Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-06-24
AN INcIDEET OF WOODWORKING DAYS.

| second.ciaSs nlGtter.l
AN INCIDEET OF KNoWN0THING DAYS.
A story of the late Bishop Hendricken, o.
| the Providence diocese, has been revealed
| through brief sentence uttered by Bishop
| O'Reiiy at the funeral service on Thursday
In the presence cf A. 70 people. including
two archbishons, six bishops and q priests
Bishop 0'Reily accidentally mentioned that
once nearly made martyr at sea for per-
sisting in performing Christian act, and
that there lived u man in Providence, not O
Catholic, who waS Instrumental in saving
the bishop .>In oeing foui!y murdered.
Tho statement occasioned considerable sur.
arse, Tor although Bishop HeEdricken had
ruled tic Sua for fourteen years and beel G
| priest of The diocese as many more. his peo.
pic had Dever heard Of such an incident.
Last vce; 4. priest revealed tho gentleman
referred u. Il was Rev. Samuel Davies, o
Protestant clergyman and superintendent OF
the Providence Worki3gman's Bone. To Il
| correspondent Mr.. Davies said:
III is true am :he person meant, but the
bishop and utyer referred TO the affair in
public, Ie being very sensitive about bis
own good deeds. have for thirty years re-
ea.lad him a3Dy ideal ofa hero, and the way
I car.c to bc The means of saving him from
maTtyrIo.n isthis: On May 25, 1852 embark
cd aloard the Black Ball line ship Columbia
froni Liverpool. Among the cabin passengers
were two you1g priests just from Maynooth
Father Hendricken who subsequently
became Bishop Of Providence and Rhode
Island, and Father Walsh, who afterwards
became Vicar General Of the Hartford do
cese There were 700 emigrants aboard,
penned up like pigs in the steerage, and /
was requested 10 take spiritual charge of
the Protcstants, mostly from South Germa
NJ. The Catholics numbered about 500
Irish and German. The captain of the yes.
eel and al! his officers aud crew were NOM
5ers Of the know rothiug party, the captain
being notorious leader and president of q
lodge cf know nothings in Maine. His hos
.iisy 10 Catholicism was 80 bitter that he
would not ship q man or officer who was
not in sympathy with the know nothing
movement. He manifested this hostility
Immediately he got out to sea by declining
to allow any Catholic services aboard. He
was also rude and uncivil to the two priests
at table.
eve had been thirteen days out when
word was brought me that 8 woman was
dying and needed spiritual comfort.
found that it was priest she wanted, and
having formed friendship with the two
young priests, I acquainted Father Hen
trcken of the woman's need. The young
tran hurried into his cabin, donned his vest
meuts and was passing out with the Eucha-
rist in his hand when he was confronted
by the captain, who damned him for 9
Papst and seized him by the throat, declar-
ing that aboard his ship people would have
to die without id Catholic mummery.
Drawing pistol he threatened to shoot if
step was taken towards the spot where
the poor woman lay dying. ClaspiDg his
crucifx young Hendricken replied that he
must 20 to the relief of that departing soul,
even though his life be sacrificed. Livid
with rage, the captain would have felled
him to the earth but for the other priest and
myself We got the young priest away and
persuaded him to refrain from open defiance
of the captain until supper time, when he
could slip down while we would endeavor
TO engage the captain in conversation at ta-
BILE. The ruse succeeded, and while the
captain, with coarse gibes and ribald Jokes
was declaring that no Catholic rite should
ever be administered aboard his boat, Fa-
:her Hendricken was at the dying woman's
side hearing her confession and administer
ing the sacrament. She died while he was
repeating the final prayer.
"Just before supper was over q sailor
| burst into the room and informed the cap
tain that that id priest bad got down
and was fixing that Irish woman Snatch
ing up pistol, the captain sprapg from the
table, followed by the mate and purser, bent
on destroying Father Hendricken.-
We ran after them, and were in time
to SEQ the captain strike the priest
fearful blow as he came up the
hatchway, hurting him down, where be lay
stunned and bleeding. Drag the cuss up
here, commanded the captain, and his sail.
| ors, sezing the pc 1trate priest by the feet,
dragged him up and flung him, moaning, on
the deck We tried to interpose, but were
driven back by the crew, ell OF whom were
| ripe tor any order from ths captain: The
! id Papist shall never see New York alive,
exclaimed he, and he led off by planting Il
| fearful kick on Father Hendricken's head.
The blood gushed from a ghastly wound,
| dyeing the white vestments crimson. The
crew followed suit, each one stepping for
ward and delivering his heavy booted foot
Oh the face or body of the now insensiblc
clergyman.
81 rushed down below and acquainted the
German Catholics of the tragedy being en-
acted on deck. Fifty veteran soldiers fol.
lowed me, and we reached the scene 10 time
to hear thu captain tell the crew throw thst
id carcass overheard The mon were in
the act of pushing the inanimate body over
the side when the Germans fell upon them
telling them right and loft, and wrestling the
body from them. 'Mutiny, by God" ex'
claimed the captain, but hade him beware
that these Germans were but preventing
the murder of priest, and that, if gosded
to desperation by his wickedness, summary
vengeance might be resorted to and none