Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-14

bridge. Mass. in 1885, and said. L would
like to ask Mr.. John A. Sullivan if he knows
anything about that incident and that IL
desired to make a hostile criticism of him
/ could not have referred to that Mr.
Speaker 1 arose and said. Mr.. Speaker
the gentleman from New York has asked
me a question which | desire to answer IL
he desires an answer. II he does. L snail
answer 1t The gentleman from New York
ignored this offer and my opportunity to
reply then and there was cut of by the
Interruptions of several members and by
the ruling of the chair. | therefore desire
to make a personal explanation in reply to
the statement of the gentleman from New
York. ---4 -.z-
ut is true that on November 10. 1855 my
father, Eugene j. Sullivan, and myself
were convicted of manslaughter in the SUI
perior court of Middlesex county in the
state of Massachusetts. The case arose In
this manner: My father was the sole pro-
prietOr of a licensed hotel known as the
Central House in Cambridge Mass. An
Intoxicated man. who was not a guest ana
had not entered the hotel that day came
10 the main door and my father, seeing
him, shut the door against him. Thereupon
the man went around to the back door and
broke a window. My father went out upon
the street. took the man by the collar and
demanded that he pay for the damage he
had done. The man responded by striking
him. and a fight ensued. 1t is fact. and
one that never has been denied. that no
weapons of any kind were used by either
side t.---.-~t
Went to His Fathers Aid
II came upon the scene at a time when
my father was being overpowered by this
man and took the part of my father in the
struggle. The jury found that the man
was knocked down by blow from my
fathers fist and struck his head against
the curbstone and became unconscious.
There was testimony in the trial of the
case that he never recovered consciousness
and died some two days after the assault.
"At the conclusion of the trial my father
was sentenced to three years in the house
of correction. The district attorney, of his
own motion, stated to the court that he
would ask no sentence against me as | was
then but boy, seventeen years old in my
first year at Boston Law School. and with
out any moral guilt in the matter at ALL
that was held solely because | was pres
emf and a party concerned in the as
sault. and was only technically guilty. Ac-
Cordingly the-eourt placed my case ON file.
] was not fined one cent nor imprisoned one
minute.
His Father Pardoned.
after eighteen months of my father s
term had been served the governors coun-
ell of Massachusetts, pardoned him. and
their action was due to the fact that two
witnesses who did not appear at the trial
In the court came before the governor $
council and testified. one-that he had gone
with the deceased the next day to a hotel
in Boston. where he obtained liquor, ard
that the deceased came back with him tina {
night intoxicated The other witness teStl-
fed that during the night the deceased got
up in his house and, while proceeding to-
ward the yard which adjoined the prem
Uses fell down a flight of stairs, was then
picked up unconscious brought to his bed
and remained there without regaining con-
scousness until he died. This raised a
doubt in the minds of the governors coun-
Gil as to whether the fall upon the curb
stone had caused the mans death or the
fail down the stairs, most of them inclining
to the view that it was the fall down the
stairs which produced the fracture of the
skull that resulted in Inconsistencies from
which he never recovered. The following
off cfal record appears in the volume of the
Ma ssa clitisetts Acts and Resolves of 1SSS,
on pages J91 and 500:
- No. 1S-Eugene J. Sullivan. convicted
of assault. superior court Mddlesex coun-
years in house of correction. Pardoned
May 25 1887 Pardon was recommended by
all the jurors who convicted the prisoner,
by eS-Governors Rice and Claf1in, Mr.. A.
w. Beard MIR. H, C. Lodge, Mr.. Hugh
O Brien, mayer of Boston; Mr.. James A.
Fox, eS-nayorf of Cambridge, and many
other. promfGent gentlemen, including
clergyJnen.- 1t appeared that the prisoner
was under great pre~oeation, his. premises
having been forcbly invaded. There was
grave doubt m the minds of the committee
as to Just how Driscoll met his death, and
they were greatly Influenced by the testi-
mony of Surgeon General Holt, that it could
rot have happened from blow of the first.
There was much conflicting testimony as to
what happenedTo Driseoil when he reached
home after the q fra y and it appeared that
he receiyed little care for nearly
twAnty-foIr hours afterward. Upon very
carefui considertrtion of ail the circum-
stances connected with the case. and the
evidence of a large number of witnesses
f,af t.a, Str hot
To the assala 1t and the previous good char
acter of Ihe prisoner. who appeared to be a
good-naturtd, easy-tempered man, the COM
rnittee were of opinian that the ends of JUS
tice had been subserved and that a pardon
should be granted
Would Defend Father Again.
Now, AR, Speaker the most that can
ever be alleged against me is that I was
technically guilty of this offense, for even
the district attorney admitted that 1 was
not morally guilty; and I am constrained to
say that if my deceased father were now
alive and he were to be attacked in my
presence. L would come again to his de-
Tense. The facts in this case We're
fully published in ali the newspapers of the
city If Boston at the time. All these facts
Were before my constituents when l was
elected to the senate of Massachusetts in
1880 and 1901, and 10 the Congress of the
not until twenty years after the alleged Of
tense that any individual was found who
felt that it was necessary or proper to al
lude to the circumstances of the case"
The Naval Bill Taken Up.
After Mr. Shober IN. ". rising to a
question of privilege. had expressed the
proud feeling of those who have advocated
the principles advanced by Mr.. Hearst. Mr.
Hemenway Qnd) reported the sundry civil
appropriation bill. and Immediately there
after the naval appropriation bill was taken
up. with an understanding that eight hours
should be devoted to general debate and
that the House should convene at II O'Clock
a m. each day while the bill was under con.
sderation.
Mr.. Foss Qll). chairman of the commit
tee on naval affairs explained the bill, say.
ing, among other things. that the amount
carried by it, 500 070.079 was moderate
taking into consideration all the circum
stances which the committee had before it