The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-04

took exception to the language of the
counsel and demanded that the court
| direct an apology.
The Court do not think L shall
make any directions in this matter at
all. Proceed, Mr. O'Brien.
Then the counsel for the defense re-
newed his arraignment Of the plain
tllfs testimony and tactics.
Mr.. Butts interrupted the counsel
again, and asked if it was a summing
up or an opening which his opponent
was conducting.
In his opening, Mr.. O'Brien said the
plaintiffs attorney had quit trying a
law case since the complaining wit
ness went on the stand, and that since
that time there had not even been a
pretense of trying the case, according
to the usual rules of procedure.
4 am not inexperienced enough to
| believe that the motive power behind
this case is only Selma Clewett. But
| whatever this power may be, it must
have known on the outset that it had
| no legitimate evidence on which to go
to trial in simple damage suit. They
chose to use the story Of this defend
ant as a mere stalking horse to ad-
vance upon the House of the Good
Shepherd, and, under cover Of a law
suit, to Vcmit upon this jury a mass
of filth, inuendo and insult"
Continuing. Mr.. O'Brien said the de-
Tense had allowed the plaintiff full
latitude. in order that the plaintiffs
case might hang itself, and also to
give the plaintiff and it's power an OPP
portunity to unmask itself He be-
lieved the whole purpose of the plain
! tl1f and her supporters was to destroy
the House of the Good Shepherd. If
the cause should triumph, Mr.. O'Brien
said, the cause of virtue and reforma-
ton would not go down.
ATr n
Butts claim that he would prove that
Mrs. James Root, who has been in
| strumental in securing the admission
| of girls into the institution, was in
reality an agent for the House of the
! Good Shepherd. Mr.. O'Brien pointed
! to James Root. told OF his bravery in
| the Hinckley fire, eulOgized his char
acter, and then said it took the fOrtl-
! tude of such men as theSe-nlen VINO
! have self-restraint and coolness-to sit
| by and hear a wife slandered without
| fOrcibly reSenting it.
IF there is one feature I am proud
Of" exclaimed Mr.. O'Brien, lit is that
under such trying circumstances as
these, when feelings and preju-
dices have been stirred so sharply, that
| a man has been allowed to say what
I he wants TO without fear of moiesta-
ton. 1t is a tribute to the manhood
and womanhoOd of this day. 1t has
! been terrible strain upon good citi-
zenship, upon public temper, during
the past few days. but there will be
no violence. When this court shall
| have adjourned, this man (pointing to
counsel for plaintiff), will leave this
court room without melestation, and
this gathering viii part in twain to
let him pass. 1t is, L say, a great
strain, a great test"
Mr.. O'Brien said the defense would
occupy but little time. He could, he
said, bring on hundreds of women who
had been in the House of the Good
Shepherd, but he did not care to do
so, as that would cause pain in many
private families. He would, however.
| bring one young woman, who had
been an inmate Of the place, who was
row a greatly esteemed resident Of
| an Iowa city, to give voluntary evil
dence in defense of the institution. In
| all, Mr.. O'Brien's opening consumed
| half hour. Court then adjourned un-
| TIL 2 p. m.
After the recess the defense called
| their first witness, Mabel Clark. of Min
neapOliS, a woman of tWenty-three She
| was an inmate of the house the even
| ing that Selma was brought there Miss,
| Clark and another girl were directed
| by the sisters to attend to Miss Clew-
| EFT. They gave her clothes, etc.
After the girls had put her to bed.
| Selma said it seemed good to be there.
| Witness then noticed Selina's condf-
ton, and asked her why she had come
to the House of the Good Shepherd.
Selma replied that she had baen given
| the choice between the city hospital
and the Good Shepherd institution. and
had chosen the latter because she liked
| the sisters. Witness was with Selma
| three-quarters Of an hour
On cross examination witness said
| Mabel Clark was her real name. She
entered the house of her own free viii
and Went back of her own voIitfon.
She went because she thought she
would like it, not wholly for refor,na-
| tory reasons.
Did you come here to testify?"
q came to do anything | could for
the House of the Good Shepherd I
would do anything 7 could for honor
and Justice"
''You would have better treatment
than the girls there, wouldn't you, if
| you went back?"
Witness replied in the negative. The
| witness said she thought Miss CfeU-
| EFT was ungrateful to bring the suit.
| She came to the conclusion then that
if she could help the house any she
would do so.
| Continuing his cross-examinatfOn Mr.
/ y
| over her story several times To the
/ final objection Of the defense, Mr.. Butts
answered.:
"I supposed that on the cross-ex-
animation I could make her tell her
story twenty-five times"
Judge Brill-You can't In this court,
Mr.. Butts.
MI Butts-Your honor I've seen 1t
done on cross
Judge Brill don't think you have.
unless you saw it done in a Justices
court.
Mr.. Butts resumed the cross-examin-
| alton on different lines. In answer to
his questions, Miss Clark admitted that
| she had talked with the mother pro-
vincial, the sisters and the counsel for
the defense concerning Miss Clewett's
! case. The witness also admitted that
| months altogether in the st. Paul and
| the Minneapolis Houses Of the Good
! Shepherd.
M. L. Hutchins, Of the Relief society.
was then called by the defense. Mr..
Hutchins testified that he occasionally
visited the House of the Good Shep-
/ herd, when his duties necesitated Il.
| He was there about two or three
months ago. During the last five wears
he had been there six or eight times.
Mr.. Butts insisted that what Relief
Agent Hutchins may have seen at the
! House of the Good Shepherd had no
| bearing on the case of Selma CIeWett
! Judge Brill reminded counsel that he
/ had allowed Dr. Abbott to testify as to
| his observations regarding the appar-
| ent relations between the inmates and