The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-17
4 PRIESTS ORDEAL.
Father Flaherty, of Mount
Morris, to Be Tried for
the Ruin of a Girl.
HE CHARGES CONSPIRACY
Declaration of Inno-
cence From the Altar-A
Purse From His People.

GENEsEO, N. T., April II, 1893 The
trial of Rev. Charles Flaherty, Pastor of
st. Patrick's Church of Mount Morris, on
the charge of assaulting a young girl.
who was member of his congregation,
will begin today.
The girl, whose ruin the priest is
charged with. is Mary Sweeney, known
as Marie Noonan, a girl taken six years
old from the orphan asylum in Canaan
daigua by Mr.. and Mrs. Maurice Noonan,
in whose family she has since lived. She
was not formally adopted. but has been
treated rs one OF the family. Mr.. Noonan
Is President Of the village of Mount Nor
Flaherty's church members, n leading
business man and the priests most bitter
Rccuser.
Father Flaherty was born in Baidwins-
vile, N. Y, thirty-fve years ago, and was
educated for the priesthood at Aubur
and Rochester, and has been pastor OF ST.
Patrick's Church eleven years. His
character has been assailed several times
during his residence in Mound Morris.
Several years ago. stories were circulated
about the village concerning his relations
with certain young women in his church.
Lately anonymous letters, and letters de-
nunciatory have been written to Bishop
McQuade, who has never paid any at
tention to the matter. When he sent
Father Flaherty to Mount Morris, he
SAID he sent him to stay. There had
been trouble there with other priests and
1t is said the Bishop was tired of tracing
up petty fights, so sent Father Flaherty
to fight It out.
FROM THE ALTAR.
Father Fiaherty announced that he
would make q statement from the altar
on the Sunday following his arrest, and
as consequence crowd of people from
adjoining towns-Geneseo, Dansville,
Munday. Groveland. aud otner places
drove to Mount Morris and crowded the
church, which is one of the handsomest
in Western New York, In the meantime
Bishop McQuade wrote letter to Father
Flaherty, forbicding him to speak OF his
trouble from the altar.
On Sunday. after the mass and sermon
the priest, with white face, and hands
clasped nervously together, turned to the
congregation and with vehemence that
brooked no check, said:-'It was my in
tention to make full statement before
you this morning OF all the facts Ia this
matter. but received a letter last night
from the Bishop forDidding me to speak
upon the charges made. / wish
W eD5dk pIlSAy, AOWGV6E, Oh GH6
three persons whom / charge with this
conspiracy against my character, NJ. j.
Noonan. Mrs. NJ. J. Noonan, and the bold,
brazen faced tool in their hands. Where
lies the responsibility do not know, but
the truth will come OUT, and my innocence
will be affirmed. 1t is not my business to
speak of such things ut the altar. and /
am not trying my case before you today
He then went on to say that Mrs.
ia ronaafpd1U " n0r tn, inn I,
stories of her jealousy of her husband
and the girl in question. Mrs.
Noonan went away last fall and
stayed several months, leaving the girl
housekeeper for her husband. '.Is it
WONDER" he said, THAT M. j. Noonan
seeks some one upon whom to throw the
blame for this terrible offense? My enc
mics conspired TO heap indignities upon
me, not in vindication of the law, but
to carry out their own malicious schemes.
They determined to thrust me into q
cell and they made their boasts that I
would lie iu jail today"
AFFIRMATIoNs OF INNOCENCE.
He then repeated his affirmation of in
nocence. A purse Of $50 was presented
of the esteem Of his pariShioners. Mr.
Noonan, in speaking of the affair, said:-
sit is with no malice toward Father
Flaherty that | have acted. ] could not
do otherwise, believing the girls state
ment to be true. She claims that Father
Flaherty has been maintaining Illicit re-
lations with her since last March. Ny
warm regard for Father Flaherty in the
past must convince the people of Mount
Morris that have not entered into. q con-
spiracy against him."
Since Father Flaherty's arrest the peo
pie to whom he owed bills have been
anxious, and have practically besieged
the rectory. It Is known fact chat he
had many debts He was the endorser Of
any one of his congregation who might
come to him, and 1t is understood that he
acted as such several times to his