The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-20
The Case OF the Rev. Henry
ISrnnn, Formerly OF Wheeling.


1t was a scene worthy the last act OF n
drama by Dion Boucicauli, or the cIos.
ing chapter OF romance by Charles
Reade. II il does not reappear in drama
or novel it will be because the right hands
Of those gentlemen have forgot their cum
ming or their eyes their wOnted Quickness
to recognize good thing when ii presents
itself.
Time: Monday morning, GFcbruary
18th. Scene: The Court room ut Jersey
City. Four Judges sitting all along in Il
row on the bench. The Clerk OF the
Hudson County IN. J.) Court, Mr.. james
VI. Brann, sitting rs accused ut the bar.
Mr.. Michael MullOne, proprietor OF the
Jersey City ArguS, as prosecuting wit
ness. Half dozen OF the leading legal
luminaries Of New Jersey and New York
arrNyed as counsel in the case. Nearly
all the county and city officials with II
crowd OF lawyers, and other distinguish
I'd citizens" crowding the court room,
and most OF them summoned as witnesses
on one side or the other.
The case, one Of libel, that had ocGu-
pied the court and distracted the city for
several days. The proprietor OF the
argus and the Hudson County Clerk Of
the Court had political and personal diff
ierences. Hard things had been said on
both sides. The argus had not been spar
ing OF the feelings Of Mr.. Brann, but its
proprietor was suddenly struck dumb by
the appearance Of circular asserting
diaboiical things Of himself that m entire
newspaper was insufficient to do Justice
to the occasion, and he fled TO the courts
Tor protection, vindicatiOn and vengeance.
As before said, the case had occupied the
attention of the court, and OF pretty much
all along the Jersey shore, for several
days before the curtain rang up last
Monday morning on the most telling
scene in the exciting drama.
The prospect darkens on the accused.
a cloud Of witnesses brought the author
ship Of the libelous circular 80 close to
him that even the twelve men OF the GUS
tomary amount OF uninteiligence who
had stolidly listened to the evidence with.
out comprehending it, bctray signs OF
having made up their minds to convict
and that no more need be said. The
counsel for the accused bites his finger
ends, is at his wits end, but rises to open
the case for the defense.
What the plcadcr lacks in facts he
] makes up in fervid cloquence. The
jury listen in an ahsent.minded way, but
theirs is u hopeless case. Their minds
what they have Of that kind Of article
are made up. and no eloQuence of coun.
sci can shake them. But AZ he draws n
picture OF the mental agony Of the de-
lcndant, charged with crime his nature
was incapable OF committing, there ia n
startling interruption. A gentleman in
1 priestly garb bursts into tedss, hurriedly
comes 10 the Judges seat, and whispers
in the ear of the Judge ncarest him
The Judge requests the counsel TO stor
for few moments and confer with the
reverend gentleman, a Roman Catholic
clergyman Of high standing in the diocese
and brother Of the accused. "a buzz oil
eager comment and inquiry passes
through the crowd rs the two 60 out o.
the court room, but no one suspects what
comes next.
They re.enter, the priest walking with
bent head and fearful eyes; the lawyer
Sith eyes wide open, with mouth puCker'
ed ~ for whistle Of astonishment. The
priest ascends the witness stand, and the
lawyer leaving his accustomed place, ad
yances to the front OF the stand and in q
loud voice which arrests attention and
bushes every whisper, says; doctor
what do you know about this ibCl%
With low but steady voice the priest
replies: ~ will now tell the whole story
81 cane over to this city on the 2Sth o.
October, 1875, and saw an article in the
"Argus abusing my brother and styling
him an official rowdy and blackguard;
~ called on my mother and found hel
crazy from these repeated attacks In th'
argus on him. l tried to console her
"but she would not be comfortcd. Firet
with spirit Of retaliation, 1 left the
house and had the libelous circular
printed in New York and circulated a
the meeting in the Catholic Institute.
now take all the responsibility, for
love my brother too dearly to allow hin
ito suffer for my act"
A dead silence follows. -Then thi