The San Francisco call., 1905-02-15
HOUSE CHEERS.
FOR SULLlV AN
Massachusetts Congressman
Explains Incident Alluded
To by William r. Hearst
RECEIVES AN OVATION
Editor Absents Himself and
Leaves a Free Field to
His Fearless Antagonist

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-The second
chapter of the episode between Sullivan
of Massachusetts and Hearst of New
York occurred in the House today
when Sullivan again took the floor upon
a question of privilege and related the
circumstances leading up to the fndlct-
ment and conviction of his father and
himself for manslaughter. In decided
contrast with the remarks of yester-
day, when the two men heaped upon
each other epithets and charges of
! serious nature, Sullivans statement to-
day was devoid of any further attack
on his colleague and was a straight
recitation of the occurrence referred to
by Hearst yesterday. Sullivan admitted
the charge, but said that he himself
had only been technically guilty and
was permitted to leave the court a free
man without serving days impriSon-
ment or being subjected to a fine. His
father had been imprisoned a year and
a half, but on the Introduction of new
evidence, which presented a grave
doubt of guilt, his father had been par
doned. Sullivan said:
| The case arose in this manner. My father
was the sole proprietor of licensed hotel
known the General House. in Cambridge,
Mass. An intoxicated man. who was not a
4
came to the main door and my father, seeing
him. shut the door against him Thereupon
/ broke a window Ny father went out upon
the street, took the by the collar ana
demanded that he pay for the damage he lhi had
done. Tho man responded by striking him
and a fight ensued. 1t is a fact, and one
that has never been denied, that no weapons
I of any kind used on either side. came
up at the time when my father being
oyerpowered by this man and took the part
hat he
/ from my fathers fist, and, his head striking
| There was testimony in the trial of the case
! that he never recovered consciousness ana
died two days after the assault.
At this conclusion of the trial my 1ather
was sentenced to three years in the House
of Correction. The District Attorney, on ms
own motion stated to the court that he would
ask sentence against me-. as was put a
I boy IL years old. in my first year at the
Boston Law School. and without any moral
guilt in the matter at all; that was neio
solely because l was present and was party
concerned in the assault, and was only iecns
nically guilty. Accordingly, the court piacea
my case On file. / not fined one cent
! or imprisoned minute. After eighteen
months of my fathers term had oeen served
the Governors Council OF Massachusetts par
doned him and their action was que 10 tne
fact that two witnesses VINO oiu hoI apPea'
al trial in the court came before the Gov
ernor's Council and testified one that ne had
gone with the deceased to hotel IN tostoh
where he obtained liquor and that tne ae-
ceased came back with him that night in
toxicated. The other witness testifled tnat our
IL
house and while proceeding toward the yard
which adjoined the premises rel down d i usn
broneht 70 his bed and remained there with
ont regaining consciousness until he dled- lhis
raised doubt in the minds of the Governor
counciI as to whether the fall upon the curb
stone had caused the mans deafh or lhe iall
down the stairs. most Of them men, inclnine ~ .o 20
the view that it was the fall down stairs
4 which produced the fracture of the skull that
/ resulted in inconsistencies from when ne
never recovered
/ fully published in all the newspapers In
the city of Boston at the time, and
were before his constituents when he
was elected to the Massachusetts Sen
ate in 1900 and 1901 and to the Congress
! of the United States in 1902 and 1904
''and it was not" he said in conclusion,
until twenty years after that alleged
offense that any individual was found
who felt that it was necessary or
proper to allude to the circumstances OF
the case.
Sullivan received loud applause from
both sides of the chamber when he de-
clared that he walked out of court a
free man and had not been imprisoned
a day or fined a cent. The applause
broke out afresh when he declared that
under similar circumstances, if his
father were alive, he would go to his
defense. He took his seat amid renewed
applause, several members going to his
/ seat and shaking his hand.
When Sullivan concluded his Repub-
/ lican colleague, Gardner, feelingly
spoke of his intimate association with
/ Sullivan in the Massachusetts Senate.
! He testified to Sullivan's worth as a
man and said, amid great applause,
| that there is no man in Massachu-
setts to-day for whom 1 personally
would sooner lay down my life and say
that the man is honest and above re-
proach than Mr.. Sullivan" Hearst
was not present during the time Sulli-
: van spoke.