The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-13
PAT O'MEARA'S GIFT.
He Wants Back Land Decided
to House of Good Shepherd.
a PRIEST ACCUSED OF FRAUD.
Charged With Making False Represen-
tattons-''Jsp Tommy" and Matt
Rios Get Two Years.

Judge Lichtenberg was occupied yester-
day with the hearing of the suit brought
by Patrick O'Meara against Rev. Peter
Cuniffe and the House of the Good Shep-
herd. to have certain conveyances of land
set aside. which he alleges he was induced
to make to the defendants by fraudulent
representations. There are two different
suits, which are consolidated for trial In
one of these the property at stake is forty
acres of land, which o Meara deededtot the
House of the Good Shepherd. In the other
the property is 100 acres of land which he
decided to Father p J. Cunitfe as trustee
to convey it to the House.
The plaintiff was represented at the trial
by Hankey & Franklin; Father Cuniffe
by Fairfield & Cross, and the House of the
Good Shepherd by Judge Roger s. Greene
Opening statements of considerable length
were made by F. w. Hankey, John FAR
field and Judge Greene for their respective
clients, and the taking of testimony was
not begun until the afternoon session.
The story of the plaintiff, according to
his pleadings and his testimony in court.
is that he made the conveyances without
afull knowledge of the object of the House
of the Good Shepherd. He understood,
however, that it was for the purpose of
educating and caring for male orphans.
The deeds were made in the summer of
1ss) and he did not learn until the first of
the present year that the Institution is de-
voted to the rearing of girls only. O'Meara,
who is of very excitable temperament,
grew very much excited on the stand
while narrating his alleged wrongs, and at
times he grew so worked up that he fairly
ehrieked. On three occasions the Judge
had to stop him and warn him against
such demonstrations, and Mr.. Hankey,
his attorney, was compelled to threaten to
drop the case unless the witness was
mlder in his speech. O'Meara seemed to
think that Father Cuniffe had deceived
him and directed great deal of his violent
talk toward him. He yelled at the top of
his voice:
By heaven, your honor, I trusted in him as a
priest, and he deceived mel
The only other witness for the plaintiff
was Rev. Emanuel Demanez, who testified
that he was under the impression for some
time that the institution was for both
sexes but he had told O'Meara that it had
never taken care of any boys. The wit
ness believed that Father Cuniffe would
not deceive O'Meara. He himself had
founded an institution where boys were to
be cared for.
The defendant alleged that O'Meara was
acquainted with the objects of the institu-
ton, and that in May. 1890, he had made
will, in which, after leaving small legacies
to relatives in Ireland and 1900 to an
orphanage for boys, he had left the bulk
of the estate for the House of the Good
Shepherd. Mrs. Roger s. Greene, Roger
s. Greene, jr., Boyd ]. Tallman and two of
the sisters testified that they were present
when O'Meara had paid 5000 to Judge
Greene, of whom the property now
used by the institution was pur-
chased. The articles of incor-
poration were read on that occasion
In the presence of O'Meara, and they set
out fully the objects of the order. They
we're at that time in the possession of
Father Cuniffe, who was not present. and
0Meara had gone after them.
John +. McElroy, who drew the will for
OMeara, and w. J. Tobin, who witnessed
it, both testified that Father Cuniffe had
used no influence over O'Meara in the mat
ter and that the latter then understood
that the House of the Good Shepherd was
only for girls. and had provided in the
will for leaving 81 900 for a similar institu-
ton for boys.
Mrs. Lynch testified that she was at the
House of the Good Shepherd on one occa-
sion when 0'Meara was there. Those
present had observed little boy playing
in the yard, and some one had remarked
that it was pity that there was not also
an institution for boys. O'Meara then
said: THAT will come in good time.
Rome was not built in a day. We will
look after them by and by.
Judge Lichtenberg held court until p.
m. and then continued the hearing until
this morning.