Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-26
FATHER ROLES DEATH.

A More Extended Account OF tn,
Life OF the Venerable Priest---En
xineer Hawks Funeral.
The Chicago Herald of today contains
the following extended account OF th.
death and the life of Father Roles. former
pastor of st. Joseph's Catholic church in
Rock Island, notice of whose demise ap.
peared in the ARGUS of yesterday:
| Rev. Joseph P. Roles. rector of st.
Mary's Catholic church, and one of the
best known priests in the state of Hi.
nois, is dead. Sometime during Tuesday
| night-nobody knows the exact hour
but it is believed about midgight-he
passed peacefully away. Sitting in his
armchair, he was found at 1880 o'clock
yesterday morning by his housekeeper,
Mrs. Dillon. He had, it is evident, been
dead for several hours. That the sum-
mons had come suddenly was also evi.
dent, and it was believed the venerable
priest had suffered little, if any. pain. A
peaceful expression was still upon his
features. and, though he had suffered
| much of late. the spoplectic stroke which
caused bis death must have prevented
lingering pain. The coroner was mott :
fed and an inquest held. Last Thursday
Father Roles returned from visit to
French Lick, Ind. Sunday, while going
to church to say mass. he was seized with
violent pains in the chest Immediately
above the heart. SO severe was the pain
he could not proceed to church. and re-
| turned to his residence on Wabash ave
nue.. The pains occurred at intervals up
| to the night of his death, generally COM
ing upon him at night, causing an in
ability TO remain in bed. After securing
| relief from these attacks, he suffered at
times mild hemorrhages, but these were
| not regarded as especially dangerous. At
no time was he confined to his bed. and
only few of his more intimate friends
were aware that he was i'll. Tuesday he
was seized with more than ususally Sc :
we're pains, which were so intense that he
had to exert all his will power to keep
from succumbing. About 10 o'clock
Tuesday night Father Gillen, Father
Roles assistant, visited him in his
room. At that hour Father Roles was
free from pains and the two conversed
for some time on parochial matters, no
allusion being made by either to the at
tacks to which Father Roles had been
subject. 1t was beyond his usual hour
for rising when Mrs. Dillon, the house
keeper, knocked at his door. having
brought him some toast and coffee. Re-
ceiving no response she opened the door
At first she thought he was asleep. but,
arR OFT trf1n
was dead. DR.. Stowell, who was hastily
summoned, thought he had died about
midnight. He had occupied his bed. but
the pains had evidently returned and he
had been forced to seek his easy chair to
better control himself Miss Annie Barr
ton. niece of the dead priest. who is
stopping at the parish house, and Fath>
ers Gillen and Dryer were hastily noti>
fed of the sad occurrence. All three
were quite overcome with grief.
Funeral services will be held at St
Mary's church tomorrow morning at
$50 o'clock, thence by train at noon
from the Polk Street station to Mount
Olivet. All day yesterday crowds OF
the dead priests parishloners visited the
residence, 543 Wabash avenue, and near
ly every priest in the city called TO take
final look at the features of his de.
ceased brother.
Father Roles was born May 90. 1880,
at Halifax. His father was of English
and his mother of Irish psrentage. He
was educated at st. Marys college, Hal
flax, until lie was seventeen years of age,
when he went to France and pursued the
philosophical course of study at the
Grand Seminary at Arrss. in the north of
France. where he remained five years
studying theology. the sciences and phil
osophy. and the Latin, Greek and French
languages. He graduated in 1859, and
returning to Halifax he was ordained.
For two years he was was president of st.
Mary's college at Halifax, and then for
seven years he was missionary among the
Acadians. He came to Chicago in 1860
At the invitation of Bishop Duggsn, and
assumed the duties of the vice presidency
of the University of st. Msry's of the
Lake. For one year he was pastor of st.
Louis church, which. since the fire, has
been fused with the parish of st. Msry's.
He was then appointed to the church Of
the Holy Name. In 1872 be went to
Rock Island and was there six years, when
uc IctuTntu W CnlCdSO duu DeChtut pas
tor of ST. Mary's church, which charge he
retained up to the time of his death He
was the editor of the first illustrated
Catholic Sunday school paper in the
United States and was a contributor to
an English periodical. besides making
numerous translations of French works.
FUNERAL OF ENGINEER HAWK.
The funeral services of the late Benja-
min Hawk, the Rock Island engineer,
were held in the rooms of Division so,
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in
Reynolds block at the foot of Elm street
at o'clock this afternoon. Rev. w. s.
Marquis. of the Broadway Presbyterian
church officiating. There was large
attendance of all branches of railroad en-
ployment, as well as other friends of the
deceased and his family. The pail bear
ers. all engineers. were: Geo. H. Scott,
Fred Novelty. Geo. Colburn, S. T. Sari
man, w. W. Scott and VIM. Gilmore.