Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-03
INTOXICATED IN CLOTH
"Father" ConIan Repudiated
by Washington Clergy.
FINED IN POLICE COURT
No Record of Him Found by Priests
to Whom He Applied.
SAYS UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT
Tells of Ordination in New York and
Service in Baltimore and Boston.
On Way to Norfolk.

Claiming to be a secular priest of the
Roman Catholic Church. and wearing the
clerical garb, but repudiated by Catholic
| priests of Washington, Father James
Henry Conlan of Massachusetts,. as ne
days in the workhouse or the payment OF
s. fine for drunkenness by Judge Kim
ball in Police Court today.
Up to late hour today the fine hat
not been forthcoming. Father Conlan hae
but little money on his person when ar
| raigned In court. His appeals to rather
Russell Of st. Patrick's Church and te
the sister superior Of Providence Hospita
for aid met with no response.
In a statement to Agent Massie of the
Prisoners Aid Society Or. Russell said
he could find no trace Of Conlan's record
and that he thought him an fmpostor
At the Catholic University 1t was stated
there was nothing in their records to
show that a man named Conan mad peer
ordained where Conlan said he had Deen
ordained.
Father Conlan was arrested yesterday
about noon near 9Th and + streets in q
badly intoxicated condition. placed IN a
patrol wagon and locked up In cell al
the first precinct station house. AT the
time he seemed utterly unable to real
ize where or who he was. and appeared
Indifferent as to what was done with
him.
Shrinks From Exposure.
This morning, however. when told To
prepare himself for court, he seemed tt
be on the verge of collapse and ap'
peared to shrink from the exposure
which was bound to come with his
public appearance before a Police Court
bar.
ct was an accident, entirely, abso-
lutely." he declared. Il came from
Baltimore yesterday morning, on my
way to Norfolk, where l expect to enter
st. Vincent's Hospital. I was tired out
Il had been at Mt. Hope over there
trying to see a dying sister l have
always been fond of.
"IncautiOusly I took q drink of whiS-
ky and it went to my head. Fifteen
minutes after I swallowed it I seems ed
to lose my senses, and all the rest is
| a blank.
Maintains He Is Priest.
II graduated from the old Allegheny
College in Buffalo in 1870. Among charges
I've had since have been as assistant al
st. Patrick's in Baltimore, at Hyde Park
and in Boston. Massachusetts, has beer
the scene CT most of my ecclesiastical
labors. 1 was ordained in Troy. n. Y.
Not Recently in Service.
Father Conlan said he had not beer
actively engaged In church work for some
time past because of ill health, and only
recently underwent a long siege of i'll.
ness in one of the New York city Catho.
lie hospitals.
After regaining some of his strength
| he said. he decided to come to Baltimore
| to see persons there whom he had known
when he was assistant at st. Patricks in
| that city.
AS a consequence of pleas for assist
ance by the defendant DR.. Russell Sent
the following message to Agent Massie
Of the Prisoners Aid Society:
II can find no trace of a COnlan being
connected with the priesthood in Balti.
| more or Boston. If the man who asks
| assistance is travelling in the garb of a
priest it should be taken from him. 1t is
| likely he is an impostor.'
Once in the Navy.
Among the papers found in his posses
sion was a pension application properly
| filed out for service rendered during the
civil war as landsman in the navy. The
prisoner explained that he was only six
teen years old when he entered the serv-
| ice and was employed as a cabin boy
upon the United States ship Ohio.