Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-13
A BISHOPS FUNERAL.
Scenes On the Death of limo Senior
D. D. Juan de Dios BOsque,
THE FAMED PRELATE OF BOLIVIA.
A Great Holiday Devoted to Pomp and Cere.
mony and Mourning.
WHAT GOSSIPS SAY OF THE DECEASED
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE p1srArcH.l

| LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, august ia hush
has fallen upon the city, for the bishop is
dead. This is more startling announce
ment than the stranger at frse appreciates,
for Bishop Juan de Dios Bosque was the
foremost man in Bolivia, functionary OF
more importance than the President of the
Republic and with far greater power.
Neither revolutions nor changing govern
ments could affect his state and position; he
| directed rulers and shaped public events and
his word was law from which there was no
| appeal. His influence was more potent be-
cause not observable on the surface, but it
penetrated to every home in all the walks of
life, swaying the strongest through their
superstitions and maintaining its frmest
hold through the women and the children.
| He was only 81 years old when he sue
cumbed to what surgeons name visical cal.
culus, terrible disease for whose treatment
he went to Europe eight years and re-
turned apparently cured. He was appointed
to the diocese by the Pope in 1876 and from
that time to the present has enjoyed an in
come much greater than that of the Presi-
dent ranging between $50, 900 and $100, 900
and not only founded but supported the
great orphan asylum of La Paz out of his
private means, besides dispensing large
sums Of money in daily charities.
THE PRELATE's CAREER.
Of course dark tales are told concerning e
his private life and alleged methods of add
ing to his income, circulated, now that he
is dead, by those who few days ago dared
not speak his name except in the most re-
| spectful manner. Slander, like death, loves
a shining mark; and doubtless most of these
| falsehoods are attributable to the petty
| jealousy that always follows those who are
elevated in purpose or position above the
common herd. The best that can be said of
him, or Of any human being in the final
summing-up of the earthly record, is that he
was not wanting in charity, the greatest of
the Christian virtues.
Some time ago Bishop Bosque got HIM
| self so deeply "under cloud" at Rome
| that the Pope suspended him for a year or
two. The trouble began with the discovery
that he had bestowed two or three livings
| apiece on certain poor curates. OF course
the gossipers insist that the latter divided
the spoils with their patron, but as the cures
receive the merest pittance from the Govern
ment, the salary of each being about $100
per annum, there could not have been very
much to divide. The suspension of the too
sympathetic Bishop was precipitated by his
marrying a Cabinet Minister to a widow,
three of whose children by former hus-
band having been god-fathered BY the Min
lister aforesaid. No remotest tie of blood
existed between them, but the Church ex-
pressly forbids such marriages, on the
ground that spiritual relationship, sacred
| though unexplainsble, exists between
compadres, as parents and god-parents are
called.
PRETTY NEARLY GOT EVEN.
During the period of suspension his SAL
ary from the Government, 5000 a year,
was stopped; but the grateful Minister ore,
sented him with 81 500 and his parishioners
made up purse OF $4,000 more, so that he
managed to worry along. Now that he is
dead, the aspect of the whole city is sud-
denly changed. According to a church
custom in Bolivia the Bishop must lie in
state four days, and meanwhile people of
every class are in deepest mourning
By the way, the women of South America
can mourn more, in outward appearance,
than any other class of people on earth. Ali
wear straight, scant gowns OF black wool,
entirely untrimmed and slightly trailing;
and mantas, or shawls, of the same material.
and body, and covering the face so that only
funeral figures, gliding slowly through the
streets, with bowed heads, calls to mind
some OF Dore's illustrations in "Dante's In
ferno." Since everybody is not only invited,
but expected, to call upon the illustrious
dead, let us join the multitude and proceed
to the house of mourning. The Indians
and the half-breeds go in their everyday,
bright-hued toggery, having no other, but
custom DEGREES that other people must dress
entirely in black, the gentlemen in tall
hats with band of crepe around them, and
the ladies with no hats at all, but the uni
versal manta worn over the head.
THE PRESENCE OF THE DEAD.
The "palace," though very extensive,
looks shabby enough outside, the lower
floor on the front side occupied by several
poor shops, and its once white walls now
yellow-gray with dirt and time. Through
hall-like salon we go, where soldiers stand
on guard and rows of black-gowned priests
are perched all around the edges like so
many overgrOwn birds of prey; and come,
at last, to the inner room, in which the pre-
late is holding his last reception.
1t is large, square sala, the walls COW
cred with wreaths of white and purple
flowers, each chaplet tied with long black
ribbons, to which the card of the donor is
attached. Monks, priests and friars stand
all around, each holding a lighted candle;
while, hour after hour, a constant pro-
cession OF mourning people pours in at one
door and out at another.
The Bishop never looked better in life, de-
spite the sufferings of his last DAYS. The
proud, dark face, Moorish in type, wears
calm, though by no means happy smile,
and Sphinx-like expression that will long
haunt the beholder. He lies at an angle Of
45 degrees, on what appears to be solid bed
of roses, his tall and stately figure dressed
in richest vestments of purple and gold,
with splendid lace beneath, and sparkling
with jewels, with the mitre on his head and
golden crook beside him.
WONDERFUL GEM
The right hand, which has dispensed so
many blessings, lies at his side, within
reach of the passing multitude. It is COW
cred with black kid glove, and on the mid
die finger is the well-known ring, set with a
big, fat diamond, which has been worn by
other Bishops long gone to glory, and
pressed by the lips of successive generations.
It is said to be worth $50, 900, and being the
property of the church will be removed be-
fore the body is inferred. There are two
other jewels on the back of the same glove,
each set in rosette of red ribbon; the sig
nifcance of which 1 do not know; and
everybody ascends two black palled steps,
kneels beside the fowery bier a1i kisses the
dead hand three times, once en- each jewel.
Meanwhile, scarcely a sound is heard but
that of sobs and sighs, and the purple robe
is stained with tears.
As it is not every day that Bishop dies,
the citizens of La Paz improve the occasion
by making it general holiday ana an op-
portunity for the military and civic display
they most enioy, Several thousand invita-