Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-14
DEPRAyITY.
The Case OF O'GOFman VS..
walsh.

From the New York Tribune, 9th inst.l
, A card was recently published in our
columns denying the truth Of the story
sent us by eur Boston correspondent.
This has been generally copied, and the
Tribune denounced for Publishing false
news, We nov print letter from our
Boston correspondents, together with the
documentary evidence upon which his
narrative was based, and with this state
ment dismiss the subject.
BOsToN, September %, 1S6S.-In the
Tribune OF the 22d September there ap-
peared paragraph which narrated
briefly and imperfectly the seduction by
the Rev. William NJ. Walsh, q Catholic
priest at Hudson, of a Sister of NOtre
Dame by the name Of Bridget Edith
O'Gorman, or, as she was called is the
Convent, Sister Teresa De Chantal. O0
the 25th september q card appeared In
the Tribune, signed by Miss O'Gormsn,
which denied the seduction point-blank,
and evRded the other statements In the
paragraph, some of which were hurriediy
and loosely made. After the publication
OF that card, your correspondent
st oses went to work Ia gatheriCg g
proofs 20 substantiRte his statements,
and he has obtained, among other docu-
ments, the following:
First-A copy of the Sheriff's writ, ta-
ken out by Miss Bridget Edith O'Gor-
man herself, on the 18Th instant, In
which the property OF the Rev. VIM. M.
Walsh !s attached for $1,000 damages.
In this writ Miss O'Gormau (who now
apparently denies that she was ever Sc
duced by Mr.. Walsh, asserted as fol-
lows:
"First Count-And plaintiff says de-
fendRnt made an assault upon her, Snd
by force debauched and csrnRliy knew
her, whereby the plaintiff was made
sick for q long time, TO wlt-for the space
of one year, and her life was endan-
gered, and she was subjected to great
pain and anguish Of body and mind.
Second Count-And plaintiff further
save, defendant was her spiritual sd-
wiser and director, and defendant, con-
trary TO his duty as adviser and director,
endeavoTed to violEte aud have carnaI
intercourse with the plaintiff, and sd-
ministered certain drugs and potions to
the plaintiff, which she is unable more
particularly to describe, and by means
of such drugs and pOtions so enfesbled
and overmastered the plaintiff, that
he was enabled to and did there
upon debsuch and carnslly know
the plaintiff, aud in consequence
thereof plaintiff was made griev-
ously sick for a long time, to-wit !:
for one year, and her life was endsn-
gered and she was subjected to great
physical and mental pain and agony.
Third COuat-And plaintiff says de-
fendant made an assault upon her and
struck her, and iil-trested her, and kept
her imprisoned for the space OF one year,
in consequence Of which plaintiff was
made grievousiy sick for q long time, to-
wit: for one year"
On the I9lh inst. the Rsv. Mr.. Walsh
was arrested in Boston by Deputy
Sheriff, and being unable to procure bail,
was committed to jail The l9th was
Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon Mr.
Walsh settled the case and secured the
discharge Of the suit by paying cash into
the hands of Miss Bridget O'GOImsn's
attorneys, the Well-known Messrs. Geo.
I StarkWeather and Il. NJ. Sheldon. Your
correspondent has obtained sworn ell
davit made by Messrs. Starkweather and
Sheldon, to the effect that Mr.. Walsh
confessed that he had had Illicit inter-
course with Bridget Edith 0'Gormsn,
otherwise Sister Teresa DeChsntal, and
vofr correspondent has also the sworn
3
I G'Gorman, the sister of Bridget, and
through whose truly wonderful perse-
verance and ingenuity, mainly inspired
simply by adesire 20 bring villain to
/ Justice, and to lighten, II possible, her
sisters and her fsniiy's tsrnished honor,
the iniquity Of this case has been brought
TO light, that Mr.. Walsh WAS Suspended
from his priesthood on account Of per-
forming the deeds mentioned in the
Sheriff's writ. Miss Gertrude was told
so by Mr.. Walsh himself, aod that he
was suspended by Bishop Bsyley, Of New
Jersey. In the card published in the
tribune, signed by Bridget 0'Qormsn,
! il is stated that Mr.. Walsh was not sus-
pended.
Il appears singular that woman who
I one day sues man for seduction, and
obtains dsmsges, should on another deny
! that she was eyer outraged. The expla-
nation is this: By some means or other,
Mr.. Walsh hes obtained possession Of her
agsiR-in fact, it is believed that they
/ left Boston together after the settlement
I of the csse, and went to New York. The
7 sight of the man eacited feelings Of az
( fection which the weakened intellect OF
/ the girl could not resist, and shs, IL is be-
I ljpved, Is once more in his toils-he 2
priest, and forbidden by his church to
know the other sex, and she professed
bride OF the church, vowed TO celibacy.
The card ia the Tribune of the 25th was
evidentiythe work of u 4. Walshis brain,
and not the girls; she is not capable OF
document so Macbiveleianin character.
The facts in regard 20 the seduction by
the Rev. WHliam NJ. Walsh, Of Miss
| Bridget Edith O'GoTman, while she was
- ,z,a u, - n
order, are suocinctly these The Rev.
/ Walsh came to the convent six Hlonths
/ bsfoTe the outrage took place, which was
on the 18th Of January last. He was a
curate la the convent, and the sisters did
not confess to hiaa, and he was not, in
one sense their spirit sdgiser. On the
night OF the f9:h OF last January he ia
dueed Miss 0iGorman TO go into the
chapel Of the convent With hirn. There
he gave her something to drink, which
produced stupefaetion. When she sWOke
sue discovered that she had been violated.
I Her outraged feelings caused her to be-
come deranged, and in hopes of Fastening
her recovery, she was sent by the mother
TO a convent at Newark, n. J. On the
I 3Ist of JanuBry abe ran awayin her re-
I tU0ious dresse and went TO tbs Coutinen-
tai Hotel ia Philadelphia. SAe stayed
there two weeks, and the Rsv. Mr..
Walsh found her thsre. boarding under
the assumed name OF Edith Cotton. BE
removed her to the house of Mrs. Wild,
on Coates, street, and kept her there
nearly four months. During that time
| he visited her at Mrs. Wildis at various
times, and she met him at New York al
various times. On the 10Th OF last
Jrne she was at the Paeht
4 Hotel. on Greenwich street, New
York, with Mr.. Walsh, and they were
! seen by parties in position they should
no: have been in. This is susceptible Of
/ direct proof from eye-witnesses. In the
middle Of July-probsbly on the 18th
she sailed for England in the steamel
| Propontis, IS s1e hsFsels hss said, sent
! there by Mr.. Walsh Out OF his sight
she got over her infatuation for him las
she did lately in Boston, when she
I brought the suit against HIM, and told
/ the steward Of the vessel her tale. He
/ took pity'on her conditioD-in foreign
country without friend-snd paid hel
/ passage back in the steamship Slberis
| She arrived In Boston on the 18th %
| August, her relatives-fsther, mother
and sister-knoYing nothing of her Sc
| duetion and adventures. Between the
/ 18th and gath of August she confessed
/ her shame to her sister, and besought hel
/ TO obtain repsration. The parents OF the
! sister reside In Rhode leland, and srs
/ highly respectable people. Bishop Nc