The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-06
MIR. O'MEARA's GIFT.
He Explains How He Came to Donate
Land To tho Catholics


The history Of the House OF the Good
Shepherd, particularly the reference TO
the donations of T. O'Meara. as printed In
the Post-Intelllgencer some time since.
has called forth an explanatory letter
from the donor. who considers that he has
been defrauded. Mr.. O'Meara says:
To the Editor: In your issue Of August
is | have read an article headed The
Shepherd House" I consider that a por-
ton Of this article does me an injustice.
and Il stirs up the blood of the man who
was SO shamefully defrauded out OF 90
acres OF land by false pretensions. l wish
10 make a statement Of the facts in this
case. The statement that !. tine old bach
elor," repeated Of my gift to the House Of
the Good Shepherd because I was shortly
after married Is untrue. A boy II years
old, who could neither read nor write, was
the cause OF my conceiving the plan OF
donating land for general orphans
asylum.
a few days afterward met Father De-
manez and Father Kinnlff. With the lat
ter / afterwards became intimately ac-
quainted, and he often told me what great
pleasure II was for him TO be in my COM
pany This project made such an impress
sion on my mind that had several dreams
about IL. These dreams tended 10 make
me still more liberal. but In talking with
Father kinniff l told him i understood II
then told me of a true dream OF a certain
saint. on another occasion he accompa
MED me To the land which I proposed 10
donate for the asylum, and he carried with
him a big bottle OF wine. After We had
reached the land and had looked around
Father KinaiG took the bottle Of wine
from his pocket and handed it TO me 70
drink lie insisted on my drinking all
there was in the bottle before We left. on
our way home i told him how much land
! was going 10 donate. He then told me
that he understood that l was 10 give for
the asylum just twice the number OF acres
I had named. and ! said that as long as
he understood II that way Il was all right
As Catholics all have an abiding fatth IN
their priests and Sisters, did not think Il
necessary 10 have stated In the deed all
the particulars Of my donation and It's OBJ
iect hut in this I made a great mistake,
for a short time afterwards Father Dee
manez told me how Father kinnin had
deceived me, and that bows could not he
admitted 20 the House Of the Good Shep-
herd. / was very much despleased n
think that I had been deceived IN Such a
manner and went 70 the House Of tho
Good shepherd 10 find ont The facts. The
sisters tried 70 make me believe that J
knew they could not keep boys. nut l had
been entirely ignorant or H. / decided.
however. ia let them keep the land If they
w-.-id deed ten acres Of that wild land. as
thev cau II. nm Ballard. 70 another charita-
ble institution. but the Sister replied that
the rules Of the order would not permit
her to do f. This was why l took The
matter into the courts.
After The case had left me almost bank
runt / went 10 the Sister superior or TIE
House Of the Good Shepherd 20 see IL she
,,nla A something 10 help me out u my
Embarrassment and was told that the
courts had decided my case. which !
tlought a very unCharitahle remark. 7
shall not cry ~ Heaven for vengeance,
hut a crv % heaven for Justice. and u
tho people OF tho state of washington al
.h,,1rb 7 WIS an olf bachelor AT the time
~ rms fraud. that has I'D parallel
~ #. o'NEARA.