Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-02
MCARTHY'S LIBEL SUIT.
Outcome of Quarrel Between Couple
of Ghost Peddlers.

.
New YORK, April 80. - The Rev.
Cbas. p. Mccarthy and Mrs. Minnie e.
William. friends once but strangers
now. faced each other in the legal ring
this morning, and had the first round OF
gloyeless contest which is to deter
mine whether or not Mccarthy shall get
S1O.O for injury TO his reputation
caused by utterances inspired by VII
liams and published by one lnnis in a
talented contemporary called the Cetes-
tiGL Citu. InniS is the man, but Minnie
is the woman Mccarthy is after. Min
ME. to whom nature has been generous,
not to say lavish, was In court.
The troubles between Mrs. Wlillams
and Mccarthy grew out OF ghosts. Mrs
Williams conducts ghost agency.
Through her mediumShip dead folks
communicate to their living friends the
sjlly drivel which seems to be the lead
ing feature of ghost conversation. NC
Carthy was interested in ghosts and liked
to hear the twaddle they talk. 30 ne
went TO Minnie. Here all things were
pleasant until Mr.. BOrschneck came on
the scene. Borschneck also went IN Tor
ghosts and Minnie furnished the ghosts.
Then came BOrschneck to Mccarthy
with strange story. To the startled
ears Of Mccarthy he poured out
= tale of woe. Mrs Williams,
he said, was altogether a dread
full person over him (Borschneck), her
influence had been baleful. She had
not only alienated him from his family
but she had also exercised her coplouS
destinations with such effect that the
bashful Borschneck had failed to be
Joseph. What was more, she had IN
duced BorSchneck TO give up money
Mccarthy was shocked. He remonstra-
ted with Mrs. Williams. She rose in
wrath. She denounced Mccarthy or
inspired his denunciation in the CeteS-
tai Citu. Il journal devoted to spiritual
doings and ghost gossip generally.
These articles accused Mccarthy OF be-
ing a blackmailer and bad citizen.
That is McCarthy's side Of the story
and Judge DAILY called two witnesses
who testified that Mccarthy had been
Unitarian preacher in Philadelphia
and Albany until 1877, when he had an
experience in the law courts and since
then had not preached.
On cross-eXamination e. Ii. Benn,
counsel for Mrs. Williams, said he ex-
pected TO show that Mccarthy had had
a law suit in every city where he lived.
McCarthy's wife was the next witness.
Mccarthy was an Episcopal clergyman
in England when she first met him.
Since their marriage he had lived in
Philadelphia, New York and Albany.
She testified to the alleged slanderouS
articles in the Celestial city and the cir
culation of that paper at Spritualistic
meetings. On croSS-eXamination she
testified that before her husband was
an Episcopal clergyman he was sailor
She then related McCarthy'S troubles
with his church in Albany, when asked
if he had ever preached Sidce then said
that he had. but admitted that IL was
only once.
Here Judge Smith interrupted the
proceedings to warn Mccarthy, who
had been nodding and blinking TO his
wife as she gave her testimony, just as
he had been to the witness who had
gone before. you must not in any
way indicate the witnesses answers by
making signs or gestures, Mr.. McCar-
thy" said the Judge. "You must let
the witness testify unaided."
McCarthy'S face, which had been
flushed already above his white choker,
became deeper hue and he nodded and
blinked back at the Judge in acquies-
cence. The counsel for the defense
then closed the cross-examination by
eliciting from Mrs Mccarthy that after
her husband quit preaching he took to
meSmeriSm, and gave lessons in that
mysterious art, as well as delivered lee
lures upon the subject.