The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-29
BUT SHE TOLD, OF HER LIFE
BEFORE AND gAFTER SHE WENT
TO THE HOUSE soF THE GOOD
SHEPHERD.
WAS THERE RESTRAINT OR MOTIF
Jury Is GettingI a dMass of Conflict
ing Testimony as to That
81 Point. ~.


imprisonment is exciting such wide
spread interest and packing Judge
Brill's court room. took the stand in
her own behalf yesterday. The fea-
ture of the days proceedings was the
cross examination of the plaintiff by
Gen. Clapp. 1t occupied the greater
portion of the afternoon session. At
it's conclusion Mr.. Butts concluded his
redirect examination until court ad-
journed.
The testimony Of Miss CleWett fairly
bristled with contradictions. On her
direct examination she testified that
she was restrained of her liberty; that
after her escape from the institution in
May, 1896, she was forcibly brought
back, and that she was constantly
demanding her release therefrom. On
cross examination she said. that she
returned to the House of the Good
Shepherd voluntarily, and that she
told the sisters and certain of the in
mates in August, 1896, that she wanted
to remain in the institution until the
following spring, as she didn't want to
work OUT in the cold winter weather.
During the cross examination she first
told Gen. Clapp that she asked to be
released the day after she was first
taken to the institution. That was
Sunday. Then. she said that she did
not make the request for release until
Monday. Later,i in7 answer to Gen.
Clapp, Miss CleWett;qdeclared that she
had been in the House of the Good
Shepherd for at8least one year before
she asked to be released. She also ad-
mitted that she was given charge of
certain keys which would unlock doors
that permitted egress from the build
ing, but on the direct examination she
said she was entrusted With only one
key at a time and instructed to unlock
certain door, While the sister giving
such order remained close at hand.
The cross-eXaminatiOn likewise re-
vealed a portion of the plaintiffs past
history that more than satisfied the
craving Of the crowd for something
sensational Miss Clewett admitted
that she had been the mother of two
children though she had never been
married. Mr.. Butts objected strenu
ously to the defense thus attacking
the plaintiffs moral character, which
he contended had nothing to do with
the case, which was an action for
damages for false Imprisonment. Her
want Of chastity constituted no de-
Tense, argued Mr.. Butts Neither
could it be shown for the purpose of
impeaching her testimony or impairing
the credibility of the witness. But the
court overruled Mr.. Butts, and the. de-
Tense continued to question the plain
tiff concerning the circumstances that
caused her to be taken to the House
of thes Good Shepherd -5''hi''i1 40
Sister Nary of ithea IneaRnat ion ;was
the first witness called yesterday
morning. Describing the House of
the Good Shepherd, she said that it
had 100 or more rooms. There are
about thirty-five sisters, and a part Of
the main building is occupied by them.
Another part is occupied by the Mag
daIenes, about twenty in number, who
are reformed women, organized into
sort of association, or order, and who
wear a particular garb; they are en-
gaged in sewing. There are two re-
formatories. The first, in which there
are commonly forty or fifty inmates,
is devoted to machine sewing, and the
work is done by contract for certain
business establishments in st. Paul.
The second reformatory is a general
laundry. where there are usually from
twenty-five to thirty-fve inmates.
The work here is also mainly done by
contract: the girls wash and iron.
There is also children's department,
with eighteen occupants, whose ages
range from two to fifteen years. The
total nopulation of the institution is
from 100 to 40
Then MI Butts called the plaintiff
to the stand Miss. Clewett is very
deaf. so much so that counsel when
questioning her. sat in close proximity
TO the witness chair and spoke in loud
tones. Miss Clewett's demeanor on
the stand was somewhat peculiar. At
times her answers were indlstinct and
almost inaudible while occasionally she
would reply to question with pet
ulant. angry outburst that could be
heard all over the court room. The
substance of her testimony IN the
forenoon was as folloWs
She is tWenty-seVen years Old, and
was born in Little Canada. She at
tended school about year, and had.
at an early age. become a domestic
servant. Mrs j. NJ. Root, of White
Bear. had secured her a place with
Mrs. McDermott, of Minneapolis. Mrs.
Root had also secured her place with
Mrs. Hand, of Minneapolis. Mrs. Hand
came to live in st. Paul, and witness
came with her. Witness received 81
a week wages Mrs. Root had asked
her to go to church at the chapel Of
the House of the Good Shepherd, and
she had gone. twice
Mrs. Root had been kind to her up
to the Good Shepherd episode COM
v
House of the Good Shepherd in De-
cember. 1894 Mrs. Root had come to
her and told her that she had place
for her to stay for While. if she was
ready to go, and Il said yes"
Mrs. Root stayed with me, and got
me ready to go she did not say where.
Mr. and Mrs. J. NJ. Root went with me
in a hack at s o'clock. There was an
other man. who went but it was dark.
and did not know him. We got there
late at night. Mrs. Root went inside
for a few minutes, and then came out
to take me in 1 did not know what
place it was Inside, I sat on a chair
in the hall. The sisters were there.
Mrs. Root said she hoped I would be
a good girl. The sisters took me to a
large room, and a couple of girls took
me to where they were sleeping
Did YOU know that you were going
to the House of. the Good Shepherd
that night?" }d.sc4 III
mo, SIR
Did you ever ask to go out?"
st asked Sister Szephyrine to go out.
I asked her. two or three times before
the time I went away. She said if 1
would be good girl she. would see
what time she would let me out.
About the last ofoApril or in May she
said she would never let me out I
had to speak to her privately in her
room. The working hours We're from
8 to u a. M and to Gin the afternoon
I sometimes worked, to 9 or $50 at
night. We could talk from 1890 to /
o'clock, with a sister in the room
Could talk about work. 1 worked
every day"
Witness then, under the questions of
her attorney, recalled the time when
she ran away.
Il broke through a glass door in the
cloister hall. The door was locked
We were at mass that morning. and I