RELEASE FROM CONVENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2178, 18 September 1920, Page 4

RELEASE FROM CONVENT.

“MIXED MARRIAGE" SEQUEL. DETENTION’ OF ORPHAN GIRL. COURT’S ORDER OBEYED. Sydney. So pi. 7. Sectarian reeling, already considerably stirred over the ease of Sister Ligouri, Hie “escaped min,’’ Ims been further exeited this week by ;iii jtppliealioii for n writ of habeas corpus ordering the Alother Superior of a eonvenl in the suburbs of Sydney to release u girl of Hi years of age. The story was told to (he -Imlye by Mrs Duval, an aunt of Sylvia Thomas. It appears that a widower mimed Thomas died, leaving seven children in (he eare of his sister, .Mrs Duval, Thomas was himself a Protestant, but his wife, who had predeceased him, was it Catholic. He left orders that the children were to be reared Protestants. The seven children were a heavy burden for Mrs Duval, herself a poor woman, and after a time she put five of them into a large orphanage. She was then absent from Sydney for a time, and on her return she found that the five children had been taken away from the orphanage by another aunt, ;t sister of the dead mother, and a Roman Catholic, and placed in various Roman Catholic institutions.

Mrs Duval immediately proceeded to recover the children. She got four of them hack without much trouble, but she had some difficulty at first iu even ascertaining the whereabouts of the liflh, Sylvia. Then she learned that the girl was in (he Convent of the Good Samaritan, St. Magdalene's Retreat,

Tompe. Mrs Duval applied at the convent, and w.-m tidd by the Mother Superior that she could not see Sylvia under any conditions. These were the orders she had received from the officials. Mrs Duval went away, but could not discover any officials who bad given such an order. She went hack and (old Ihe Mother Superior so. The latter said Mrs Duval could not see her niece unless she had a written order from the secretary of the St. Vincent, de Haul Society —a Catholic body. Mrs Duval applied to him, and was refused an order.

.Mrs Duval weal back again to the convent, accompanied by a solicitors clerk. The Mother Superior point blank refused to let the woman see her niece. Then Mrs Duval threatened legal proceedings, and disclosed the identity of the solicitor’s clerk. The Mother Superior then said she would “See." and was absent about, twenty minutes. She returned with Sylvia Thomas. Ihe girl expressed eagerness to leave the place, and made her aunt promise to do her best to gel her released. Later on Mrs Duval, accompanied by a solicitor, went to the eonvenl and formally demanded the release of Sylvia Thomas. This was refused, They demanded to see the girl, 'fids also was refused. The solicitor then said that he would apply for a writ of habeas corpus. The convent people were obdurate; they simply said tlicit* instructions were not jo allow anyone to see the girl. The Judge duly issued the writ oi habeas corpus, and on this being served on the Mother Superior of the eonvenl, Sylvia Thomas was released and token home by her aunt, in view of the present stale 01. public feeling in regard to sectarian tilfairs. this little orphan girl is iu danger of becoming a "personage.’