The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1913-10-11

Finally the case Of Miss Anna ~.
Lorwry against the Bencdictino con.
vent AZ Guthrie. Okla. was called In
district court az Guthrie. Okla. Sept
IS. This is where Miss Lowry. q nun
for twenty years. sued the Benedic.
tine community for services and ex.
peotAncy salary on the ground Of tho
sisters" having brutaliy treated her
while a teacher In their school. and
their violation Of the -rule" under
which the community Il conducted.
Miss Lowry alleged that such mis-
treatment and their violation Of the
-Benedicune rule" forced her 10
lbandon the convent. and that the or.
fer refused 70 compensate her for
services etc.
The defense OF the sisters was that
they all worked under the Rule of
ST. Benedict" and that Miss Lowry
was not entitled 70 any remuneration.
either for services or for any NAL
treatment
The case was called. the Jury I'M
paneled and many depositions for
Miss Dowry's side were submitted.
Every deposition was clear and posi-.
tive that the allegations Of the plain.
tin were true. These deposltions
were from 'ss Lowry's former pu.
pills. The Guthrie and other papers
report the evidence a. strongly sus-
taining the contention Of the plain
tin" One witness for plaintiff was
examined. This was also a former pu.
pil. and she unhesitatingly sustained
Miss Lowry's allegation that she was
not treated as a teacher should be,
that she was forced TO work under
very trying and unfavorahlo clrcum-
stances and that Miss Lowry was an
efficient instructor. All the evidence
was clear that every contention OF
the plaintiff was well founded. and to
q disinterested spectator II looked
very much as though the frst case OF
the kind 20 be tried in the American
courts was to be q victory for justice.
Miss LowT was on the witness
. stand for twelve hours, and her state
ments were mistaken by the rigid
cross examination Of counsel for the
defense. She stated that for some
thing like twenty long years she was
an inmate OF various converts: that
she taught In their schools; did COM
mon 'drudgery; suffered inhuman us
age at the hands OF cruel and uncul-
tured nuns; that these indignities
were perpetrated with the knowledge
of the MANAGEMENT Of the institution;
that on account Of this inhuman treat.
ment, starvation. mental and physical
strain, resulting therefrom. she was
forced 70 leave the convent and 60
out into the world she had not known
Cor these twenty years. without means.
md that after leaving the convent the
Agencies OF the Catholic church fol-
lowed her with slanderous stories and
In various ways attempted TO hinder
Der in her legitimate efforts to make
ing
4 Iiss Lowry's side Of the case was
I aducted on the high ground Of legal
Justice. No attempt was made to re-
Elort TO the baser methods sometimes
hsed in litigation. but with the de-
fense this cannot be said. From the
very inception OF the case, every
known method Of pettifoggers has
been resorted TO. Counsel for the de-
!. fense. while denying the main allega-
tons OF the plaintiff. clung tenacious
~ TO the religious aspect Of the case,
and the demurrer was argued from
the standpoint Of a religious - one
who has subscribed to a set Of rules
or monastic VOWS,
E Miss Lowry's character was not as
sailed. but while they attempted TO
prove her incorrigible and infract-
Sous. they held closely 10 the rule OF
St Benedict" interpreting 81 as a
contract existing between her and the
brder. and from this exalted" ground
secured her assent 10 the fact that
lshe had subscribed to these rules, and
having done 80. she was bound by this
act TO submit 20 any treatment that
might be meted out to her. Counsel
for defense went so far as TO main
tain land was sustained by the court)
that she was obliged 70 submit to
kicks" "ehastisement" and starva-
ton II inflicted under the rule" She
was asked whether or not she had
subscribed to this rule" and when
she answered that shs had. no oppor-
tunIty was given her 70 submit excep-
Iions TO the ''rule."
The socalled rule Of st. Benedict"
a set Of VOWS written In the
nth century. and in taking the VOWS
<n a Benedictine order one absolutely
snrrenders every liberty and becomes
= vsssal q bound slave TO the ~su-
periorA- The counsel for the sis