Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-01
AN APOSTATE PRIEST.
A Reverend Father Who Determined
to Marry Nun-Dissuaded from the
Proposed Act.

Kankakee tIH.) Special. gstA.
The Rev. John Kruell. for the last five
months pastor of the German Catholic
Church of Kankakee, ILL.,, resigned his
charge and received a letter of good
character from the trustees of the parish.
On Friday of last week Father Kruell and
Sister Angela, the teacher in the parish
school, came to the Commercial
Hotel and engaged rooms, Sister
Angela being accompanied by young
woman, said to be the priests house
keeper. On Saturday the Rev. Mr.. Phil
lips, rector of st. Paul's Episcopal Church
OF hankakee, received call from Father
Kruen. The visitor informed Mr.. Phillips
that he wished the latter to marry him
and Sister Angela that day. In all his
clerical experience Mr.. Phillips had never
been confronted with such a situation,
and he begged for time in which to con-
slider the matter. He then held a long
conversation with Father Kruell, who
gave his reasons for leaving the Church of
Rome, prominent among which was his
love for the woman, and expressed a
desire to unite with the Episcopal Church:
On Sunday Father Kruell and Sister
Angela were both at st. PauPs, the former
attending the morning and evening ser
vices. In considering the practical ques-
/ ti0n how he was to support himself and a
wife, Father kruell was advised to adver-
tlse himself as a teacher of languages.
In pursuance of that idea the reverend
gentleman sent word to the local editor
of the Gazette requesting the latter to
Vlslt hlm at his room and receive full
statement of the case. In response
to the invitation the writer called
at room %, Commercial Hotel, and
interviewed the apOstate priest. The
impression gained at the interview
was that Father Kruell was weakening.
lie manifested singular reluctance in
talking about the matters concerning
which he had sent for a reporter to inter-
view him. He seemed anxious that moth
ing should be published at present; he
wished to wait for further developments
in the case. AS the writer was about to
leave Father Beaudoin, President of the
college at BOurbOnnais, came into the
room. In a few minutes Fathers Beau
doin and Kruell passed out of the hotel
together. Between and O'Clock in the
evening Father BeaudOin returned and
paid the bills of Father Kruell and Sister
Angela and asked for the formers bag
gage. This the landlord refused to sur
render except on Father KruelIs written
order.
About II O'Clock man brought writ
ten order from Father Kruell, but the
baggage was then in possession of Sister
Angela, who had moved into Father Kru-
ellis room, and who refused to give up the
property unless Father Kruell himself
came after it. During the evening she
was visited by a leading member Of the
German Catholic Church, who gave her
$40 with which to buy ticket to Quincy,
Illinois, where her brother lives.
At about 1 O'Clock in the MORN
ing Father Kruell appeared at the
hotel and held an hours interview
with his fiancee. On the following fore
noon she was called upon by Mr., Phillips.
She was quite reticent, but said it was all
over between herself and lover; that they
would never see each other again. He
was to go out of the country, and she de-
cided to go to the Bishop of Milwaukee,
She was very much broken down and gave
vent to her grief in the most unmistaka-
bic way. Later in the day she
again changed her mind, and declared
her intention to leave on the
night train for Quincy. Shortly before
supper she and a young woman friend
who had been her companion throughout
all these proceedings, left the hotel, and
not long after came written order from
the leading church member above alluded
to, to hold her baggage until further or
ders. Up to this time the lady has not re-
turned to the hotel, nor has her trunk
been called for.
Sister Angela is about thirty years of
age, comely, wholesome looking German
lady. She has been a nun for fourteen
years, and teacher in the German Catholic
school of this city for four years. 1t was
evident that she possessed a deep affection
for Father Kruell, and was willing to de-
sert the church in which she had been
born and reared in order to marry him.
1t is said that Archbishop Feehan. of
Chicago, came down on an early train and
was at BourbOnnais during the day. How
much this had TO do with the chan0a II,
the situation is only a matter of con-
ipct1Irp