The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-27
ARE nIsCUSsED ExHAUsTIVELY IN
SELECTING JURORS FOR Sc
LIMA CLEWETT'S SUIT.
AGAINST CATHOLIC SISTERS
FOR DAMAGES CHARGED TO AL
LEGGED INSTR AT
THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
ONLY TWO JURORS ARE CHOSEN,
And Roth of These Are Catholics
A Day Is Practically Wasted
ia Technical Discussion.

If the suit of Selma Clewett against
the House of the Good Shepherd to re-
cover $4,000 for alleged imprisonment,
now on trial before Judge Brill, does
not become a celebrated case, then all
signs fail. The most significant sign
at the beginning of the trial yesterday
forenoon was the crowded condition of
the court room, every available portion
of which was occupied. The throng
included all classes and conditions of
people. Many ladies were interested
spectators of the proceedings. Conspicu-
Gus in their somber attire of custom
airy black were a number of the sisters
Of the defendant institution.
AS a rule the process Of jury getting
is too tedious and monotonous, even in
| the most interesting cases. to possess
| much attraction for the people, but
such was not the case in this instance.
Though in an entire day but two jur-
ors were allowed to take seats in the
box, the crowd Of spectators paid the
closest attention and Increased in num-
bers as the day wore on.
| Between the testimony Of the three
| witnesses examined and the questions,
| objections and arguments Of the at
| torneys the proceedings constituted
discussion of religious faiths and a
hair-splitting controversy over the
| principles Of mental, moral and social
| science.
| Charles M. Butts is the attorney for
| the plaintiff, and John D. O'Brien and
| Gen. Moses E. Clapp appear for the de-
| PENDANT society. The plaintiff, an olive
| complexioned young woman, attired in
| dark green, sat in the rear of the court
room with her friends, instead of oc-
| cupying a seat in proximity to her
| counsel.
AS soon as court opened the work of
securing a jury began without delay.
After one or two venire men had been
excused, the clerk called the name Of
Peter Mcdonald. Mr.. Mcdonald, in re-
ply to the first question asked, said
that he was engaged in the fuel bust
ness.
What is your religion?" inquired
Attorney Butts.
Il am a Roman Catholic" answered
the witness.
AT this response the spectators prick
ed up their ears, for it at once inaug-
Grated series of disputes between the
attorneys over the doctrines of the
Roman Catholic church and resulted in
the PLAINTIFFS attorney calling to the
stand as an expert witness the mother
superior of the House of the Good
Shepherd, to testify concerning the
laws of the church and the control, if
any, which it professed to exert outside
| thereof.
The mother superior was Intercepted
by Attorney Butts relative to the man
agement of the institution, and they got
irto a discussion of tenets of the
-church. The mother superior mention
ed the vows taken by members of the
order which manages this and similar
| institutions.
Asked if the society is subject to the
pope the witness replied: "Only in so
far as to the tenets of faith"
Attorney Butts handed the witness a
book and asked her to tell what it was.
''It is marked catechsm," was the
reply
'Is it the catechism of the Roman
Catholic church,"
81 cannot tell without reading it
through"
We'll read it through. We have
plenty of time
Judge Brill interposed that they
would not stop to read the book
through.
Mr.. Butts, reading from the book,
VI
faith
The witness said she had never heard
the paragraph before and added: ST
have never learned that every one is
lost who is not a member of the Cath
Ollie church.
When Mr.. Butts recovered from his
surprise he asked if it is not doc
trine of the church that the church is
above state.
81 have not so learned it."
'Is it not true the pope is recognized
as vice regent of Jesus on earth?"
Eyes, sir, in the affairs of the
church"
us it not true that you are bound
to obey the orders of the church and
it's prelates?"
"Only so far as it regards the arti-
cles of faith
Mr.. Butts then asked when the au-
thority of the church and that Of the
state came in conflict, which, in the
view of the church. should be obeyed.
Mr.. O'Brien interposed another OBJ
lection which was also sustained.
Mr.. Butts repeated the original ques-
ton in another form, whereupon the
witness replied that the conscience of
the individual should govern"
Mr.. O'Brien again insisted that the
theology of the Catholic church was
not on trial He wanted to know what
the plaintiff intended to prove.
Mr.. Butts offered to show that the
law of the church was superior to that
of the state and said he would also
show where this authority came from.
Gen. Clapp thought there were dis
tinguished prelates in the city who
could be called if it was necessary.
When court convened after the
! noon recess, Mr.. Clapp claimed
that the objection to Juror Nc
Donald could be made on one
of two grounds, viz, that the juror
was a stockholder in the association,
or else that his religious beliefs would
prevent an unbiased verdict. Gen.
Clapp said that neither the mother
superior, the archbishop nor pope him
self would be entitled to tell just what