The New York herald., 1879-03-04
ARCHBISHOP PURCELL.

CINCINNATI, March 8, 1917
Eleven new suits were entered In the courts here
to-day against Archbishop Purcell and his brother
Edward jointly. for money placed in their hands for
safekeeping These claims foot up nearly ss4Ooo and
with those before entered bring the claims already
in the courts to about 100000 Following are tho
claims entered in the courts to-day Barnard II.
Garlaman. $1,000; Matthew Crobiano. $lO132;
Joseph and J. II. Biester. s1o.s25; J.
G. Hendricks $39.327; Herman Ebbers. s2s75;
II. A. Desterburg. administrator $1,s3i; ]. II.
Brester sa.O.6; J. II. Meyer sl-4OO Bernard Foug-
mann. $780, Peter II. Sabbatt, $500; Mary
Schplten. $l,053 Total to-day. se3.922. But this
Is only the commencement of the litigation
against the Archbishop. Ono firm Of lawyers. it Is
said are preparing twenty three petitions against
him. and will file them in the courts ON Wednesday
If an assignment is not made meanwhile, which now
seems improbable.
EXPORTS TO nAIsR MONEY.
A meeting of all the priests Of the diocese is to be
held at tho Cathedral tomorrow. when the matter
will be fully discussed and desperate effort will bo
made to arrive at plan to settle without subject
ing tho Archbishop to the embarrassment of legal
admission Of his utter bankruptcy. There is little
hope, though that any solution be arrived at.
The churches for the most part poor.
and the priests without endowments other
than the voluntary offerings of their parish
toner's. Many of the Catholic laymen here and
elsewhere IN the diocese well to do. and
wealthy but the very thought of raising from four
to five, and perhaps even six million dollars TO re-
Meve him is matter of too great magnitude to be
taken up and disposed of on short notice.
IN RELIGIOUS RETREAT.
The Archbishop himself has gone. into retreat for
the Lentnn at the seminary Of Mount st.
Marys. and though efforts have been made to obtain
conference with him on the subject of
his financial troubles. the attendants ut that institu
ton firmly decline to allow him to bo seen Father
the Episcopal residence and it equally mpossi
Bile to obtain an audience with him to-day
EVERY DOLLAR TO BIZ PAID.
HERALD correspondent however, had an inter-
view tonight with member OF the Archbishops
household. priest who is US familiar with the
affairs of the Church any one and
who was willing to give what information he
had on the subject. Said he e-'"The Archbishop and
his brother are determined that no one who conded
money to them shall lose it. They may be forced
into suits at law. but they will take no advantage
of points of law or equity Every dollar they have
debts, and, my belief is that they Will ultimately
come out. 1t may take to accomplish it, but it
shall never bo said that Archbishop Purcell caused
any to lose his money by confding it to him for
safckceping
what amount Of available assets has he to show
for this tremendous indebtednessY'
..He has over S400O0O Of notes and bills He has
large amount of valuable real estate some OF it un-
with q return Of prosperous times"
"But this cannot be expected to cover on indebted
ness Of S5,000.0o0?
made for him by the people who revere and love him.
No. I'm sure they will not allow his debts to hang
over him.
.Do you know whether any of this money went
toward building the cathedral at Columbus p
mot one dollar of it ever went there The diocese
Of Columbus is entirely separate from that Of Cincn
natl and the money Of diocese goes to that
of another.
Are any of the churches in tho diocese owing the
Archbishop"
Eyes. believe of them are. One priest
know owes him 5000; another $4,000; such debts
,1,
owing him. but don't know in what amounts"
MEETING or THE TRUSTEES.
The meeting of the trustees, who still have charge
of the Archbishops affairs. which took place this
afternoon. strictly private. no one but tho
trustees themselves being admitted. A crowd
door all the time it was being held; but when the
trustees ont their lips sealed to all ques
TONERS. No one could get answer US to the re-
suits of their deliberations.
PUBLIC INTEREST.
crowd has been thronging in and ont Of the
archiepiscopal residence to-day. but for the most
part it exceedingly orderly. and the questions
put to tho attendants were to the health Of the
what concerned thom all more than this. rumor
was in circulation at one time that man wait
ing outside the gate who had to shoot Father
Edward if he out. but this not traceable to
any authentic source. At any rate. the man could
not be found nor any one who would say that
One man obtained access to the residence during the
Afternoon who talked wildly about seeing that every
debt OF the Archbishop was paid within twenty
WIPE 1T oUT-A CATHOLIC LAYMAN's APPEAL TO
CARDINAL. McLosKEY 10 HEAD MOVEMENT
DEBTS.
To THE EDITOR oP THE HERALD:-
l read with acute pain. but not without hope. the
statements daily appearing IN the papers concerning
the indebtedness of Archbishop Purcell. observe
Journals, not by any means Catholic. the
HERALD among the number. that there
words Of pity than blame for the unfortunate
prclate Still some blame is implied l do not pur-
pose to discuss the right wrong OF the system
which has brought SO lamentable scandal upon the
Catholic Church. What has happened will deeply
impress all Christian communities Of tho United
States and If not rcctiicd will leave lasting stain
upon the Catholic Church.
That stain must be wiped out and there is way
to do 1t but to wipe out the debt 1t was to dstin
gushed prcatc or the Catholic Church that the Cath
ocs OF Ohio intrustcd their savings. and not merely
to John Purcell. All the Catholics of the United
States concerned in whatever misadvcnture has
resulted therefrom. When some years ago Catho-
lie bookseller OF Boston, TO whom had been similarly
intreisted considerable amount Of the savings OF
the poor Catholics of New England failed in
business, Archbishop Williams kecny felt the
disgrace that might cnsue the claims being out
gradual extinction of the debt. and already some
twenty per cent has been paid to the poor people.
with fair prospect OF the entire sum being handed
over. But there the Indebtedness amounted to lcss
than $4,000. In the case of Archbishop Purcell IL
amounts TO iuiliions. What possible in BostoR
is not possible in Cincinnati What should be dono
in the premises is clear.
therefore respectfully submit to His Eminence
Cardinal McCloskey that, no less for tho credit OF
the Catholic Church than for what IL far i'm
portsn.-its spiritual dominion over many of its dis
couragcd and wavcring childrcn-hc should head u
movement of the Catholics of America to oblitcrato
that debt. From one else can the gem
erous impulse come with the same authority
II the Archbishop Of Boston felt himself
iinpclled 10 save his flock from similar
disaster, brought about by the imprudcncc OF q
trusted Catholic ymap, how much more strongly
should the of the unfortunate Archbishop APP
peal to- the Cardinal who stands before all America
AZ the highest ccc's&stic i'll the American Church.
VIII the Cardinal authorize and head "a subscription
of the Catholics OF the United states for this worthy
purposcy All will respond Some, it may be-
rs We the Church oi the poor well the rich
with dimes and quarters, but others with hand
some from their surplus of the worlds goods.