The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-16
GIRL ACCUSES THE RECTOR.
sUIT A9AINsT TIL n THOMAS =.
HUGHES FOR ASA ULT.

bS ron 1854 CLT.
F1aintiT n sehoolgiri-Case Dropped Once
In = Police Court and tho District .Attor-
ney Would Not Lay II Before the
Grand Jury-Taken TO - Civil Court.
The Rev. DR.. Thomas P. Hughes, rector OF tho
Protestant Episcopal Church of the Holy Sepul-
chre. Sevonty-fourth street, near Park avenue,
was defendant yesterday before Justice Daily in
the Supreme Court in q suit for $40. 900 dam
ages brought against him by Mary Slavnk. n
child OF II. who says he assaulted her on March
81 in his study in the church building while the
sewing class to which sho belonged was In sos
etcn In .se nett room.
DR.. Hughes Is q tall Englishman of perhaps
60 years, with close cropped white mustache
and mutton-chop whiske rs. He was formerly q
chaplain in the British army. The complainant
Ia q slender, undersrown child. and Is q pupil In
tho Normal School. Her lawyers are Francis
j. Nekarda and Arthur c. Palmer. and Francis
l.. Wellman appears for the defendant.
In the opening of the case 1t appeared that the
slavaks. who are Bohemians and lived at that
time In East Seventy-hrst street. frat went to
q lawyer named Bloch. He wouldn't take the
case, and they went to Thomas Capek. another
Bohemian lawyer. He took the case into the
Yorkville Police Court, but when the day came
for the hearing the lawyer did not appear. The
matter was then brought to the attention Of the
AbtuIueI, u uo E6luB6u o DTlnR IL De-
fore the Grand Jury.
A large part Of the work of tho church is mis-
sion work among the Bohemisns. The Sunday
school is composed largely of Bohemian chill
dren. aud 1t has n sewing school. which Mary
Slavak attended after school hours. In his
opening to the jury Mr.. Nekarda detailed
s s.nasS. on M Z m nag" g. e. s. .sS s 81. i * Ss shs a On
the latter date that he told the girl to come 70
that day he asked her about her studies. and az
she had failed In her Cesar lesson that day, he
NE them ai Hver II as M,sn ae and G conoiSde she S1 s assHr.oea
II desire to say to the jury that we are not
here for money: and 50 the Infamous hints of
Rarded. We want justice and vindication. 1t
is not true that this case was dismissed in a po-
lice court. This is the only chance the girl has
ever had, of vindication and to tell her story. 1t
is the only court open to her and her father"
evidsnses' and then MAJ Mary A s!as ssS1 Sa S' esl Psi a 's
the first witness. She iold the story clearly,
from Caesar which the Doctor had helped her
In. 1t was the old and familiar Gdltia est omnts
Is ali divided into parts three" saying that her
teacher told her that was the way TO translateit 1t.
church on March 10. were you noty Yes. sir"
Q.-Now You say that after this the pastor
Do You not know that il is his duty to do so
with all persons confirmed. so as to report to the
ios.OOSou say that on March 81 the Doctor
locked the church study with a key; You re-
member !. also IL lib that .,n he hu Pf. out This nao sign IThss
MIR. Wellman then asked the witness to deny
Il Submit that this is not a proper cross-ex-
in h% this Way. and and / 'f ior one viii will not sH have it." case
The objection 70 the questions is a good
O.-You went home that afternoon and lay
down. did you nots A.-Yes. for about two
Q:.And You went to a church concert that
Q.11You Eel. well enough for that? A.-No.
Odd you say that night that you didn't
want TO go TO any more Of the conccrts2 A.
.Q.-Then why did you go to any more. Al
Put that down" said Mr.. wellman sharply
to his associates, and Mr.. Palmer wac on his
Now. your Honor" be asked, "is this in
timidaticn proper9 1object to this by-play for
lions said Mr.. Wellman in coneiliatory tones.
Your manner was not objected TO-" said
words. which might have been construed into
an intimidation OF the witness
MIR. Weliman exclaimed:
Well. II i cannot examine this witness In my
own way l will not examine her q. all" and he
eat down without having asked her anything
about the assault.
A number OF schoolmates of the complainant
the testimony was largely unimporiant. DR..
schmelzS. who examined the girl in juno. testi-
ned that she bore on her BODY signs OF what
might have been an assault. and DIR. William T.
Gibbs OF the Gerry Society corroborated his
testimony; Then the mother was called;
the child when she came home after the alleged
assault. She said that her landlord. Frank
Bastruk. had offered her $50 cash and her
daughter SlO0 a year TO keep the matter quiet.
and because she refused to sccept the money he
made her move from the house at APO East
Sevcnty-frst street She sad she had made
her daughter go to the concert and 10 sewing
school after the assault In order that her husband
would rot learn OF the assault. He was not
told until two months later. Mr.. Wei!man
taxed her with having said that she wanted
$1,000 hush money. She denied 1t all, and also
the statement that Lawyer Capck threw up the
case because he believed IT was black mail. At
the end of her examination the court was ad-
journed until this morning.