Omaha daily bee., 1905-02-15
SULLIVAN ANSWERS HEARST
Massachusetts, Congressman Tells of Inci-
dent Referred to by New Yorker.
ONCE CONVICTED OF aANSLAUGHTER
Charge Against Him Claimed to BE
strictly Technical and He Was
Not Punished in Any
Manner.

WASHlNGTON,y FeD. lA-The second
chapter Of the episode between Mr.. Sulli-
van of Massachusetts and Mr.. Hearst of
New York occurred in the house today
when Mr.. Sullivan again took the floor on
question of privilege and related the
circumstances leading up to the indictment
and conviction of his father and himself
for manslaughter. In decided contrast with
the remarks Of yesterday, when the two
men heaped upon each other epithets and
charges of serious nature, Mr.. Sulli-
vans statement today was devoid of any
further attack on his colleague and was
straight recitation of the occurrence re-
ferred to by Mr.. Hearst yesterday. Mr..
Sullivan admitted the charge, but said that
he himself had been technically guilty and
was permitted TO leave the court free
man without serving a 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 evil
dence, which presented a grave doubt of
guilt, his father had been pardoned
Mr. Sullivan's statement was listened to
with marked attention and at it's con-
clusion he was warmly applauded, many
members leaving their seats and shaking
his hand Mr.. Hearst was not present
during the time he spoke.
The balance of the day was devoted to
consideration of the naval appropriation
bill, Mr.. Littlefield speaking at length re-
garding the necessity for keeping appro-
priations within the limits Of the revenues
of the country.
MIR. Sullivan Explains.
The Sullivan-Hearst episode had another
airing in the house today, when Mr.. Sui
livan, again rising to a question of per-
sonal privilege, declared that on yesterday
Mr.. Hearst had ignored his offer to make
a statement concerning his connection with
the homicide to which Mr.. Hearst alluded.
Mr. Sullivan admitted it to be true that
on November "a, 1885, his father, Eugene ].
Sullivan, and himself were convicted of
manslaughter in the superior court of Mid
dlesex county, Massachusetts.
Mr. Sullivan said:
The case arose in this manner. My father
was the sole proprietor of a licensed hotel
known as the Central house in Cambridge,
Mass. An intoxicated man, VINO was not a
guest and had not entered the hotel that
day came to the main door, and my father,
seeing him, shut the door against him.
Thereupon the man went around to the
back door and broke 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 re-
sponded by striking him and a fight ensued.
Ii is a fact, and one that has never been
denied, that no weapons of any kind were
used by either side. ! came upon the scene
at a time when my father was being over
powered by this man, and took the part of
my father in the struggle. The jury found
that the man was -knocked down by a blow
from my fathers fist and struck his head
against the curbstone and became uncon-
scious. There was testimony in the trial
of the case that he never recovered Ion-
seriousness and died some two days after the
assault. At the conclusion of the trial my
father was sentenced TO three years in the
nc mouse Use OF eorreGt,on - olstrlct M attorney
he would ask no sentence against me, as
was then but boy, II years old, In my
first year at the Boston law school and
without any moral gliftin the matter at
all; that ] was held solely because was
present and was party concerned in the
Accordingly, the court placed my case on
file. / was not fined cent nor imprisoned
one minute. After eighteen months Of my
fathers term had been served the gov
ernor's council of Massachusetts pardoned
him, and its action was due to the fact that
two. witnesses who did not appear at the
trial In the court came before the gov
ernor's council and testifed-one that he
had gone with TIE deceased the next day to
and that the deceased came back with him
that night intoxicated The other witness
testified that during the night the deceased
got up in his house and while proceeding
toward the yard which adjoined the
premises fell down a flight of stairs. was
then picked up unconscious. brought to his
until he died. This raised a
doubt In the minds of the governors coun-
ell as to whether the fall upon the curb
stone had caused the mans death or the
fall down the stairs. most of them inclining
to the view that II was the fall down the
stairs which produced the fracture of the
which he never recovered.
II am constrained to say, however" added
Mr.. Sullivan, that II my father were now
alive and he were to be attacked in my
presence, would come again to his de-
fense." All the facts, he said, were fully
published in all the newspapers in the city
of Boston at the time and were before his
when he was elected to the
senate in 1900 and 1901 and
to the congress of the United States in
1902 and 1904, land 1t was not" he said in
conclusion, until twenty years after the
alleged offense that any individual was
found who felt that 1t was necessary or
proper to allude to the circumstances of the
case"
Mr.. 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 day
nor fined cent. The applause broke out
afresh when he declared that under similar
II his father were alive he
would go TO his utltHcSs Ilt lOOh
seat amid renewed applause, several mem
bers going to his seat and shaking his
hand
After Mr.. Shober IN. ", also 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
bill and Immediately there
after the naval appropriation bill was taken
I'D, with an understanding that eight hours
shall be devoted to general debate and
that the house shall convene at II a. M
each day while the bill is under considera-
ton.
Mr. Foss Qll.), chairman Of the commit
tee on naval affairs, explained the bill,
saying among other things that the amend
ment carried by it. $lOO07O,O79, was mod
crate, taking into consideration all the cir
cumstances which the committee had be-
fore 1t.
Anticipating deficiency at the end OF the
next fiscal year OF from $50 900 900 to 500 OOO,-
300 II all appropriation bills reported become
Law, Mr.. Littlefield (Me.), inquired Of Mr..
Foss IL II was wise or prudent to appro-
pirate in excess of revenues.
Mr. Foss replied that on general prin-