Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-06

Not Willing to Abide by the Decision
OF tic McIrnnnlllMM Imrin.

OF the Metropolitan Curin.
The Bee has been furnished by ri. Rev.
Thomas Bonacum, bishop of Lincoln, with a
copy cf a letter presumably addressed to an
interested subordinate in the diocese, which
explains the position Of the ptelate as re-
CARDS the decision recently handed down Ia
Dubuque by Rev. Father Baart, acting az
judge Of the metropolitan curia there called.
II reads:
Dear Sir: l have been absent from home
administering confirmation In the south
western part OF the state ana thlA clrCum-
stance viii explain Why nave not written
to YOU sooner.
In order that you and your people may
not hc deceived by the telegraph dispatches
which are being sent ullt from Dubuque In
reference to fhC case Of the diocese OF Lin
coin versus tho Roy Denis FitZgcrald | will
state Tor your information that the dis
patches H. question have been written or in
sprcd by two persons who are known to
who In collu9ion with two others have for
the past three or four years made use of the
United press agencies und Two or three spe-
cal newspaper organs TO create pubic
opinion against me- throughout the country.
II Is known 10 yJC, reverend and dear sir,
never noticed these sHEdprous attacks, for
! do not recognize tn" public ns the TRIBUNAL
conduct. Neither have ! had at any time
desire or inclination to engage In newspaper
controversy with abandoned men.
AS to the proceedings In the metropolitan
cura At DubuQuc have to say that they
are null and void nj initiG and therefore,
speak Is of no force ana Is not 10 be re-
garded by you. The miscarriage Gt the case
Is to be asCiibCd solely to tho Judge who
was delegated by the most reverend metro
poliian to hear the case. For various and
wcigh,y reasons and IN accordance witn a
practice which prevails IN some mctropo!i. !.
tan courts, his grace of DUBUQUE deemed 1t
best not to take any part In the proceedings.
and he accordingly Lett the adjudication of
RoV L. 4. BlHrt Of Michigan. 1t Is proper
TO state hcrc tant this clergyman was wholly
unknown to the most reverend archbishop,
and that his grace selected him solely on
the rccommondttior Of another person. As
not above sus'ciOn on account of his
strained relations With his own ordinary and
Milwaukee. nrocurator for the diocese OF
Lincoln challenged him peremptoiily, but,
stranee to say contrary g all ecclesassiical
to withdraw from tho case. He even de-
clined to receive and to place on file the
against him. but with indcsCrbable noncha-
Nay, he went so far as to Instruct the no
tary not to enter the procurator's exceptions
on the record. Under the circumstances
nothing was left for the diocese Of Lincoln
to do hut to protest against such arbitrary
conduct and to Withdraw This was done,
and we left the metropolitan curia
The case now goes on appeal to the apos-
tolic delegation at Washington. and | will
advise you of the outcome. ,-.-,
| am, REVEREND ana dear sir, your devoted
servant in the Lord "
THOMAS BONACUM.
Bishop of Lincoln.
T. S.-As | finish writing the above an Off
cial COPY of the decision in the case is
handed to me. 1t is indeed very strange
document and replcte with the grossest
calumnlcs against me. In 1t Rev. Baart
becomes special pleader for a brace of
clerical adventurcrs who have invariably
given trouble to the bishops and people of
the various dioceses in which they have
been. I shall have occasion in the future to
animadvert more at length on this cXtraor-
dinary production of judicial acumen.
TECUMSEH, Neb., Dec. 5.-(Spccial.)-The
following invitation, which has been gener-
ally circulated here today, is self-eXplanatory:
REV. William Murphy extends cordial in
vtation to the public, and especially to hi
non-Catholic friends On account Of their great
interest in the case, to hear the reading of
the judgment Of the church court on his con-
troyersy with the bishop OF Lincoln at St
Andrews church Sunday morning, December
g. 1896 at II o'clock"