American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-01-24
ssR saUWa (Pubiished by special request.
Voluntary Confession of Ellenor Lawrence,

Formerly oi FIX county, Pa, now OF Allegheny
| City, taken before WIN. Adams, Mayor
Iam oisaid city, July 7th, A. d. ls5i.
! The said Ellenor Lawrence, doth Of her
own Tree will and accord, confess and de.
clare that she is Id J ears of age that her
mother died when She was three years of
age that her father. Wm. Lawrence, kept
a housekaeper until he died, which occurred
| III July, 1851. At my fathers death, he lelt
me heir 10 live thousand dollars in mouey,
aud one hundred aud fifty.six acres of land
nm ELK county. have brother, whose
name is John, TO whom my father left one
! hundred dollars. Ny father appointed MIR.
Ihos. Mcconnell, Of said county, my Guar
dian; which said Mcconnell sent me to
Bishop O'Connor, the Bishop sent me TO the
Slsiers IN Birmingham, where i remained
about two Jears, until last March, at which
time The Bishop sent for me to come aud
live in his palace; since which time (eXcept
six weeks) | remained in his palace. exec ut
such times as he semt me over to the Sisters
! ~ cunningham, where would stay some
times week or more, and then come back
1 To The palace, Just as the Bishop required.
About one or two O'Clock, on certain day
i cannot now remember the exact day. bu,
! II was in the month of August last, the
Bishop rang his bell, which the servant girl
answered he said it was not her he want
ed, II was Ellenor Lawrence. | then went
because the commands of the Bishop were
imperative. When | went up, found him
! in his bed room. When | came in, he
caught me IN his arms. and commenced
all improper intimacy | commenced to
cry and haIoo with all my might, when he
put his hands on my mouth and breasts,a
! told me must not resist u Bishop or a
Priest, because if did not, | would get a
good reward in the other worli. and escape
the torments OF pnrgatory. But still re-
sisted, and when he could not accomplish
his purpose, he then took my hand and pass.
/ ed II over his person. At another time, he
called me up to his room TO show me some
! pictures, and when there he made some i'm.
proper advances. | picked up a pair of
longs aud threw at him, and started to run
down stairs, thinking I3could outrun him,
but he caught me, and pulled me on his
knees, and told me il ever did the like a
gam that sister Margaret would have to kill
me On day of the retreat of the Catho-
iIc Priests, some OF whom were in Allegheny
with the Bishop, took the opportunity tc
escape from the palace, (for the girls in the
palace never get out, only into the back
| yarn) IN the following manner: rang the
Bishop's hell, the servant came up and ask
ed II the Bishop had got home. said yes
aud then pulled the wire that leads from the
front door 10 the Bishops room, and ran
down 10 the trout door, as if to answer the
.Icall, !whenl opened the door and ran int
-tthe street, and met lady twho afterward
informed ME she was Mrs. b and ask ed he
u she was a Catholic; she said no, and ask
ed me why wanted 10 know. l,oId her
had just run away f'om the palace, ant
wanted her TO find me IA place. She tool
me TO Andrew MarIin's where remained
two weeks, when Mrs. Martins mothe
took me to Mr.. Miller's, in Allegheny CITY
! One day during The time / was at the pal
ace, lhe servant girl and | were gong thro
Inc snbierranean passage leading from the
palace 10 The church, where there is a ira d
door, which we both got at and lifted Ii,
tie IT was so heavy we could not lift il ell
Nirely up. When we lifted it, the smell o
! stencil that came ont was terrible. fasket
the servant girl what made such a smell -
She told me it was old meat, but | told he
II did not believe il and insisted on KNOWING
i what it was; she then said i, was the Sisters
4 dead babies that were thrown in there, am
that the priests were the fathers Of them
when would cry to this girl, aud say wa.
afraid OF The Bishop, OH that account. she
/ sad u hat was nothing, For thi:
reason | ran away. her mark ..
| ELLENoR u LAWRENCE
! Taken and subscribed before me, this 7th
day OF July, 1894. WM ADAMS.
.... Mayor Allegheny City.
/