THE EX-NUN’S CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1921, Page 5

THE EX-NUN’S CASE.

NEARING THE END. COUNSEL ADDRESS JURY. SECTARIANISM INVOLVED. Bj Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 12, 7.30 p.m. Sydney, July 22, In tjie Ligouri /ease, counsel for the defence, addressing the jury, argued that -no sane mind could have seen in any of the trivial causes adduced in evi. dence any justification for leaving the convent. Any impartial mind could not help saying that plaintiff left in circumstances which showed that her rec-son was at least temporarily unhinged, and it would have been quite impossible for the convent authorities to have ignored their manifest duty, unless they laid themeelves open to an imputation of callousness and cruelty. Ligouri left the shelter of her community as destitute of human resources as it was possible to be. She left ctl’te community making a charge eo monstrously at variance with her own subsequently expressed views that there was every reasonable ground to doubt her sanity. The only alternative to the charitable view that hei’ mind was temporarily unhinged was the inference that the flight was intended to discredit and injure the innocent, gentld-minded and charitable women she had abandoned. After reviewing subsequent events and the secrecy observed regarding Ligouri’s movements, counsel argued that these events were, the outcome of sectarianism and were taken advantage of by a certain body notorious for having a traditional enmity against the Roman Catholic Church and Roman Catholic institutions in order to vilify that Church and faith.

Counsel said it had been suggested that the bishop, in his efforts to locate Ligouri, was inspired, by the fear of disclosures she might make. Counsel continued: “One is really staggered by the effrontery of such a suggestion, after hearing her simple story of life in a convent. The attempts which have been made to besmirch a sinless community show that the basis of the case is an appeal to prejudice.” Counsel concluded his address, which lasted five hours, by asking: Was it suggested that the In-spector-General of Police, the SolicitorGeneral and the chamber magistrate, whom the bishop consulted before taking action, were also in a black conspiracy ?

■Counsel for plaintiff, in opening, said the step the girl took in leaving the convent wa-s undoubtedly regarded as very serious. For proof of this he referred to the canon law, wherein it was laid down that nothing except the imminent danger of death could justify a person leaving a convent in the way she did. It was also set out that the enclosure of the nuns was subject to the local ordinary, who could correct and coerce delinquents, even with penalties. Counsel did net suggest that the dose given to Ligouri was poison, but he asked the Jury to consider the impression on" her mind on returning to the convent after she had brought down the wrath of the community on her, and when she expected some reproof. Unquestionably she believed she had been given stuff that would be injurious and took the step any sane person would and got rid of it. She did not wait for clothes, because she knew that if she did she would have been restrained.

Referring to the suggestion, by counsel for the defence that there was behind the action some deep design by people who were anathema to .the defence, counsel said they had shown nothing but kindness to the girl and had not tried to influence her religious belief. He contended that if her fears were justified her only remedy was to get the help of a body almost, if not quite, as power* ful as the Church.