Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-12-13
Priest and People

troubles in this county:
"The circuit court records of lows
county show a chain of important
lawsuits growing out cf one cause
which is perhaps unparalleled in the
history Of judicial inquiry in the
state. J. +. Grace, an attorney-at
law in the village of Highland, and
a member of 81. Phillips Catholic
church at that place, commenced an
action last summer against the pas
tor of his church aud eleven others
for conspiracy to commit personal
violence on him and degrade him in
the slgnt and estimation of the citi-
zens of the village, claiming dam
ages to the amount of $4,000. The
primary cause which led 10 these
legal proceedings was private let
ter written by Mr., Grace to the
pastor of his church charging him
with criminal intimacy with the
complainant's wife. This charge was
denied by the pastor, and he gathered
about thirty of HE Pensioners to.
gether aud sent them TO Dir. Grace's
Office TO bring him before the pastor
to retract the contents of the letter.
Mr.. Grace was so much frightened
at the appearance Of the large body
of men who went after him that he
accompanied them to the pastor,
and, after being compelled to go
upon his knees to the pastor and re.
tract his charge in the letter, was
permitted 10 return to his office, and
was never any further molested on
account Of the matter. For this
action Of the pastor and bis people,
Mr.. Grace brought an action against
twelve Of them and the case was
tried at the October term Of the
court here, and he recovered a
Judgment against them for 5000
damages, and about ~ 900 costs.
The Dodgeville San, of this place,
in relating the circumstances Of the
difficulty between Mr.. Grace and
his pastor and Pensioners, took oc-
casion to speak of Mr.. Grace in very
disparaglng terms, charging him
with dishonorable action aud i'm.
proper motives which Mr. Grace
considered grossly libeIous and
brou9t an action against the editor
of the paper, laying his damages at
$4,000, which action will come on
for trial here at the next March
term Of court.
In the case of Grace against his
pastor and people, he set forth in his
complaint the private letter he had
sent to the pastor in which he charg-
ed him with undue intimacy with
his wife, and for this publication of
the letter by spreading it upon the
records of the court the pastor
brought an action for libel against
Mr.. Grace, claiming $4,000 dam
ages, which action is also now pend
ing in the court here.
And further, because of the charge
Of the letter of Mr.. Grace to the
pastor, which involved the good
name and virtue Of Mr. Grace's wife,
she has commenced an action
against her husband for divorce, on
the grounds of cruel and inhuman
treatment charging him with acts Of
personal violence and the oifense
againet her fair name contained III
the letter. The summons and com
plant in the divorce proceedings
have been served OH Mr. Grace very
recently and he has not yet served
or filed his answer What the final
Judgment in all these important and
sensational suits will be, may re-
quire years Of acrimonious litigation
to determine"
PANT the earth red with the
statement that | will not be
andesold. | invite you to test me
and zee if my word is not good.
J DELLER