WOMAN SUES A PRIEST
ASKS $50,000 FROM FATHER ED-
WARD P. FITZGERALD.
He is Assistant Pastor of St. Mary's
Church, Independence, and Com-
plaintant Is Mrs. Beatrice M.
Sotomayor.
Edward P. Fitzgerald, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church in Independence, was sued for $50,000 damages yesterday in the circuit court at Kansas City by Mrs. Beatrice M. Sotomayor, a Spanish woman. She has charge of the nurses' quarters at the University hospital, 1005 Campbell street. Mrs. Sotomayor alleges that the priest slapped her on the evening of June 9, 1907, at the parish house in Independence. Both Mrs. Sotomayor and the priest last night refused to be interviewed.
Mrs. Sotomayor, in her petition, says that ever since she came to Kansas City seven years ago, she has been a frequent visitor at the convent conducted by the Sisters of Mercy adjoining St. Mary's church and the parish house in Independence, and that she has always been on friendly terms with the sisters.
Some old quarrel, about which both the priest and Mrs. Sotomayor refuse to talk, came up for discussion at the convent on the evening of June 9, and the sister urged Mrs. Sotomayor, so she asserts in her petition, to go the the priest and apologize. The petition then goes on to recite that after she knocked at the door of the parish house, Father Fitzgerald invited her into the house, shut the door and told her that the only way she would be forgiven was to permit him to throw over her a white sheet, put a bell around her neck and lead her into the church where a large congregation was assembled and be shown to the church."
She refused to do this, the petition cites, but offered to go before the sisters and ask forgiveness. Then, asserts the woman, "he became angry and commanded her to go down upon her knees before him." This, she says, she refused to do, and then, she alleges, he struck her on both cheeks with his hand.
Mrs. Sotomayor was born in Spain, but has lived most of her life in Mexico. She came to Kansas City seven years ago and for a time gave private lessons in Spanish. For the past four years she has been at the University hospital, in charge of the nurses' quarters. She is a little woman, not over five feet three inches in height, with jet black hair and eyes. She talks with a Spanish accent. She appears to be about 40 years of age.
"I have not read the allegations made by Mrs. Sotomayor in the suit she has brought against me, and at this time I prefer to make no statement," said Rev. Edward Fitzgerald. He has been pastor of St. Mary's church for three months. The priest makes his home at that of the vicar general, Rev. Father Thomas Fitzgerald, but they are not related.
Vicar General Fitzgerald said that personally he knew nothing of the assaults charged by the woman, whom he was disposed to believe was not responsible for all she says or does.
"I form this impression," said the vicar general, "from her peculiar actions of the past. She was a persistent visitor at the convent and seemed to be very much attached to one of the sisters. Mrs. Sotomayor had an apparently uncontrollable passion for visiting the convent during the class hours, and her presence had a demoralizing influence on the studies of the pupils. The annoyance eventually became intolerable, and orders were given that the woman should abandon her visits. If to enforce this order any violence was resorted to I am not aware of it, and I am disposed to believe that Mrs. Sotomayor is exaggerating the whole affair.
