The morning call., 1893-06-08
ANOTHER LETTER.
This Time Written by a
BenediCtine Monk.
ENGLISH DAY IN COURT.
Interesting Testimony in the Murphy
Case-Why DomingueZ Lost
Beauty and a Fortune.

| ing QaY I0uS lar Oh IHe murphy ChSo'
Heretofore the time has been largely
taken up with letters and arguments, pro
and con. on their acceptance. But yester-
day the cream of the case came out
| The proponents had witnesses on the
stand during the entire day and Mr. Foote
and Mr.. Wheeler had some pretty wordy
wars on the admlsability of evidence.
| They just reveled in direct and cross ques-
tons, and at one time Mr. Foote took an
oratoracal flight that shook the rafters.
But the sturdy Wheeler was watchful
and gained his point.
Interest centered around the Rev. Father
| Durstan Sweeney. who is an ex-Benedic-
tine monk, and later had charge of very
| fashionable parish, near the home Of the
Wolseleys at Great Malvern.
Father Sweeney, who is a small man
| with an Irish cast of features and an Eng
| lish accent, stated that he was monk
| from 1880 to 1874. when he was ordained a
priest. acting as such for IA years, when.
on account of ill health, he was forced TO
withdraw from active participation in
clerical service, and took a trip to Aus
traia with Eugene Murphy. Ee returned
| to England. and took charge OF large
| parish at Bath.
y
Murphy was put on the stand and spoke as
softly as her sister Helen and with the
same broad English accent. Indeed one
might think himself in an English court
room If he were not called 10 his senses
occasionally with the rounded sentences of
Mr.. Wheeler or the forensic flights of Mr..
Foote.
Miss "Issy" spoke very low in her testi-
mony, so low that the chairs were drawn
up close. She told a straight story, too.
and WAS not badly shaken when MIR.
Wheeler crossed her.
She testified as to the scenes about her
| mothers death bed and also described a
scene In which Dan figured later In which
he said he would break the will, stating
that Dan threatened TO have published all
the Murphy letters in his possession,
which " outd ruin the standing of the girls
in San Francisco, if they did not consent
| to a compromise. She also testified as to
Sans bad flavor in London society, and
how he had created a scene and was most
| indignant at some remarks made about his
! intention to elope with married woman.
She said he had at one time struck his
father. The family were always in alarm
| at Sans threats. But" the witness said,
mamma expressed regret at having to
write harshly about Sam"
The mother had written that Sam was
"a disreputable character"
The witness stated that the mother had
never spoken to her but once of making a
will in favor of the girls, and that the sons
were never excluded from any of the con-
versatlonS on business matters II came
out that the mother was never Influenced
| by her children in her business affairs or
in the disposition of her money.
| Miss Isabelle stated that her mothers
death was sudden. and that for long time
previous thereto her health had been good
and her mental faculties unimpaired. She
was always at liberty to came and GO as
she saw fit.
After Miss Isabelle came Father
! Sweeney. and stated that he had known
! tho Murphy family for years and had
acted in the capacity Of adviser and coun-
! sel0r, and had been on the best of terms
with all the mem bets of the family.
The reverend father was then catechiZed
! sharply by Mr.. Wheeler as to the object of
| his present visit to California. which the
witness stated was somewhat for the ben
eft of his health. The indefatigable
| Wheeler got the clergyman little mud
died when he asked him how be so timed
his health trip as to be here just at this
| particular time, and got him little more
confused when he asked him who paid his
| expenses, The witness had to admit that
he was not paying his own expenses en-
| tircly but he could not be made to saw
that the Misses Murphy were helping him.
He testified that Mrs. Murphy had often
expressed herself with indignation at the
profigacy of Sir Charles Wolseloy. ana
! had minated an intention not to give the
Lady WOlSeey any more aid.
The witness stated that he was familiar
with the troubles of the Murphy family
and had done his best to heal the breach.
| He said:
Il wrote Lady Wolseley many times.
Once especially when her sister Frances
was very i'll. Then wrote at the instance
of her sister Nellie. l told her of Frances
serions illness and expected to get reply
| that l could show the unhappy mother"
What was the answer?" asked Mr..
| Foote.
"1t contained command never to men,
tion her sisters names to her again."
Father Sweeney stated that he had not
acted as father confessOr to the family,
| but that Mrs. Murphy had told him on
several occasions that she did not intend
to leave her money or any part of it to her
sons; that boys could get along better than
| girls In the world, and that too much money
would only make them the more idle and
useless. She stated she would leave the
money to her unmarried daughters.
In answer to questions he stated that the
mother had never said she would leave her
| daughter. the Lady Wolseley, anything, as
they had Quarreled because the mother
1 would not apologize to Charley, and the
$500 interest question then came up. This
amount Lady W0lseley claimed was due
| her.
The priest stated positively that the
mother had never said anything favorable
OF Lady Wolseley in his presence, but to
the contrary, and at this particular mo-
ment Messrs. Wheeler and Hall and Sena-
tor Earl began talking in whispers and
scrambling for the big green box. Mr..
Foote grew excited. He seen ed letter.
1t came There was big fight over it.
Mr. Foote made a speech, MIR. Martin
made an objection, Mr.. Metcaf looked
over his smart eyeglasses and everybody V
was on tiptoe. The proponents fought
hard against the introduction of that let
ter. but the contestants finally got it In
evidence. 1t was handed to Father Swee.
ney and he identified it. 1t was surprise
to him, too. The letter is as follows. and
is of special interest just now 1t was
written to Lady Wolseley after Mrs. Muir
phys death in 1891:
The PRIoRY. LITTLE MALVERN, /
May 1S. 1891.
M Dear Mamie: was pained at the news
your letter brought me this morning; panied
on your account; panied. not because l uoubt
your moiers love for you for il an angel
from heaven were TO come 10 me and tell me
Yonr mother did not love you would not be-
lleve hlm) Out 1 am panied that there is rot
found In your mothers Will some written evi-
denee OF her undying love for you. i can only
suppose that the Will that has been found was
a VIII that was written when the relation imp
| between you aud her was distressiupIy pain(ui
" a NI haa. ~ F.-