The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-08-22
An Imp0ster.

Rev. Thee. Buffard, Pastor ut Texar.
kama, Tex, writes letter to the Demo-
crat exposing Q scoundrel who, under the
garb Of priest, has been imposing upon
the people in various parts of the State.
From the letter we mako the following
extract, which will enable any one who
meets the villain to recongize him at once ::
1t seems nova days that we live in an
age OF deception and counterfeits. There
are attempts 10 adulterate, to counterfeit
everything; and there have never been so
many quacks in every profession as
there are now. Even rascals and impoe-
tors will invade the barriers of the sane
tuary, for it is not the first time that We
have heard of scoundrels playing the role
of priests and even of nuns.
1t was on the 10Th inst, in the morning
that the scoundrel in question made his
fret appearance in Texarkana. On this
same morning he called to see me, under
the pretext of obtaining some information
He introduced himself to me- as brother
of the Christian School of st. Louis, and
told me his name was Smith. He was
dressed in black, with light alpaca coat,
without any vest. His size ia ordinary and
common, his complexion dark, his eyes
black, and his hair getting a little gray.
He seems to be about As years of age and
one would take himfor q Franco German
"au bot tne ieAsI suspicion aoout uiu,
and really thought that he was brother
S" invited him to stay with me until
the following Monday, bat he declined, and
said that being acquainted with Father
OKean, at Little Rock, he was going to
leave at 2 o'clock in the afternoon by the
freight train and spend the Sunday with
him. On this very same day in order to
provide himself with what was necessary
for his internal plan, he came, think dur
ing the time / was gone to dinner, to the
church, and, sacrilegious thief as he was,
| stole my large Bitudke Rom0RnDs, my box
of altar beads, one surplice and also
two or three other books. The infamous
ness to try to open the tabernacle, very
likely for the purpose of seizing the cibo-
rum, and using it as q chalice. But Ell
| Their he heard som noise, or he did not
know how to unlock it, as it is somewhat
difficult, so he abandoned his nefarious
plan and left thekey in the tabernacle.
This evening he did not depart by the
| the first section house, and then commenced
to play the role of a prieet. He had put
! on a large cassock, with cruciix on his
breast, and was introducing himself as a
| Jesuit father of the name of Father De-
| Smet. He had the most marvellous tale to
| relate. He had been ordained in Rome,
| in ST. Peters church he had suffered per-
secution in China he had been robbed by
the Indiana Ut the Black Hills, where he
had built magnificent church he was sup
erior of the Jesuits, at St. Louis; he knew
eight or ten Languages, etc; etc. He was
so plausible that everybody on the line took
him for very jealous missionary priest.
He was run on handcar from section to
section, though he had the most extraordi-
nary way of saying mass. He did not use
any chalice: in some places he simply
used tin cup, and in others a glass COB.
let. He did not wear any amice. He had
no missal, or book for mass. The book he
was using for tie purpose was my large
Rituale Romanun,, in which mass is not &c
be found. So it is thought that he was only
muttering words which he did not under
stand. In one or two instances he gave
communion before mass. At night he used
togive what he called benediction ther
inging, he blessed the people with one O
the hosts he had stolen in the church.