The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-22
CALLED PRIEST A THIEF.
VIOLENT LANGUAGE OF RICH OLD
MIS-. JOHNSON, MORIBUHD.

MRG. MOhIBUNO.
Co.ebr,,p svears That she Toid him SHer
win. noaving Nearly Half y Rliilion to HeP
Church ana Father Power. was FATHER
Powers WILL net T~ser's-Couuins ContestipE
The cousins who are contesting the will Of Mrs.
Mary johnson had her coachman, John Monro.
on the witness stand In the Surrogate's Court
yesterday. Mrs. johnson left an estate Of more
than half q million dollars. mostly to Catholic
institutions and 10 the Rev. James w. Power.
pastor Of An Saints Roman Catholic Church.
Mr.. Monro, who is q thick.set man of florid COM
plexion. said that he did his work for his keen.
but expected that Mrs. johnson would look
after him in her will. She did not do 90. The
only other person living In the house was the
servant, Mary Kelly, who dined at the Same
table with her mistress and the witness.
o.-Did you ever see Mrs. johnson wearing
diamonds when she was In her bare feeti A.
No, sir.
o-when you we're out driving with her did
abe say anything about her property Ayes,
sir.
Odd she ever mention any namesi A.
Yes, sir, Father Power and Mr.. Condor [Peter
Condor, formerly Mrs. Johnson's lawyerl She
said that they were In a great hurry for her to
make q will.
Q.-who was in o hurry for her to make q will
A.-Father Power. She said. "They are in a hell
of q hurry for me to die. They are In . hell Of q
hurry for me TO make a will and die"
Q.-She was often ~profane in her expressionsi
Avery much SO.
Q.-what did che say about Mr.. Condor Z A.
She mentioned the two together. She said 1t
was not her will and she was going to revoke 1t.
It was Father Powers will. She seemed to be
her troubles when she was out riding than when
In the house. She and Mary Kelly frequently
The witness said that he did not like to repeat
the profanity which Mrs. johnson had used In
speaking. OF Fathe Power and OF Lawyer Con;
don, but he was directed to state 1t. Some Of
the names she called them are unprintsble. but
she also called them thieves and said they were
o"How often did you see Father Power
thsrei A.-Pretty frequently, all hours of the
Odd Mrs. johnson ever swear at youi A.
sho did on several occasions.
-Q.-Did sho ever say ANYTHING TO you about
Father Power asking her to give him money !
A.-Many times. She would say he had come
for another borrow. She told mo about loaning
ting the interest on it. Father Power had asked
her for a check u year previously, when Il was
did not get It back. she seemed to be scared of
Father Power. According to my estimation he
seemed to have power over her. ihaye seen her
run out of the dining room into the kitchen
when he would come. and she would run down
into the cellar behind the iccbox. She knew
Q.-Did she say what he was coming fort A.
Yes. air, Coming to borrow money from her:
Ing in conneetion with her property A..Yes,
sir. Only once. She camc downstairs and near
y went pdt into aS b hyste pn R ThSn she nr learned %er thH 1T
Father Powers name. She cried and put up her
hands and said she was ruined. She aid: That
man Power has ruined me. He 10 a thief" She
said they had her sign papers when she did not
know what she was doing.
planning about the way that Father Power and
Lawyer Condor had treated her., AT, times she
would EgsS of g pt the country ry n on trips ~ 81 IN 20 oT Fsfbs to
Powers church every Sunday, Mary Kelly had
told tho witness that she had had enough cups
Of Father Power and Mr.. Condor, and that il
Father Power was an honest man he would give
9 9oSn x ane P%EePPiHlt e demo hs mac nei nseu Father taoD Power owe;
Mrs. johnson would say that she intended to
lay complaint , as1iinstb s si was o esPea. the Bishop
Q.-Most Of Mrs. Johnson's conversation was
swearing at her parish priestf A.-No, sir. not
,o:.pidn't, she DC a great deal of swearing
woman, who went TO church. pretty much every
Sunday. and a Catholic, should speak about
Father Power in this manneri Al do not
Q.-What would she say when she spoke about
hs S.n relsf1ses she A spoSs s5 SpStt tho ssS gang sS yo sf Knew
she meant her cousins and her second cousins '
about S;msf Es, S,anl fe% ~se t SaH s sss akis a 'Ss"EDs sss
gangf A.-No, sir.
Q.-Didn't she say that they wanted to borrow
money from heri AYES. sir.
QL-Did she loan it to themi A;,No. sir.
Q,-When she spoke of Father Power getting
the property from her you did not know II he
was q Jealous priest getting 1t fol his parish or
II he was an avaricious man getting 1t for him
self Al did not know.
Didn't she tell you that she wanted to
build a school for Catholic children on Riverside
Drivei A.-No, sir.
The witness said that when Father Power got
the $4,000 from her she told him that her poor
relatives needed the money as much as he did.
The case went over until to-day, when Father
Power will probably be called.