be mental healers or the votaries of other schools. The statute is directed against any scheme or artifice to defraud, and it includes everything designed to defraud by representations as to the past or present, or by suggestions or promises as to the future. Durland v. United States, 161 U. S. 306, 16 Sup. Ct. 508, 40 L. Ed. 709. This indictment involves questions as to the belief and intention of the defendant. Every man and woman has the right to believe what he or she chooses to believe. And one who holds any belief may engage in practice founded upon it, unless he thereby injures others in person, reputation, or property, or disturbs the peace and welfare of the public. A belief, of course, cannot with impunity be carried into conduct contrary to law. The ultimate question of fact before the jury was as to the good faith of the defendant, and that question involved her belief in her representations and promises. While her belief is not the subject of direct proof, it may be ascertained from circumstances and by proof of her actions and declarations. If she was practicing her profession in good faith, the fact that she received compensation for her advice and services is of no consequence; the regular physician, the lawyer, and the preacher do the same. The cardinal inquiry was: Was she engaged in the business of treating and curing, or endeavoring to cure, applicants, or was she practicing a scheme or artifice to defraud? It is not a question as to whether or not the method of treatment is one that should be approved or disapproved by the court and jury. If it was as baseless as mundane. astrology, it makes no difference, if the defendant believed in it and practiced it in good faith and without positive intention to defraud. If, without belief in her professions or proposed treatment, and with knowledge that her representations were false, she made them to defraud, the fact that mental healing is a lawful vocation does not protect her.

After evidence had been offered tending to prove the charges of the indictment, the defendant offered evidence by way of defense, and, among other things, sought to prove that she possessed the power to treat and cure people as she had advertised. The court instructed the jury that:

"When one contends that he has made new discoveries in science or art, opposed to the general experience of man for ages, and directly in conflict with the generally accepted rules, seeks to gain money or secure profit thereby, the burden of proof of the truth of such discovery is upon the party making the claim, and such contention must be satisfactorily proved before it can be accepted."

This charge indicates that the court, considering the evidence offered by the defendant, concluded that it set up as a special defense that the defendant possessed the extraordinary power which she claimed, and instructed the jury that the burden of proof was on her to satisfactorily

prove such contention. There are other and similar expressions in the charge, which, in effect, direct the jury to return a verdict of guilty "if the defendant has failed to satisfy you of the truth of the powers she claimed." This view of the court is made plainer by a further instruction. Referring to the power which the defendant claimed to have, the jury were instructed that:

"This power is not recognized as a natural law by the experience of mankind, and that she is attempting to establish a new and unrecognized law of nature; and therefore the burden rests upon her to satisfy you that she possessed such power, and could do what she promised and advertised to do."

Here we have the distinct assertion that the burden rests upon her to satisfy the jury that she possessed such power.

In a criminal trial, where the defendant's only plea is, "Not guilty," the general rule is unquestioned that the burden of proof, and the obligation to convince the jury of the prisoner's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, as to all essential matters, including the criminal intent, is upon the prosecution throughout the trial, and that there is no shifting of the burden of proof during the trial. Underhill on Criminal Evidence, § 23; Potter v. United States, 155 U. S. 438, 15 Sup. Ct. 144, 39 L. Ed. 214. Where the defendant offers, under the plea of not guilty, some affirmative defense-as, for example, the defense of insanitythe cases in the state courts are in conflict as to the question on whom rests the burden of proof. Underhill on Criminal Evidence, § 157; 2 Bishop, New Crim. Proc. § 669. But on principle, now sustained by a large majority of the state courts, the burden in such cases is on the prosecution. 2 Bishop, New Crim. Proc. § 673. In federal jurisprudence there is no question as to the proper rule. In Davis v. United States, 160 U. S. 469, 16 Sup. Ct. 353, 40 L. Ed. 499, it was held that the "burden of proof," as those words are understood in criminal law, is never upon the accused to establish his innocence, or to disprove the facts necessary to establish the crime for which he is indicted. It is on the prosecution from the beginning to the end of the trial, and applies to every element necessary to constitute the crime. This rule was applied to a case where the defense was insanity. If, in this case, we look on the defense made by the defendant-that she had the power to effect the cures that she claimed she could make-as an affirmative and separate defense, still it would be the unquestioned rule of law in the federal court that, if the evidence she offered was sufficient to create a reasonable doubt as to her guilt, or as to any fact necessary to be proved to secure her conviction, she would be entitled to an acquittal. She is not required to prove any fact to the satisfaction of the jury. In other words, if, on the whole evidence, including that offered by both sides, the jury have a reasonable doubt as to her guilt, she is entitled to an acquittal of the specific offense charged. This being the law, it was error, we think, to instruct the jury, in any aspect of the case, that the burden of proof rested upon the defendant to satisfy the jury that she possessed the power to cure diseases, as claimed, and that her contention must be satisfactorily proved. It is one of the affirmative averments of the indictment that the representations made by the defendant were false and not capable of performance by her, and

the burden was on the United States to prove it. It is true that the learned trial judge correctly charged the doctrine of reasonable doubt in general terms, but that would not, in our opinion, remove the impression which must have been made on the minds of the jury-that the burden was on the defendant to prove a part of her defense to the satisfaction of the jury.

Referring to the evidence offered by the defendant tending to show that she could effect the cures by the method she was practicing, and especially to the claim that she could "send by emanations from her own mind such power as will, after passing through the mind of a second person, influence the physical condition of a third person," the learned judge asserted that this power was not recognized as a natural law by the experience of mankind, and that the defendant is attempting to establish a new and unrecognized law of nature. He then said to the jury that where "testimony of itself is directly contrary and in opposition to the well-established laws of nature, accepted by all men from the experience and study of ages, such testimony may be properly ignored without contradiction." A jury may unquestionably be properly instructed to disregard evidence that they find to be false. Allen v. United States, 164 U. S. 492, 499, 17 Sup. Ct. 154, 41 L. Ed. 528. And under the practice of the federal courts, the judge may express his opinion as to the weight or effect of evidence or the credibility of witnesses; but, if evidence is admitted as, and is, legal and relevant, the jury, we think, should not be peremptorily directed to ignore it. If it be of a kind that greatly taxes the credulity of the judge, he can say so, or, if he totally disbelieves it, he may announce that fact, leaving the jury free to believe it or not. If the jury concur in the view expressed by the judge, they may entirely disregard such evidence in their verdict; but to direct the jury to ignore it is to tell them not to consider it at all, even to determine whether it deserves credence or not. We are aware of the fact that this instruction related to evidence, part of which, perhaps, would seem to many, if not all, intelligent minds, incredible; but, if evidence is admissible at all, we can see no reason why it is not to be passed on by the jury. We are not holding that the defendant has a right to embark in a business, and to insist that its legality shall be tested by principles beyond the understanding of others, and not by such knowledge as the courts and juries possess. The case must, of course, be tried and tested by the rules of law and by common human understanding. But when a question of fact is tested, although it may involve the existence of a power not generally recognized, evidence bearing on the question must be considered as in other cases. Science has not yet drawn, and probably never will draw, a continuous and permanent line between the possible and impossible, the knowable and unknowable. Such line may appear to be drawn in one decade, but it is removed in the next, and encroaches on what was the domain of the impossible and unknowable. Advance in the use of electricity, and experiments in telepathy, hypnotism, and clairvoyance, warn us against dogmatism. The experience of the judiciary, as shown. by history, should teach tolerance and humility, when we recall that the bench once accounted for familiar physical and mental conditions by witchcraft, and that, too, at the expense of the lives of innocent men