"(On Wednesday morning last, when most of the nuns of St. Joseph's Institution, Rue Montauban, French Concession [meaning the Plaintiff institution) had gone to their Chapel situated within the building, to hear Mass, one of the nuns who had remained behind made her escape from the convent and took refuge in a lady's house situated in the Quinsan district of Hongkew. Here she told tale, saying that some ten to tious conduct.} eleven years ago she had been put into the convent and ultimately, undue. influence being brought to bear on her mind, she became a nun. Since entering the Societe Auxiliatrice, she has been compelled to do the cooking for the convent and although frequently remonstrating with the Mother Superior about her inability to cook and her distaste for kitchen work, she was compelled to continue her duties, and, in addition (for not obeying without remonstrances, a mortal sin, according to convent ideas) received some of those gentle punishments that only Roman Catholic nuns know how to inflict. (Meaning thereby that the person referred to. as making her escape had been subjected in the plaintiff stitution to cruelties.) The escaped nun told her lady friend she did not wish to return to the convent and took off her crucifix and asked to be supplied with clothes, other than that worn by the nuns of the Societe Auxiliatrices, which request was ted. On Wednesday evening, Mother Philomen, the Superioress, [meaning the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin] accompanied by another nun, hearing the whereabouts of the escaped nun, hastened to get her back. Commands to return were unavailing and it was-only after a good deal of coaxing on the part of the occupant of the house and solemn promises made by the Mother St. Philomen that the escaped nun should do no more cooking and be relieved of her distasteful duties that she consented to return, The nun is a pleasant-tempered, rather good looking young woman, between twenty and thirty years of age, and she was on the verge of receiving the ring that would bind her to the church for the term of her natural life, under penalty of being excommunicated, which, to a Roman Catholic, means eternal
Catholic Church to believe. I have read, damnation—so we are taught by the Roman since liberated from the convent, the Life of Maria Monk, as well as that of Edith German, the escaped New Jersey nun, and combined with my knowledge of convent life can only shudder, when I think of the ordeal this poor unfortunate woman, again located within the Saint Joseph's Institution, will have to pass through. [Meaning thereby that the members of the' plaintifsnstitution are habitually subjected by the orders and under the direction of the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin to violation, outrage, cruelty and murder, and meaning thereby that the person referred to as having returned to the plaintiff institution induced thereto solemn promises made by the plainti Philoméne Agoutin was in great danger of being subjected by the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin to violation, outrage, cruelty, and murder, and meaning thereby that' the members of the plaintiff institution are given debauchery, cruelty, murder, and infanticide, and meaning thereby that the plaintiff institution is inefficient as a school, and ing thereby that the scholars of the said institution are habitually induced to become members of the institution, and as such are subjected to violation, outrage, and cruelty, and in some cases to murder, and are made depraved and cruel and made to participate in murder, infanticide, and other 8.—In the Shanghai Mercury of the 23rd of April, 1896, the defendants falsely and maliciously printed and published of and concerning the plaintiff institution as a school. and of and concerning the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin, as the Superioress thereof, the words following "I intend if you will allow me to say a deal about the school I have been brought uj in [meaning the plaintiff institution] an nich that will surprise the general public, for I entered St. Joseph's Institution {meanin the plaintiff institution] as a little girl, an: Tam now a married woman, (Meaning thereby. that the school as conducted by the plainti institution was so conducted as to deserve public disapprobation and reprobation, and set out bad, as girl, witnessed acts and con-meaning thereby that the writer of the words
duct on the part of the members of the institution having the management of the School which the writer had learned from her experience as a married woman were acts and conduct of a licentious nature and that the members of the plaintiff institution were habitually addiested to profligate and licen-the defendants falsely and maliciously printed and published of and concerning the plaintiff institution and of and concerning the plaintiff institution as a school, and of and concerning the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin the words following "A writer in the Shanghai Mercury promises some startling revelations with regard to convent life in Shanghai, it will be well for the convents [meaning among others the plaintiff institution] to set their house in order before the exposure is made [meaning, thereby that the members of the plaintiff institution had been habitually guilty of profligate, licentious and criminal acts and conduct and that such acts and conduct ought to be discontinued and remedies introduced into its management to secure their discontinuance] for if the revelations can be proved to be correct one at least of the establishments [meaning the plaintiff institution} will probably. suffer at the next annual ratepayers' meeting {meaning thereby that the plaintiff institution had by the acts and conduct of its members forfeited all claim or desert to receive the annual grant paid to the plaintiff Institution by the Shanghai Municipal Council and the Municipalité Frangaise, that." proof there might be obtained' and' that if obtained suc subventions would be discontinued.
10.—In a supplement to the Celestial Empire of the 24th of April, 1896, the defendants falsely and maliciously reprinted and published of and concerning the plaintiff institution and of and concerning the plaintiff Philoméne Agoatin and of and of concerning the plaintiff institution as a school the said libellous words set out in paragraphs 7 and 8 above with the meaning respectively there set on 11.—By reason of the premises and the publication of the said libels the plaintiff institution and the members thereof and the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin have been and are much prejudiced and injured in their credit and reputation and in the said business as conductors and teachers of the said school.
And the plaintiff' claim is, 50,000 damages.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.