New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-15
Never Loved Manning, Says
Miss O'Brien in 81 100000 Suit
Plaintiff in Breach Of Promise Action Against Agec
Millionaire Tells on Witness Stand How She
Agreed to Patch and Brush His Clothes

A statement by Cardinal Farley may
prove the strongest asset for Miss
Honora May O'Brien in her 100000
breach of promise suit against John
Bernard Manning, the eighty-four-year-
old Wall Street broker who broke his
engagement by phone after the mar
riage license had been obtained.
This was revealed at the opening of
the trial yesterday before Justice Crop
sey, in the Queens County Supreme
Court, Long Island City, when Miss
O'Brien testified that Cardinal Farley
not only had given his consent to the
wedding, but had suggested, as means
of avoiding trouble with Manning's
relatives, that her octogenarian fiance
made a prenuptial settlement upon her.
Cardinal Farley was not able to appear
at the trial, as he recently underwent
an operation and physicians said it
would endanger his life to come into
court. But a statement by him, which
it had been taken under oath, was read
in confederation of Miss O'Brien's tes-
timony.
After declaring that he proposed the
settlement, Cardinal Farley concluded:
Not desiring to get into the matter
further, suggested that when the mar
riage was performed it should be by
Monsignor Lavelle, and this was agreed
to by the parties. ! knew there was 10
reason why Mr.. Manning should not
contract the marriage, and | had Miss
O'Brien bring me statement from her
pastor that there was no bar to her
marriage. She brought this statement
to me-"
Miss O'Brien, who is twenty eight,
admitted that she bore Mr.. Manning no
love. She pictured the romance, on her
side, as one of reverence for his piety
and respect for the ability which en-
abled him TO build up a great fortune.
He merely wanted some one TO look
after him in his old age. she said, TO
asked her to marry him for this reason.
His Sons and Daughters Present
fitting dark gray suit, came into court
leaning heavily on the arm of his sec
rotary, and sank weakly into a chair
facing the young woman whom he is
alleged TO have asked TO become his
bride. He was accompanied by his
sons, DR.. John Manning and Joseph
Manning, and by his daughters, Miss
Mary Manning, Mrs. Katherine Bran
non and Mrs. Agnes McKeon, the latter
of whom, according to Miss O'Brien,
was the principal objector to the mar
riage.
Stephen c. Baldwin, counsel for Miss
O'Brien, referred to Mr.. Mannings
81 abby clothes in his opening state
ment.
"This man asked this young woman
to be his wife TO take care of him." he
said. $50 that he would not have to go
around with his clothes needing
patches. as the suit does now that he
has on"
1--WE will show, think" said Mar
tin W. Littleton. who appeared for
Manning, that this was purely bust
ness transaction. We will endeavor 70
find out whether or not the institution
OF marriage is a sacred contract, rest
ing upon mutual affection and ground
ed in devotion and sustained by un-
selfish loyalty, or is it simply a method
! to obtain money, which, if a woman
does not get by marrying, she can OBJ
tain by bringing the man into court
Miss 0'Brien said she was born in
County Cork, Ireland, and attended the
Convent of Dams, near Client, Belgium,
until 1907, when she came TO this coun-
try with a party of nuns. The nuns
told her, she said, they would stop in
New York with an Irishman who had
made millions and who was a good
friend Of the Church. Mr.. Manning
was made knight of St. Gregory by
the Pope. the highest honor that can be
conferred by the Catholic Church upon
a layman. Mr.. Manning met them at
the pier, she said. and took special
interest in her. She told him. she said,
that the only friend she had in America
besides her brother was her cousin.
Mrs. Cohalan, wife of Judge Daniel F.
Cohalan.
Through Mr.. Manning. she said.
Judge Cohalan came to see her ar .
paid the nuns for her passage over,
the money later being refunded by her
brother For five years after her ar
rival she VI. frequent visitor at the