The record-union., 1896-12-06
BISHOP BONACUA REPLIES.
TAKES PUBLIC A LETTER TO A
CATHOLIC RECTOR
Relating to the Famous Fight Be-
tween Himself and the Priests
in His Diocese.

LINCOLN (Neb.), Dec. 5.-Bishop Bo-
nacum to-day gave to the press the fol-
lowing letter, being his side of the noW
famous fight between the Bishop and
his priests in this diocese, and bearing
more directly on the recent trial at
Dubuque, in which the Bishop was de-
feated:
"LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. >, 1896.
REV. Father Feeney, Rector Of the
Auburn Mission-Reverend and Dear
Sir: 1 have been absent from home
administering combinations in the
southwestern part of the State, and the
circumstances will explain why l have
not written to you sooner. In order
that you and your people may not be
deceived by the telegraphic dispatches
which are being sent out from Dubuque
in reference to the diocese Of Lincoln
VS.. Rev. Father Fitzgerald, will state
that the dispatches in question have
been written or inspired by two persons
who are known to us all as men of un-
blushing mendacity, and who, in collu
sion with two others, have for the past
three or four years made use of the
press agencies and two or three dis
reputable newspapers to create pub
lie opinion against me throughout the
country.
ut is known to you, reverend and
dear sir, that with two or three excep-
tions I have never noticed these SLAM
derous attacks, for 1 do not recognize
the public as the tribunal to which
am amenable for my official conduct:
Neither have / had at any time de-
c1i fn in
paper controversy with abandoned men,
las to the proceedings in the Metro
politan Court at Dubuque have to say
that they are null and void alb initio
and therefore that the sentence of
which the dispatches speak is of no
force and is not to be regarded by you.
The miscarriage of the case is to be
ascribed solely to the unfortunate selec-
ton of the judge who was delegated
by the Most Reverend Metropolitan TO
hear the case. For grave and weighty
reasons, and in accordance with prac-
tice which obtains in some Metropolitan
Courts, his grace of Dubuque deemed
1t for the best interests of all to take
no part in the proceedings, and he ac-
| cordingly left the adjudication of the
case to a certain Rev. p. A. Baart Of
Michigan.
ut Is proper to state here that this
clergyman was wholly unknown to the
Most Rev. Archbishop, and that his
grace selected him solely on the recon-
mendaton of another person. AS the
aforesaid Baart was not above sus-
picion on account of his strained rela-
tions with his own ordinary, and for
other reasons, the Rev. Thomas Egan
| of Milwaukee, procurator for the dio-
cese of Lincoln, challenged him per-
emptorily. but strange to say, contrary
| to all ecclesiastical law and usages, the
Rev Baart refused to withdraw from
| the case. He even declined to receive
| and place on file the formal challenge
which had been made against him, but
with indiscribabie nonchalance he put
the document in his pocket. Nay, he
went so far as to instruct the notary
not to enter the procurator's exceptions
on the record.
Under the circumstances nothing
was left for the diocese of Lincoln to
do but protest against such arbitrary
conduct. and to withdraw This was
done, and we left the court. The case
now goes on appeal to the Apostolic
| Delegate at Washington, and 1 will ad-
wise you of the outcome.
Il am. reverend and dear sir, your
devoted servant in the Lord,
THOMAS BONACUM.
| Bishop of Lincoln"
"P. S.-As I finished writing the
above an official copy Of the decision
is handed to me. 1t is indeed a very
strange document, and replete with the
grossest calumnies against me. In It
Rev. Baart descends from the exalted
position Of judge to the level of the
blackguard, and becomes the special
pleader for a brace of clerical adven-
turers who have invariably given
trouble to the Bishops and people of the
various dioceses in which they have
been. / shall have occasion in the fu-
| ture to animadvert more extensively
to this most extraordinary document" |"