The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-03-04
A PRIBSTLY TRAMP,
Sad + ate Of a Clergyman With
an Appetite for Drink.
ALL REGULAR APPOINTMENTS,
Lost Through His Love For LIauor,
ana lie Finally Dies a Miserable
Death In PhIladclphia-Nlys.
tcrlous circumstances.

FhlLAnSLrlIlA, Pa, March 3.-The
coroner is to-day engaged In the inyes,i.
CATION OF tho case Of Rev. Peter Herbert
feron, tho priest who died at tho Penn.
sylvanla Hospital yesterday. 1t hiss
been learned that Mr.. Feron VIE
porn In England and was brought to
TINS u country in childhood byhis parents.
he expressed desire to enter the priest.
mood when about fifteen years Of age,
ana alter tile usual preliminaries, was
accepted asa a student at the Institute o:
ss. Joseph, ut Baltimore. He was ulti.
mateIy ordained and became quite fa-
vorlte us a preacher. Hc was eloquent,
well educated, earnest and sincere.
Soon after ho began work in the minis.
try, he became addicted to the use Of
ardent spirits and every means was
adopted to prevent the growth of the de.
sire Tor intoxicants, but in vain. He lost
az ms regular appointments and still
ms friends pleaded with the authorities
ol the church III his behalf. He was again
ana again permitted to preach, but 80
oiten lailed to meet his engagements
mat iinally he became clerical outcast.
III word, n priestly tramp. He went
TO Cincinnati, Chicago, st. Louis, St.
raul and other cities and preached as
occasion offered, but his old falling rot
the better OF him everywhere.
h0ut tan dovo ovn ,.oa.j:~ =.
formation lodged with the coroner to-
DAY, Father Feron came to this CITY,
lie did not seek the priests Of his or
der or the prominent officials of the
Catholic Church, but in a circumlocu.
tory way got acquainted with Catholic
iady, ana after Il number of visits and
lengthy explanation informed her Of
bis position. lie told her how he had
sought service in behalf of the church
IN vain and finally intimated his weak
ness for drink. She sympathized with
nun and sent him to her own physician,
He told the docter his condition and
asked Tor morphine prescription. This
was refused. He then pleaded for an
injection Of morphine, but this was also
refused. b ~ -"
Finally, he called on a doctor, who de.
cllned to give him prescription, but in
order to quiet his pain aud horrors, I'D
mlnlstered a hypodermic injection of
morphine. This relieved Feron, and he
went to saloon and took more liquor,
which was sold to him, as he appeared
perfectly sober and said he was in great
paln. Subsequently be was seen to fall
in the street, and was taken into drug
store. Here it was found that his in-
Jurles were not serious, but his condition
was such that medical treatment was
necessary. The police patrol wagon was
summoned with the idea that he would
receive medical attention ut the station
house: Thither he was taken and COM
mitted as "drunk." His serious illness
was discovered later, aud he was taken
to the st: Charles Hotel, where he had
registered on Friday us r. Herbert.
At the hotel he was put in his room
and attended, but his condition was such
that the proprietors concluded to send
him to the Pennsylvania Hospital. Here
last evening he died. NJ ?,