Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-11-20
Guibord.

IL = not oItcn That mans corpse makes
more stir and becomes more famous in tue
world than he was able to when alive,
hut this Is the fact concerning The now
noted Guibord, whose funeral services
may be said to have extended over pc
rlod OF six years, and over whose burial
the whole Catholic church OF Canada is
making itself suptemely ridiculous. He
was, we believe, a printer by trade, and
belonged to the Catholic church. One
day he Joined a society which the church
did not favor, and the bishop or the priest
or some other yicegcrent of the Pope
proceeded in due form to excommunicate
him and the other Catholics, Of whom
there were several who belonged to the
society. This pleased the church and
didn't hurt the society, and seemed to be
satisfactory all around. But in course of
time Guibord died, anc, with decent re-
gard for the usages Of society, tried to
get under ground and out of the way,
when the priest shut the grave in his face
and has kept it closed ever since, In
other words, his heirs owned lot in the
Catholic cemetery in Montreal and senght
to bury him there; but the church, having
decreed that no excemmunieated person
should be buried in a consecrated Gem
etery, refused its permission and resisted
with mob its interment.. Then the case
went to court and from one court to an
other, until it reached the Privy Council
of England, which decided, of course,
that as Guibord's heirs owned lot they
might bury him in it, excommunicatiou
and conservation to the contrary not
withstsnding. The suit was, it is un-
derstood, carried on by the society to
which he belonged for Guibord's heirs
and by the church against them. The
costs which the church had to pay amount
ed to $4,000. With the decision in theil
favor, his friends attempted again to bury
him, but was resisted by the church which
melted q mob and threatened to tear tn,
body to pieces as soon as it was carried
within the cemetery. Then the govern
ment ordered the troops under arms anC
prepared to secure the friends of the up
buried printer ia their rights, and the,
are now waiting for orders to march t
the cemetery. ........... ...-
Meantime the heirs, or the society have
had built an immense stone coffin il
which to bury him. 1t is made Of TIVE
blocks of stone each Of which weighs f1v,
tons, and in which have been chiseled
space large enough to admit coffin. On
of these is to be set in the grave by means
of derricks and the coffin set in it. TIL
other is to be turned over the coffin, ant
the two are then to be bolted and cement
ed together so as to make as, near as pos
sible, one stone. This, it is hoped will
resist the efforts of any over-ZealouS Cath
olics who may seek to dig up the bod.
after it is buried: The day for the buria
has not been publicly announced, but tn
maker Of the stone sarcophagus has beef
ordered to keep his teams in readiness t.
move it from his yard to the cemetery a
a minutes notice, and it is expected tina
the interment will take place soon.
The Catholics are very much enrage'
and threaten violence whenever the pro
cession reaches the cemetery. Las
Sunday the bishop had read in all tn
churches decree ''cursing" the Guibor,
lot in the cemetery, and there has bee
plenty of similar nonsense. Spies watcl
the stone coffin and there are ominou.
movements among the schurchmen whicl
cause the people of Montreal to fear
bloody collision. 1t is pretty certain
however, that the burial will take place
for papal bulls and priestly curses don
count much against British regulars
Guibord died Nov. IS, 1869, and it is sur
missed may be buried on the anniversar,
of his death.
.