The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-12-03
TRUE FACTS STATED.
Bishop Granjohn of Tucson, Ariz., Oh
Trouble in Morenci.

Trouble in MoTenci.
So many exaggerated, and nlisleading
statements have been published in re-
gard to the recent trouble and annoy
ance suffered by the New York Sisters
of Charity in attempting to place a
number of the children from their
founding asylum in homes in Morenoi,
Ariz., that Bishop Granjohn of Tucson
has issued an authoritative letter cor
recting some Of the more flagrant mis-
statements. This letter appears in the
Bisbee, Ariz., Review, and is as fol-
lows:
Bishops Residence, Tucson, Ariz.,
Oct s. 1904.
l have read the paragraph in the
Bisbee Daily Review of Oct. g. about
the orphans at Clifton -Morenci
As the facts appear to me upon au-
thoritatiVe statement explaining them,
and giving the true version Of the in
cident, | am compelled to affirm that
the particulars as printed in the Re-
view are either misrepresented or eX-
aggerated, or both.
There was no such thing as any of
the forty children-not sixty-dying on
the road. Not a cent of money was re-
ceived by the sisters or priests outside
of a collection amounting to about $50,
Of the party of children to Morenci.
On this score the father was out $40
personally. The story CT the children
having been given to Indians en- route
is whole-cloth invention, and so
forth.
In order to justly locate the respon-
sibilities, it should be borne in mind:
First-That Father Mandin took
pains to notify his congregation. both
in Spanish and English, of the circular
from New York about the orphans
Second-That. upon finding that only
one American family had made appli-
cation for adopting an orphan, as
against about sixty applications from
Mexican families (twenty-seven of
which were rejected), the reverend gen
tleman took care to advise Mr. Swayne,
the agent of the founding asylum in
New York, of the unadvisableness of
granting these American children to
Mexican families.
Third-That Mr.. Swayne answered
that he could decide for himself being
himself an American anG of much ex-
perience in such matters.
Fourth-That when the forty chill
dren arrived. duly accompanied by
party of sisters and nurses, they natu-
rally were entrusted, at least tempo.
rarily, to the families who. having ap-
piled for them, had made preparations,
in most cases expensive ones, to receive
them properly.
Fifth-That even his distribution was
only temporary and conditional. as the
sisters We're to stay in Clifton several
weeks to observe the conditions and
make the necessary changes.
SiXth-That the American families
who wished to adopt a child should
have made application OIL time, as duly
notified and requested. and only one
American family having responded
Seventh-That the circular confined
the selection to Catholic families which
of course, was an unqucstIonable light
of the founding asylum
Eighth-That finally, should there
have been any cause for dissatisfaction
in any quarter, notification of il shoul /
have been made, and action taken in Il
sober rational and gentlemanly man
ner, instead of which great roughness
was INDUCED in and much incivility;
indeed, as | understand, even personal
violence.
1t Isl to be regretted, from every point
of view. that with a view to adjusting
the matter rudeness and lack of meas
ure should have been resorted to III
preference to dispassionate arguments
and self-control. The regular course
was an appeal to the diocesan author
ity. AT any rate, cannot possibly ad-
init fer q moment that orders to leave
his parish should have come to the Rev.
Mandin from any other source than
the bishops command. In my iudg-
ment it was the priests duty to remain
at his post until he received orders from
me TO the contrary-and that, in spite
of rough handling, threats and other
forms Of unnecessary. unealled- for AMI
maltreatmcnt. Father