Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-10
Shooting a Minister in his Pulpit.

shooting q Minister in his Pulpit.
BERLIN, August Id believe in
God tho Father, God the Son, aad
God tho holy Ghost"
"You licW
"A shot, a cry, general commotion.
On Sunday, August s, in the pres
once OF numerous congregation, this
sacriIigious scene was enacted in tho
Cathedral Church, of Berlin. The
Kew. IL. Heinrich was standing before
tho altar, rcciting the Belief, when a
yoeng man, rising from a front seat
intorrupting tho Clergyman, gave him
tho lie, and at onco discharged pistol
at his breast. Tho next moment he
was in tho hanus Of tho sexton and
quietly suffered himself to DO led
away to the vcstry. A Aportion Of tho
congregation seated at q distance.
having only tho report and seeing the
curling smoke, without any definite
notion Of what was going on, immc-
diatcly began to move toward tho
door, and created considerable tumult
but those near the altar, who had
been witnesses of tho daring attempt,
retained their seats. In preserving
their compo$ure, they but initiated
the noble cx"Enlo Of the Clergyman
whose life had just been placed in
such jeopardy.
The Rov. II. Icinrici was unhurt :;
nor had tho moral hrnmcss Of tho
man whose body the ball had missed
been shaken. No sooner had tho
trying intcrludc, the details Of which
seem to have been observed with ter
rlblo distinctncss hy those near. come
to an end, than the intend ! victim
calmly resumed reading the creed,
and with rcdoub!cd Gervor proclaimed
that belief tic uttcrancc Of which
had impcrilcd his lifo. After this,
tho services wcro continued in accor-
dance with the prescribed ritual. The
Rev. II. Heinrich left the altar, when
the Rev. DIR. Kogcl asccndcd the pull
pit, and preached sermon, in which
hc introduced passage expressive
Of his thanks to God for tho miracu-
lous escape of his clerical brother.
Qdiet had been speedily restored, and
the greater portion Of the congrcga-
ton, agitatcd as they woro by the
most powerful emotions, left tho
church only after the final bcncdic
ton.
In tho meantime, the criminal had
been conducted by a policeman to tho
nearest station, and examined by q
superior officer. To all the questions
put to him ho replied with tho utmost
frankness and composuro. Hc said:
"My namo is BLAND. I am nine
teen years of age, q Protestant, ant
the son of blacksmith, in the village
of Lank, County of Lower Barnim, {
few miles from Berlin. My parent
sent mo to q grammar school, wishing
me to become candidate for tn,
ministry in the Established Church
But my eyes were>soon opened to th'
creed I was expected somo day t.
teach, and my dislike was increased
to disgust when I perceived tha
many of those protesting to believe i
were liars at heart. / refused to pur
sue a career which had become g.
hateful to me, and resisted all al
tenapts Of my pareuts to. force me t.
fpersevere.
/ "ByentuallS, I saw myself left b.
thom to my own devices, and bega
to study art-the dramatic art
mean 1 wished to. become an acto,
and to preach to tho public in my ow
!. way; but the religious mendacit
rampant around me gave me no res
Some I saw uttering deliberate u,
truths; while others, knowing ther
} to be such, listened with eontemptuor
) Indifference. Gradually + taught m,
: self that soms striking decd was /!