Cardinal in Court

The jury sitting in the Insull trial in Chicago craned their twelve necks one day last week. To the witness stand strode a plump, bespectacled man wearing a scarlet rabat under his cleric's black coat. He was George William Cardinal Mundelein, Prince of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Chicago. Raising his right hand the Cardinal swore to Court Clerk Joseph O'Sullivan that he would tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God. What brought Cardinal Mundelein into Federal court for the first time in his life was the character of one of the 16 defendants in the fraud trial -- Investment Banker Harold L. Stuart of Halsey, Stuart & Co. The character of Banker Stuart, said Witness Mundelein, is "the very best."

Defense questions brought out that Cardinal Mundelein had known Banker Stuart since 1919. "On my petition and recommendation," said Chicago's business-like Archbishop,"Mr. Stuart received one of the highest orders the Catholic Church can confer. That was the Order of Pope Pius IX. Only one other non-Catholic holds that --the late Major General Leonard Wood."

Reason why the Church gave Banker Stuart its high order was that he participated in one of Cardinal Mundelein's most notable achievements. Much devoted to foreign missions, the Cardinal wished, in 1928, to help his Church expand its training house for fledgling missionaries -- the Pontifical College of the Propagation of the Faith in Rome. Armed with a special apostolic letter, Cardinal Mundelein got Banker Stuart to float a $1,500,000 bond issue, the 20-year "Catholic Bishop of Chicago Serial Gold Notes Series B."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.