Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-13
THE CORRIGAN TRIAL
Bishop Wigger Was Willing to
 Let Mgr. Satolli Preside.
BUT THE HosokEN PRIEST REFUSED

Nobody Knows When the Next Session of
 the Court VIII be Held, as a Committee
 lis Now Conducting the Claim That Vicar
 General o'Connor Is Biased.
 NEWARK, N, J., Dec. 13.-The trial of Father Corrigan began at 2:20 yesterday afternoon behind closed doors in the large room of the Episcopal residence. Among the churchmen present were Rev. Dr. Lale Birtsel of Rondout, Chancellor Mo Cartie, pastor of St. Michael's Church: Rev. Dr. Sebastian s. Smith, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Paterson, and many others.
 It was just before 3 o'clock when Father Corrigan arrived with his counsel, Father Burtsell, at Bishop Wigger's Episcopal residence, 35 Bleecker street.
 As soon as the court was seated Dr. Burtsell arose, and for his client, objected to Vicar-General O'Connor sitting as judge on the ground that he is biased. Father OConnor is 8 member of the Bishops household. Dr. Smith asked that the reasons for the objections should be mada known. Dr. Burtsell answered that he had the reasons written out and then in his possession, but he refused to read them in the presence of Vicar-General O'Connor.
 Dr. Smith then stated that in accord ance with the law governing such cases Dr. Burtssll should select one priest and he himself another, the two to choose a third, if necessary, to hear the reasons in support of the claim of bias, and the witnesses who would prove them, and re- port their finding to the Bishop. Dr. Burtsell, at the suggestion of his client, chose Rev. Dr. Patrick F. Nc 1e D,;- York, priest outside of the diocese, and Dr. Smith chose Mgr. Doane of New ark. Dr. Smith greatly desired that they | should meet tomorrow and report to the Bishop one hour after the meeting, but it i was at length agreed that they should meet at St. Patrick's rectory in Newark | on Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock and report to the Bishop on Monday next. Father Corrigan will bring four or five witnesses before them. Nobody now | knows when the next session of the court will be held The Bishop will fix the day after he has decided whether the claim of ! bias shall stand.
 The next matter which transpired at the session of the court was a surprise to the defense. Dr. Smith arose and said: II may here state that the Bishop is now willing that the case should go before Mgr. Satoli at once for adjudi cation."
 "This is irrelevant," responded Dr
 Burtsell; i've have not brought up Mgr | Satolli's name here"
 Father Corrigan then said: tWhen
 wrote to the Bishop suggesting the nam
 of Mgr Satolli and those of Father Hen
 messy and Dean McNulty as judges in thi
 trial, he refused to entertain the idea, ant | now do the same"
 At this point Dr. Smith suggested tha
 Father Corrigan should be sworn to SC
 creoy, and after long discussion by tn
 counsel the court rose.
 Father Corrigan has made public tn
 letter In which he replied on Nov. 21 t
 Bishop Wigger's demand that he retrac
 the statements published by him in th'
 "Freeman's Journap' on Oct. 9 and Nov
 12, and to apologize to Archbishop Corri | gan and others for them.
 Father Corrigan says he had made n
 false statements. He had right as al
 American priest to express his views o
 important national, as well as religious
 questions, land to resent the insult of fered to American prelates by ecclesiastic who assembled in a purely English !, speaking diocese, and as a professedly for
 eign clement"
 Father Corrigan says he meant no of fense to the Bishop as Bishop of the diocese