Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-27
DEMANDS HER MONEY
Mother Alphonse Again Says There
Cannot be Any Compromise.
THE ENTIRE PROPERTY MUST GO
Unless the Sixty Thousand Decreed Her be
Paid Forthwith.
SIZE WILL HAVE THE SCHOOL CLOSED

The Ursullne Convent trouble is again as
suming decidedly interesting shape. The
determined stand on the part of ex-Mother
Superior Alphonse and her associates in
their effort to place the entire property on
the market for sale, is surprise to every
body. It is move that was entirely unex-
pected. The attorneys engaged in the re-
cent litigation were proceeding in the
case with the idea that their arrangement
to raise $50, 900 was satisfactory.
A DISPATCH reporter called upon ex-
Mother Superior Alphonse yesterday after
noon, at the convent, and for the first time,
as she claims, her side of the Ursuline
trouble is given. She said that so many
false reports had been printed about the
matter that she would rather not say any
thing, and would have refused entirely to
talk for publication but for the fact that all
that has appeared lately has been favorable
to her opponents. The following is the
substance of what ex-Mother Alphonse said:
SHE WILL CLOSE THE SCHOOL.
II want to emphasize my assertion that no
compromise whatever will be entertained.
must insist upon the closing Of the school and
the sale of this entire property unless they pay
me what 1 claim-S60 OO0 1t will be three years
next August since l made This claim upon
them, and 1 propose to wait no longer. The
decree granting myself and my associates $lO,-
900 apiece came five months ago. and they say
they are not able to raise the money. All OF
the power for the sale of the property belongs
to me. and mean to exercise that power with
out any further delay whatever. They talk
about selling nine acres of the ground. L viii
sell the entire property, inclnding the build
ings and even the furniture. Everything that
belongs to the institution must go unless they
paw our money Immediately.
I'VE have never been unreasonable in any
thing we asked. We demanded our money, to
be sure; but what better terms could they de-
sire? Just think Of It'll The work of 70 years;
an institution like this and such valuable prop
erty. But we were willing to leave it all to
them if they had given what was allowed us.
Why, it was told to us by reliable authority
that the Bishop would not allow them to raise
the money. Now, the Bishop has no authority
to do anything in this matter and never should
have figured in the trouble at ALL He claims
to have asked to be relieved from taking any
part in the affair, but he never should have as
sumed any authority"
RECEIVED NO OFFER.
In reference to the statement that at one
time six Catholic laymen offered to give ex-
Mother Alphonse 100000 to stop the scandal,
the speaker said: THAT is absolutely false.
No six gentlemen ever offered any sum to us.
During about the second month Of our trouble,
1 think in October, 1887, three gentlemen
James Phelan, John McCafrey and William
Loeffler-called bere and asked US what IN
demnity we would take rather than to sell the
property. Ny recollection is that we told them
when they had a tangible offer to make to call
again. We never saw nor heard from them
again"
AS to the mortgage and debt against the
property. the ex-Mother Superior had this to
say: The only debt we are responsible for is
mortgage for SIS, 900 on the property. If there
is a mortgage for $40 000 as stated 1t. together
with all other debts that may exist. must havo
been contracted by the parties who succeeded
us since August II, 1851"
what have you to say about the proposition
to pay you $50 600 in five years without inter-
est?" was asked.
Nothing, except that we will not consent to
any such proposition. We might all be dead
before that time, and what good would we de-
rive from our years of labor? In the first place,
no such proposition was ever made to rs, and it
is surprising that the first time we should hear
of it would be through the newspapers.
DENIES THE BISHOPS kIGHT.
'If responsible person, capable of governing
the institution properly, had been placed in
charge it would have been one of the most
fiourishing of the kind in the country. But
Mother Gertrude was not the choice of the sis
ters for the place. We should have had free
election. Bishop Phelan had no right to sug-
gest anyone for the office and Mother Gertrude
had no right to accept. She broke the rules
and the constitution Of our society when she
accepted the position by appointment. If she
had not done this great deal, il not ALL of this
trouble could have been avoided.
"The only thing that i am particular about
saying with any stress is that I am the only
person mentioned in the decree from Rome,
which gives me the right to sell the property
and which gives me explicit instructions not to
allow it to be sold for a cent less than what
believe to be its true value. We have made up
our minds that the position we have taken IS
right, and we have no intention OF changing
our minds. The time for compromise is past,
and we propose now TO take nothing less than
the proceeds of the property less the mortgage,
unless what is due US is paid forthwith"
In this regard w. A. Heron, in whose
hands the convent property has been placed
for sale, says he thinks it ought to bring
$500, 900, and he expects to sell it. The
whole property has been placed in his
hands. The title, he says, is vested in Mother
Alphonse, and he thinks she should be able
to give clear title to the buyer. but there
are many other legal complications in
volved.
c. F. MeKenna, Esq.,, said las. evening
that the title for the Ursuline property is
not vested in the Ex-M Mother Superior, but in
the name of the corporation, which is
chartered institution under the laws of
Pennsylvania.