THE IMPOSTOR RUTHYEN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 22, 30 May 1901, Page 20

THE IMPOSTOR RUTHYEN.

SOME time ago, as reported in our columns at the time, an antiCatholio lecturer, who passes by the name of Ruthven. brought an action against Father de Bom, of Shanklin, Isle of Wight, with the result that he succeeded in obtaining a verdict on the second count for forty shillings, which carried with it costs amounting to close on £400. The Catholic Truth Society of England undertook to support Father de Bom in his defence, and the Committee of the Sooiety are now appealing to the Catholic public for neip toward* defraying the cost of the action. The appeal is signed by the hon, secretaries, Mr. James Britten and Rev. H. W. Colgan, 120 Keunington Park Road, London, S.E. The following in a summary of the events which led to the action • — ' Some three or four years ago, Michael Riordan. calling him--self " Ex-Priest Ruthven," began to deliver in England lectures of a certain type, which were resented by Catholics on account of their untruthful and indecent attacks upon the Catholic religion and priesthood. The Hon. Secretaries of the Catholic Truth Society received from the Catholic Truth Society of Minnesota an acount of Riordan's career, reprinted from the Cleveland (Ohioj Universe of March 15, 1895, which was largely based on statements of Preabyterian newspapers and of clergymen of repute. It included an account of Riordan's conviction and subsequent imprisonment for misappropriation of funds in the Erie County Penitentiary, the chief witness against him being the Rev. Dr. Paton, the well-known Presbyterian missionary, in whose name Riordan had been collecting. Dr. Paton has published an account of the transaction in his Autobiography published by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton (1898 edition, pp. 455-457), and during the recent trial confirmed on oath all the statements contained in it. ' The Catholic Truth Society, having previously successfully exposed a lecturer named Slattery, was asked to supply information regarding Riordan. Having learnt from America that the statements in the Cleveland Universe had not been challenged, the C.T.S. reprinted the article as a leaflet, and many thousands of it were distributed in places where Riordan was lecturing. Meanwhile the Editor of Truth took up the matter and published a long series of exposures of Riordan's career. Not one of these has ever been refuted, nor did Riordan ever take or threaten any action against the Catholic Truth Society, although in the bills of hia lectures he frequently referred to the leaflet. 'In the summer of 1900, the Rev. Emil de Bom. of Shanklin, where Riordan was announced to speak, printed and dihtributed a leaflet warning folk to avoid these '' unh. althy lectures" , with this leaflet he enclosed a copy of the Catholic Truth Society's account of Riordan'o career. Riordan thereupon threatened tather de Bom with an action, and the Catholic Truth Society undertook to support Father de Bom in his defence. Alter many delay**, the action came off in the Court of King's Bench on February 7 and 8 last, before Mr. Justice Ridley. Accounts of the trial appeared in the daily and weekly press, and there is no need to enter here upon details. The nature of the lectures may be inferred from the fact that as soon as extracts from them began to be read, the Judge ordered the court to be cleared of women and boys. The Judge divided the issue of the action into two counts : (1) whether the lectures were " unhealthy," (2) whether the defendant had proved the truth of the libel complained of. On the first count he directed the jury to find for the defendant. On the second count he said that though some of the statements in the leaflet had not been proved, yet, as the plaintiff had not denied the allegations, and had declined to face examination, the jury might draw their own conclusions. The jury found for Father de Bom on the first count and for Riordan on the second count, giving him 40s damages. Judgment was entered for Father de Bom on the main point, with costs on the first count and general costs : the costs, if any, on the second count — there were none — to be paid by the defendant. ' This verdict, coupled aa it was with the strongest denunciation by the Judge of Riordan'e lectures, is of course highly satii-fac-tory. But the necessary legal costs — for solicitors, counsel, witnesses, etc. — are heavy, amounting in all to nearly £400. This would, of course form a serious charge upon the general funds of the Society. The committee therefore issue this appeal for special contributions, in order that the general work of the Society may not be hampered by this charge. The Society has afforded so much assistance, through the press and in other ways, to those who have suffered from the attacks of persons of the Riordan class, that they make the appeal with perfect confidence that it will meet with a hearty response. • It is only fair to the various Protestant societies to say that no one of them has ever given Riordan the slightest support or enoouragement, nor has he been supported by the Protestant press ; this is in itself no slight indication of the estimation in which he is held by Protestants in general.'