The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-21
O'BRlEN AGAIN HELD FROM BAR Fairfield Committee Listens to His Application and si-
 lently Turns Him
 Down.
NO REASON FOR ACTION
Members of the Association Beginning to Feel That the Applicant is Not Getting His
 Justice.
Special to the Journai-courIcr.)

Special to the JournaI-Courier.)
 Bridgeport, Dec. 2O,-For the third time Matthew O'Brien of this city, the well known prohibition leader who is better classified as Scoop" O'Brien, was denied admission to-day to the Fairfield county bar No objection has been offered MT. O'Brien's admission on the score of preparation. He has submitted to the necessary examina- tions and been found competent The understanding has been that there is something mysteriously the matter with his private life; that his morals are below the standard required of a member of the bar though nothing definite has reached the public in the way of information. That Mir O'Brien' g reputation among the members of the Fairfield county bar is not shared in by the prohibition party of the state Of Connecticut is shown by the fact that he was their candidate for gover- nor last year and acted as their legis- lative agent throughout the legislative session. He has recently been selected by the national organization to watch temperance legislation at Washington this winter
 Two new members were added to the committee of the bar this fall to in- quire into Mr. O'Brien's application, J, Moss Ives of Danbury and Attorney Keeler of Stamford. According to the unsuccessful candidate, he met the committee yesterday morning at the county court house at 9.S0 for a con ference, The only member absent was Arthur M. Marsh of this city. MT. O'Brien was obliged to take an early train from Hartford to meet the com mittee, having heard only the evening before of their willingness to meet him Mr O'Brien states that he an nounced to the members of the lnves- tigating committee that he was ready to answer any questions they might see fit to ask hima that there was nc single act in his life which he wished to conceal from indulryi that the stor- les told of him were islanders which ar Investigation would establish Tn spite of O'Briens readiness to answer any questions which might be asked of him not a singe question was put to hin | by a member of the committee. He was 1 listened to in silence and at the close of his statement the meeting broke UT and the committee prepared their un- favorable report without word of ex. planation or dissent
 It is by no means the unanimous conviction of the Fairfield county bal that MT. OBrlen is being treated witt justice Some of the older lawyers ant many laymen believe that if there arc charges to be brought against his prl vate character, which he says he i' willing to meet and answer, they ough to be brought boldly and openly; tha persistence in a policy of mystery cal only hurt the reputation of the ba for even handed justice. If the Fair field county bar, or any other bar as sociation of the state. can keep iron the practice of the lSw a man who ha successfully passed the examination or the ground that he is secretly judged i eeneath the run of men in character any man can be treated in like man ner. Tn other words, O'Bren aside, i
 may be seriously asked if the prosecu
 ton of an idea has not become the per
 secution of man against whom n
 man dares voice his complaint.