Page:Report on the Conference upon the Rosenthal Case 1866.pdf/13

8 of the Society, that Mrs. Rosenthal opened a shop under the sanction of the Society in Jerusalem; that Dr. Macgowan, the Physician of the Society, became hostile to the family, and endeavoured to ruin them by bringing unfounded charges against Mr. Rosenthal, and especially one of embezzlement, whilst Mr. Rosenthal was in the employ of the Society as Clerk of the Works.

This case being heard in the presence of the Rev. J. Nicolayson, head of the Mission in Jerusalem, a complete acquittal was the result, but before the case was finished in Jerusalem there arrived from London a Resolution passed by the Society, dismissing Rosenthal from the employ of the Society, and forbidding him to be ever employed again by their agents.

2. An order was also sent to Mr. Nicolayson, directing him to turn the Rosenthals out of the house occupied by the mother and her young children. Both Simeon Rosenthal and his family were thus plunged into the deepest distress. At this time, and in fact till his death in 1856, the Rev. J. Nicolayson manifested the truest sympathy, asssistedassisted [sic] them himself, and at last obtained help for them from the Temporal Relief Fund.

3. This conduct of Mr. Nicolayson's entirely disposes of that part of Mr. Goodhart's letter of January 30th, 1866, to the Bishop of Rochester, in which he refers to the unfavourable opinion expressed by Mr. Nicolayson (25th December, 1841) concerning Rosenthal and his wife, which was subsequently entirely removed.

4. Mr. Nicolayson frequently expressed his perfect confidence in Rosenthal's integrity, and his approval of the patience he had shown. In corroboration of this fact, it may be stated, that Mr. Nicolayson, early in 1853, helped in drawing up a compromise by which Dr. Macgowan was to give Mr. Rosenthal 150l. as compensation, and the Rev. H. Crawford approved the compromise and carried it to Dr. Macgowan, who refused to accede to the proposal, which included a full public examination.

5. On the 7th of November, however, in that year, Dr. Macgowan, in the prospect of legal proceedings, withdrew the charges he had made in the following terms:– “Having read, for the first time, Mr. Simeon Rosenthal's defence before the Sardinian Consul (in 1849), and found on examination that the charges brought against him are not supported by the evidence adduced, and that the answers to them by Mr. S. Rosenthal are satisfactory, I feel bound to declare that Mr. S. Rosenthal is acquitted of the said charges, and cleared of the imputations which may have been cast on his character thereby.”

6. From the above statement, it appears that Dr. Macgowan, in 1853, admitted he had never taken the trouble to read the defence offered by the man against whom he had made very serious charges, although that defence had been made four years before. That Mr. Rosenthal was condemned by the Society at home unheard, and forbidden to receive any employment from any connected with them; whilst the charges against him were so false, that even his inveterate persecutor, Dr. Macgowan, was compelled entirely to withdraw them.

7. At this very time also, and whilst the Society at home, instead of giving him employment as stated in Mr. Goodhart's letter, of January 30th, 1866, was writing to Jerusalem to continue this persecution, there was not only not a whisper against the character of Mr. Rosenthal in Jerusalem, but he was sufficiently respected to warrant the Committee in Jerusalem in recommending him for employment to Mr. Graham, and the Rev. H. Crawford's proposing that he should be appointed sexton to Christ Church.