Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-01
CASE OF VINCENT DILLoNIs.
ook Up Considerable of the Courts
 Time This Morning.

What makes clergyman? was the
 uasfion in the case against Vincent R.
 Ahonis, who was before Judge Burpee the city court to-day, charged with performing the marriage cere- nony without having the proper authority to do so. Neither De sbate nor the defense was quite ompetent to answer this question, vnat makes clergyman? and the case vas consequently continued for a week 4o give the state time to gather more vidence to prove It's case that the ac
 used Is not regularly ordained cler-
 yman and therefore has not the power f0 perform marriages MT DiElonis vas defended by Attorney Wood and
 otorney Cassidy, and County Health lfdcer Hoadley assisted the state. It as shown that two marriages had eeen performed by the accused and nen Mir Hoadley produced some docu- enits showing that Mir Dillonis had peen ordained clergyman of the Iith- man Independent Catholic church in aday, 1902. and was excomn1unicated a CIV months after, in September, by bishop Kaminiski of Buffalo.
 This was the case for the state. and Atforney Wood asked that it be quashed for lack of evidence. He
 uohed from the statutes to the effect hiat anyone performing the ceremony
 f marriage knowing he had not the power to perform it is guilty. etc. It va.s not shown that Dillonis knew he pad not this authority; therefore he Yas not guilty.
 The state in reply tried to show that #Dflonis first claimed he was ordained 1y Bishop Bolan. whom. to quote At r0rney Cassidy. is supposed to be a tTench Canadian with Gaelic name: put Bishop Bolan could not be found, and then Dillonfs claimed he was or na1ned by Bishop Kaminiski of Buff pafo This was found to be correct. but Bishop KanninisIi communicated LlAlfonis in September of last year, a CIV months after his ordination. At torney Woods's motion for discharge was not granted and Dfllonis was put on Aihe stand He told how he came 10 Down. He said he first came here last W1nter to give a lecture to the Lithu- Nanlans. and mp to that time he was in me regular performance of his duties as clergyman of the church men noned. He had offfcSated in the Polish Independent Catholic church in PhiIa- delphfa and also in Buffalo. Then he came here on the invitation of the Lithuanian societies He produced a nocumerlt showing he was ordained by Bishop Bolan of Rome.
 Of Rome? What Rome?" asked counsel for the state.
 Of Rome" was the answer. Rome, N. Y, probably" replied counsel for the state, causing some laughter.
 Attorney Durant claimed that this document was badge of fraud. The writing showed there were two differ euit kinds of ink used and at different periods. Other papers were introduced showing the accused to have been at- rached to certain churches in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
 Counsel for the state could not un- derstand the methods. of his orftna- ton and asked him as tersely as possl- Ole by whom he was ordained. Then he said he was ordained by his people. He denied that he ever claimed to have Deen 8 clergyman of the Roman Catf- k olic church, or that he. ever went to Hartford to get control of a congrega- lion in Waterbury. Tn reply to Attor- ney Carmody he said he attended the Polish seminary in Detroit and that the religion taught there is the Inde- pendent Catholic. He denied claiming at bis examination for ordination that he was a Roman Catholic. He could not recall the name of Bishop Kamin- istzdss church. nohwiths hsbanding that he was ordained by him, and he gave no explanation of the origin of the Inde- pendent Catholic faith except that it has three churches in the country, one here, one in Buffalo and one in Phila- delphia.
 Attorney Wood then began to uues- ton the witness, and to cut short the examination, which threatened to con tinue all day, Judge Burpee asked if thfs church society had complied with tdne laws. Attorney Wood said that its organization was not exactly complete. It, however, had articles of incorpora- mon drawn up and most of the other legal steps had been carried through. Mr Hoddley clabmed a conviction on the grounds that when Dillonis found ne was cornered about his claims as to Bishop Bolan being unfounded. he fell back upon Bishop Kaminiski. Now hs finds Bishop Kaminiskd disowns him, is his strongest. accuser, in fact.
 
 congregation.
 Dillonis was asked under whose au- i thoTdfy he performed the duties of a clergyman in Waterbury, and he re. phed that he was ordained priest by his people and he did not care whether or not he was accommodated He ] had the authority of both Bishops Bolan and Kaminiski to perform the GeT@n1pT1y klP rnarr.ia0n
 John Zemintosky of 39 West Porter street testified he was secretary of the lithuanian Political club and financial secretary of All Saints Independent S Catholic church since October p last, the date of its organization Attorney Wood at this point claimed that any religious sect of Christians can organize and select their own cler- gymlen under the statutes. And here also the court said the question Is. is the accused a clergyman? If he S cIadmed to be a Protestant or a Cath oIic clergyman 1t would be an easy n1after to decide. 'Can half dozen Df us get together" he continued land