Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-04-20
: O'LEARY.

In the urand Forks Herald is a COM
munication from A. NJ. Packard, j. 0.
Sullivan and J. A. McDougall, relative
to the statements made at the session
of the enforcement league at Grand
Forks regarding NJ. J. O'Leary, the
husband of Mrs. O'Leary, who is the
prosecuting witness in the liquor
cases at Mandan. The statement says:
NJ. J.. O'Leary came to Mandan about
five years ago and since that time has
worked at his trade-barbering-in
this city. Soon after coming here he
bought the building in which his shop
was located, making a partial pay
ment thereon. He has conducted the
shop himself and at all times has had
a fair share of the patronage, though
there are two other first-class shops
in town. Three years ago Mrs.
O'Leary was taken sick and was sick
a long time. Her husband had her
taken to the Bismarck hospital, where
she had every attention. About the
time she was able to leave the hos
pitable his eyes became affected seri-
ously and he was compelled to go to
Boston, Mass, to nave them treated.
His sight was saved, but all this had
cost a great deal of money and it is
small wonder that he became some
what discouraged and his friends adj
nit that his conduct for some time
did not meet with their approval.
They believe that in this time of fin
ancial stress he did not receive the
sympathy he had the right to expect
in his home. We do not assume to
determine whether husband or wife
was most to blame, but there was dis
cord in the home until in last Septem-
Der they signed an agreement of sepa-
ration. Since that time they have
lived apart. So far from having lost
Occupation and manhood" he may be
found any day. except Sunday, at work
in his shop which is fitted up with
| elegant baths and all the accessories
of a city barber shop. He is con-
Quoting himself in a manner to win the
admiration of any fair mined person
who is conversant with the facts in
this regrettable case. We wish, also,
to deny emphatically that he a eve
supported by Mrs. O'Leary's labor.
| On the contrary he was always a good
provider for his wife and children.
NJ. J.. O'Leary is a member of the
knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows
lodges of this city. He also belongs
to the A. o. U. w. in which he has
| $1,000 insurance in favor of his two
children. He served for several years
in the regular army and has papers
attesting his good conduct therein.
His friends have no desire to dis
courage the subscription being taken
up for Mrs. O'Leary, but they do
strongly object to the unmerited OBJ
loquy with which MI. O'Leary is being
covered. They are willing for Mrs.
O'Leary to make all the money she
can while temporarily acting as the
fgure-head Of the Mandan liquor pros
ecutions, but do not believe the
of reform will be retarded by a refu-
tation- of the slanderous attacks on
Mr.. O'Leary.
The undersigned committee was ap-
pointed by Mandan lodge No. ), l. O..
o. F., for the purpose of investigating
this matter and making a public state
ment. If M. J. O'Leary was as rep
resented by Arctander his connection
with Odd Fellowship would certainly
be terminated. We find that he has
done nothing dishonorable and is more
to be pitied than blamed. He has
not lost the confidence of his asso-
longs and his standing as a business
man is far better than that of his de-
tractors. He has not lost his "occu-
patton" nor has he lost his "man-
hood" and he left his home voluntarily
rather than to live in a continual state
of contention.