The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-15
PRIEST Is DEFIANT
AT CHARITY INQUIRY
SCALED to Be Thrown to Lions
at Farcical Circus Says
Father Farrell.
WON'T ANSWER QUERIES

william n Farrell. rector Of IS. retes
and raul's Roman Catholic Church.
brooklyn. showed open hostility to Com.
missioner Charles II. strong and fotly
.fefised to answer questions At the char
ity inuulry In the bar Association rooms
yesterday.
lilo would not comment on the
pamphlets he had written attacking the
Investigation and said ne had no respect
for the whole proceeding. as his sub.
punalng was an outrage and no was
summoned merely 10 be "hars~sed. be.
d,villed and assassinated. juse as YOU did
Tom atu!ry."
lam <. Butler Of 100 Montague street,
brooklyn. who received permission from
the commissioner to advise the Clergy.
man in place Of stephen Z. Baldwin.
kept away by illness.
At the start Of the ~procecdinSy. when
Father Farrell acknowledged writing the
two leaflets, "A Public Scandal" and
Charity for Revenue which were dis
tributed broadcast among Catholic
churches and sent to tho Legislature,
COMMISSIONS Strong said
"Taere Is n SERIOUS indictment In thess
pamphlets. II there 10 a conspiracy
against tho Roman Catholic Church
should know. H."
Father Farrell besides admitting thai
J.. rai written booklets with the titles
mentioned said he was the author also
OF four letters protesting against the
Investigation.
II am the only citizen In Greater New
York who has been subpenaed here
he exclaimed. II knew tina ! was Eoins
TO be called and that I Was going to b
thrown to the lions"
hen John Kirkland Clark, Commits.
sloner Strong's assistant. denied tina,
the priest was the only witness who hat
been subpnnaed the latter characterized
the summoning OF him last Friday a,
a circus and asserted that h Com
missioner had no right TO have him ques
toned for expressing his private opin.
ions. Mr.. Clark asked Father Farrell Il
he understood the status OF the investt
cation.
says Folks need whitman.
Il understand Commissioned Strong
Nas appointed by Gov. whitman a. n.
solicitation OF Homer Folks was The
answer.
The appointment, as you know re
Joined Mr., Clark. was under the More
and act. 10 which I call your attention.
You need not do that" returnet
Father Farrell. 81 have no respect 70,
tlc whole proceedings" lilo produced
nn anonymous rsi phlet in which many
u%ewspaper headlines and clippings WERE
collected TO show the general press
ppiniOn If the inyestiYAti0n-
The people who got up this pamphlet
are . set of skunks." he said vehemently
II want that TO 20 on the record"
on Mr.. Clark's accusing him Of dis
rcminating through the State fals'
statements the priest retorted with a
reference TO the death OF Thomas VI
Mulry. late president Of the Emigrar'
Industrial Savings Bank. who testified
as tn his conduct as a member OF tn,
state Board OF Charities.
II understand Mr.. Mulry died Of nat
ural causes" asserted Mr.. CLARK
II an not sure OF that" said TIT
witness. 81 have the testimony OF hi
family that he was in perfect health
prior to his appearing here"
Finally Father Farrell declined &c
submit to any further questioning on ths
advice Of his attorney, who argued tina
the Investigators were seeking TO inqui-,
into the priests private affairs.
Don't YOU think COMMISSIONS
strong asked the clergyman. that 20,
owe 1t TO me to discuss these pamphlets
since they have been circulated pub
loly."
No I DON'T said Father Farrelle 81
would meet you privately and discuss
the matter with you. but you have nc
right 10 drag me out here in this public
manner. intend to stan, on tbs
pamphlets
william II. Uotcllk,ss. counsei for the
Charities Department, e~ndeavored &C
uraw an explanation from Father Farrell
concerning the comments in his articles
and the priest replied warmly:
81 refuse 10 bother my head with your
questions. The idea OF your standing
there asking ne questions"
The priest, however. related o III
was informed by the editor OF a Brook
ign newspaper that the latter had semi
n special man to get a line on the In
vestigation." and that this man had re-
ported that q reporter for a news assoc
citation had been bought n that 'ths
newspaper items were being manufac'
tuted.'
La,.r Father Farrell said that HI
personally did not believe that e'thel
this reporter or the o'her corresoondents
reporting the Investigation were dis
honest. 1ie added that he was simply
retailing What he mad heard.
Prirst Issues . Statement.
Father Farrell read IA statement assail
ing the Commissioner for allowing wit
nesses to be treated harhly and LETTING
incompetent testimony be introduced
After being ev"used from the stand IN,
priest issued this statement:
"Mv exsm'nation to-day before Com
missioner Strong was farc!cal In the ex
IRENE. Notw!thstan d!ng the fact tina
the pamphlets I wrote were put In cvi
dence al tie beginning OF M examinH
zion vet the Commissioner permitted Mr.
Hotchkiss 10 subject me to a long ant
gr!i,lrg decentralization on those pam
phlcts and on my attitude toward tn
commission. All this was done In a,
cndeavor to get before the Commi stone
and on the record testimony highly IN