Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-07-10
THAT nLoopY RIOT.


threatened serious trouble TO that COM
muniiy, and which broke out in general
riot week .ngo Sunday afternoon In
which two men were killed and two wo'
men were seriously Injured. Some forty
arrests have been nude and the iuvesli.
CATION Of the trouble is passing through
the several grades oi Courts in Toledo.
We have met an intelligent Catholic who
resides in that Ward who regards that
the Priest has done much for that congre
CATION and has been most -hamefully per.
secuted. We give below the statement OF
the Priest which gives his views OF the
situation
FATHER LEwANposKI's STATEMENT.
came to Toledo in 1875, by the order
OF Bishop Gilmore, III order 10 try and
complete some sort of an organization for
the scattered and neglected Polish Catho-
lies Of this city. found some very good
aud we'll inclined persons. who at once
seconded my efforts aud the Bishops de-
sire. The result was that our valuable
lots were purchased, church, schools and
priests house built, and for seven years
everything moved ON IN a manner thst
surprised every Catholic of this (Cleve-
land) diocese, from the Bishop down to
the humblest. The people were organized,
they attended church regularly, and many
of the evils that they had fallen into when
without priest were removed, Tor they
were taught to be honest and to restore to
every one anything unlawfully taken.
For seven years, I had to endure every
,a,va tt.,,, MI ,,Ylar,N Lahore far haypnI
those ordinarily called for from a priest.
After tlattime, crowd OF Polish emf
grants gathered in here, who were in most
cases the lowest and most deprnved people
In all Poland, who were compelled to
leave their country for their country's
good, as we can prove and will Prove Mt
the coming invesliga ion, which we will
demand to be made.
Well, this class OF people claimed to be
members OF the church, but very soon, as
every one who had the misfortune to live
in their neighborbood, or TO have them
working for them will well understand E,
they commenced their stealing. drunken
ness and other unmentionable crimes,
which /, as n priest,was bound TO de-
nounce, and which ever did denonnce, M
all who know me can testify. This, OF
course. made me enemies and they COM
menced at once to persecute me, but
thank God, | had too many good friends,
both Catholic and Protestant, who knew
me well and stood by me. Then made
my bishop and the proper authorities OF
this diocese Investigate every charge
made against me, and hold to-day the
written testimony Of my Bishop, which
entirely settled that matter. Although |
had built up the church property here and
enticed all who would take my advice ia
build mp homes for themseleves and fami-
lies and to live honestly, when | saw any
disagreeableness, / at once sent my resig-
nation to my bishop, but he, listening tc
the request OF the majority ana lawabid
ing members Of the congregation, forced
me to remain here. When every fou
means had failed the lawbreakers, they
commenced attacks upon the church prop
erty, upon my life and those OF congrega-
toin who wanted to live in harmony, ant
every reader of your paper remembers th,
awful tragedy in which Michalak wal
murdered by Lisiakowsky. This was onl,
a part of what was going on, and l vii
reserve for further day the full statemen
of the burning down of house in order tc
gain the insurance TO pay lawyer Tyler, o
Perrysburg, for setting the murderer
house burner, thief and inaugnrator o
riots, free TO carry on his unlawful con
duct again. All this will come out at tn
coming nveiigation (and good dea
more,) regarding the most unlawful crow,
oil men and women that have ever beei
harbored in any city. / have appealed
time and again, to the law, in order tina
this law dlsregarding people might b
brought to justice, but all in vain.
would have, if had been listened Il
saved the city of Toledo from the horror
which it has this day been subjected I,
for this portion of desturbers have reall
been disgrace to our Polish people, an
| will prove TO the citizens of Toledo tba
the boast made by the rioters always wa
that they had too much political power /,
fender "of the priest and his people.
expect any other outcome of what was go
: ing on than what happened to.da,
for the lawless party have already severf
, times attempted the destruction of til
church property and my own life. hav
horne everything in patience, hoping tbs
, my bishop would remove me from m
miscries, bnt Bishop Gilmore's word al
ways was, "remain firm to duty and Civ
not away to that lawless mob" The
, have violated every law of both churc
, aud state and your people, who are goo,
1 must not be compelled TO he without pa
, tor on account of the evil ones who are onl
/ pretending Christians. 1 have all ii
letters from the bishop and lie himself h,
been here several times and made mp h
: mind about the matter. We built
church for them here and Mt Browns nd
dilion; we built schools for them an
brought them Sisters of their own race
u teach their children; in tact everythir
II was done for them that could be done, ar
>. although the property which we ha'
n built up for them is some of the most va
liable church property in the city, mat
up my mind that I would no longer n
main and no reasonable person coul
under the circumstances, expect me 10 {
40, for felt il unjust to have the goo
i portion of my people suffer any persec
n tion upon my account, and although q
i. fully convinced that any priest whom q
10 bishop may lie able to secure for this pa ris
l. and who will preach law and order,
o compel the dishonest to make resiituio
10 will meet with as many obstacles as ha
met with. Yet / announced TO day
j. would resign my pastoral charge altogetl
n er, telling them that hoped snch cour
il would restore peace and make them
II uni'ed people.
e You now know about all I have to 81
q nj present. In cooler moments, when Il
y investigation comes up, both myself NJ
a congregation will force the most compile
k examination of everything. was pr
d pairing TO leave at once, but seeing Il
8 state of affairs produced by this da,
d bloody work Of the law breaker, who ha
d been defyiDg the law on account ol Il
: "poliiical power" / have determined
: defend the property of the shnrch, even
= the risk of my own life. will stay he
d now until have helped the law to bri
b the criminals 10 justice, confident that Il
y il my duty as a good citizen as well af
n faithful priest TO my church.
II V. LEwANowsKI,
e Pastor Of this Church.
n Oflce Holding a Poor Business.
= Omaha Herald.)