Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-13

London Times.
While passing in the neighborhood
of Cracow on Friday last, heard that
the whole town was in ferment, owing
to the following shocking story that
was just coming to light, and to which
further particulars are now added. The
papers have since been full of it =
A few days ago an anonymous letter,
apparently written by womans hand.
reached the Court of Correction, stat
ing that in the Carmelite Convent
nun named Barbara Abryk had been
kept for years walled up in dark cell.
Accordingly the Vice President of the
court placed the information in the
hands of an officer, who went to the
bishop and requested an admission to
the convent. The bishop represented
that it was sure to be all an invention,
but that since the court pressed it he
would allow it, and there upon handed
over the officer to priest.
The nunnery of the Carmelite stands
prettily situated in q suburb of the
town, and close by are the botanical
gardens and the promenade of the OBJ
seryatory--a favorite resort of the in
habitants of Cracow and often and
often on fine summer evenings have
they passed beneath these gloomy walls
without ever dreaming of the sad and
terrible tragedy that has been silently
passing there for the last twenty -one
years
The officer came to the door with the
commission, knocked, and was answer
ed by FORTRESS, to whom he said he
had come there to see and to speak to
the nun Barbara. The FORTRESS drew
her breath with establishment, fell back
step or two, and said it was impossi-
BILE but while she was turning herself
about to go away, the officer put his
hand on her and forbade her, in the
name of the law, to stir from the spot
The party then entered and was shown
through long corridor to the room of
Sister Barbara It was cell eight by
six Feet in size, next the sink the win
dow had been walled up, and narrow
chink furnished the only aperture
through Which, now and then, ray of
light fell upon the gloomy prison. |
go on in the words of Vienna paper
In dark, sinking hole, on heap
of straw, or rather covered, naked
wild grown, half witted woman, who,
at the unusual appearance of light and
human beings, dropped her hands and
implored piteously, 81 am hungry ;
pity me, give ME meat | will be obedi-
emit" This dungeon, with its little
straw and much filth, and dish of po-
tatoes, without fire, bed, table or even
chair, which no sunstreak cheered or
fire blaze ever warmed, had the inhu-
man d" Sisters" chosen as the dwelling
place for their should-be companion /;
there had they imprisoned her year
after year since 1848 For twenty-one
years did those dreadful Sisters pass
that cell, and to none of them had it
ever entered to take compassion on
their poor victim. And now, half hui
man, half beast, with her body covered
with dirt, with her legs shrunk and
withered, with her head squalid, diseas-
ed, year upon year long unwashed a
terrible being revealed herself, such as
Dante himself, with all his powers,
could not have depicted or imagined
SO kneeled there that woful victim in
the Convent of the Carmelities.
The officer Immediately ordered a
chemise to be given tie wretched crea-
t ture, and himself went to fetch the
Bishop. At the sight of the poor suf-
ferer the Bishop was deeply moved,
called the nuns together, and, reproach-
ing them violently for their inhuman
treatment, said, els this your sisterly
love Furies, not women" And when
a they would have excused themselves,
Silence, miserable ones you who
disgrace religion, away from my sight.
He suspended them, and then the
Confessor and the Lady Supeior talked
of breaking up the nunnery, and sent
Barbara to be clothed fed. While she
was being led away, she asked, anxious
ly, won't they take me back again to
j. my grave p and inquired why she was
shut up there. az have broken my
VOWS, but these, these" darting wildly
!. round,s and glaring furiously on the
Sisters, "are no angels" Then, spring
ing at the Confessor, she shrieked,
"You beast p
On examination the Lady Superior
said she had shut up Barbara ON the
doctors recommendation in 1913. The
present doctor, who has held the posi-.
ton seven years., stated that he had
never seen Barbara once.
In the evening the poor creature be,
:. came wilder, and it was settled tomoye
;. her to the mad -house On Friday