The Washington times., 1895-04-25
FATHER McATEE A WITNESS
Refused to Testify on the Ground
Tat it Would lncriminate Him.\
Married Robert Frost to Mrs. Margaret
McCanna, Who Was Held for the
Grand Jury for Bigamy.

The rather unusual event OF q Catholic
priest called In the police court as
witness aud refusing to testify OH the
ground that it would incriminate him,
was presented in Judge Miller's court
yesterday when Mrs Margaret A. McCauna,
OF No. 1905 II street northeast, was tried
for bigamy in marrying Robert NJ. Frost
while, 1t is alleged, that she had another
husband living.
After a good deal OF testimony Judge
Miller held her for the action of the grand
jury in $500 bonds, which she furnished.
Lawyer HI. b. Moulton represented the
defendant.
Frost went on the stand and testified
that he and Mrs. McCanna were married
without a license by Rev. Father Nc
| Atee, assistant pastor of ST. Aloysius
Church. He said that they had lived to-
gether two years, aud were married by
/ the advice of Father McAtee. Mrs. Nc
! Gamma claimed that she was a widoiS at the
! time OF marriage.
Father McAtee was called and declined
to testify, claiming that to do so would
violate the confessional. Judge Miller
1 took a hand in the examination of the
/ priest aud told him that he did not want
to inquire into the secrets of the confes-
| Eional, but wanted evidence in regard to the
marriage.
You stated said the court, that
on the Sd of August, 1892, You married
the defendant TO man named Frost at
( st. AloySius Church and when asked IL
you reported that marriage to the proper
authorities you declined to answer, did
you not2"
/ II declined to answer on the ground that
! it may involve me in my official capacity
! responded Father McAtee.
ut is my duty to say TO you," said
Judge Miller, THAT you should make a
! record at the clerks office of all marriages
! performed by you. Do you decline to
! answer on the ground that II may involve
| you crlminally?'
II do it on that ground
"You were further asked by the district
] attorney if there were any witnesses pres
ent at that marriage" said Judge Miller.
Il decline to answer" was the stereo-
| typed reply.
| "Did you marry these people in public
/ according 10 the rights of the Catholic
! Chureh?" asked Judge Miller.
II decline TO say"
"On what grounds" asked the court.
lit would induce people to believe that
! I had revealed something that had been
told at confessional.
I 1nlS was All IIiaI cOuiu DE SOtteu OUT OF
! Father McAtee, and he was allowed 10 step
/ down.
! Mrs. McCanna testified that her maiden
name was Margaret Burroughs, and that
( she married her first husband, whose
name was Collins, about twenty years ago.
( She denied that she was ever married to
1 McCanna. She testified that Collins
was the father OF her ten year,old boy, but
on cross-examination admitted that her
! first husband had been dead over ten years.
1t is said by great many that Frost
| treated Mrs. McCama shamefully, tern
ing her out of doors and selling all the
| furniture, and that for q time she was
/ forced to peddle oysters on the street in
| order to earn money enough to get her little
boy, Goldie, out or St AIMS Orphan
! Asylum She was not a Catholic, it is
! claimed, but entered the church in order
| to be married secretly and to ;egitiInatize
! the birth ofherboy.