Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-21
MARTIN LUTHER.
DID THE LEADER CT THE REF0RMA-
TON COMMIT SUICIDE?
Father Majunke's Book on the Reformer
Receives Attention by Local
Lutheran Minister.

On last evening, before the sermon, Rev.
w. S. Haskinson, of the English Lutheran
Church, spoke in Pioneer Hall as follows:
We are justly proud of the man whose
| name we carry. In one sense he belongs
| to US, in another he belongs to the whole
Protestant world. We, as a nation, have
| special reason to honor this man because
| the principles of liberty which he advo.
Gated made this nation a possibility, and
have become the motive power in the lives
| OF all our people. We cannot stand by and
hear the name of that noble man sullied
| without word of protest.
l hold in my hand an editorial of q
leading Catholic paper here on the Coast
1t reads: Ever since the day when the I'm.
| fortunate apostate ex-monk Martin Luther
| shuff1ed off this mortal coil with all his
sins upon his head, a belief has existed in
the minds of many of the foremost writers
of each country that the founder of Pro.
testantism died by his own hand. The
latest writer to renew this interesting
question is Father Majunke, who was
| formerly chief editor of the Germania, and
who, after studing the subject for several
years, has at last published a volume in
which he advances strong proof that
Luther was a suicide. From documents
which Father Msjunke introduces into his
| volume, it transpires that on the death OF
the arch-apostate it was at once reported
| that he did not die natural death. This
| rumor assumed the form of fact when
Luther's valet abJured the heresy he was
led into by Catherine Bora's co-partner in
| anti-Catholic contumacy, and then he at
| once acknowledged that on the morning OF
| Luther's demise february 1s, l546), on
| entering his mothers bedroom. the valet
found him hanging from post of the bed.
stead. dead"
Here is rehashed an old fable about the
suicide of Luther, which is too absurd to
find credence among fair scholars. but
which will not fail to have its effect { the
ignorant masses. 1t has repeatedly en-
| refuted; but prejudice keeps it alive where
1t is supposed some good may result. This
author found an Italian book dated 1898
forty-seven years after Luther's death
which contained the story of the servant
as given above. In 1906 Belgian Fran
| ciscan published what claimed to be the
| confession of the servant. Here it is: "a
| pious man, for the glory of God, inquired
Of the servant what he had to say about
Luther's death. Thereupon he confessed
We brought him in the evening to his bed
| he being in an intoxicated state. When
we returned to him next morning to assist
him in dressing we we're panied to find
| him hanging beside his bed. Thereupon
We fastened to those who had been his
| drinking companions, and to the princes.
and announced to them this horrible death.
| They adjured US to keep silent. to place
the body in bed, and to spread the report
| among the people that he had died sud
den death. By means of great promises of
| reward they purchased our silence and ODE
| dience; but my conscience will not permit
me 10 longer keep silence"
Thus the SANDER runs. The name of
| the servant is not given, nor of the "pious
| man" and the whole story is so evidently
fabrication that it cannot bear the light
| of investigation. Many Catholics believed
| this story when first published because
| they wanted to believe it, In Germany.
| the Catholics were ashamed of the shallow
| fabrication, and it was soon forgotten.
Now it is republished, because the ultra
| montanes are doing all they can to heap
| infamy on Luther and all who bear his
name. The story is spread now with the
assurance that incontes.able proof has been
| furnished that Luther's end was tragic.
The facts are these: Luther died at
Eisleben, on the night OF February IS,
1916, between and o'clock in the morn
ing, surrounded by his two sons, Martin
and Paul, the servant Jonas, two theo-
logians, Colius and Aurifaber, the town
Clerk and his wife. two physicians, Count
Albert and his wife and Count of Swattz-
burg and his wife. Luther had gone to
Eislebeu at this time against the earnest
protest of his wife to settle dispute be-
tween two Counts. He had been in feeble
health, and the day before spent most of
his time in bed, but took his evening meal
with the family where he lodged He was
troubled with oppressive sensations in his
Ghost hrt hn Giant niatl 81 1 81
He then awoke with distressing pains, and
it was plain his death was near at hand.
All those named above were called and
soon the room was filed When asked
whether he wanted to die in the faith of
Jesus Christ and of the doctrine he had
preached, he answered distinctly, "Yes."
At the order of the Elec,or, three the
ologians, witnesses of his death, gave a
full report of Luther's last days and hours,
which was published four DAYS after his
death. The Catholics, even, as a rule, have
accepted this report. The anonymous story
OF his suicide appearing nearly half
century after Luther's death, in a foreign
land, among haters of Luther and the
Reformation, and with the purpose of de-
flaming the reformer, has not the shadow of
proof for its truthfulness. 1t presupposes
that Luther slept alone; whereas he slept
IN large room, and five others slept in ii
besides himself All the town of Eisleben
knew that he died between and in the
morning, SO great was the excitement
caused By bringing persons TO his bedside,
and by the report that he wes dying Three
letter. are preserved which were written to
the Elector. Two of these are dated,
Early at o'clock"
Now, while it is positively certain that
Luther died between and in the night,
the author of the above SANDER lets the
servant enter at the usual time for rising in
the morning and then finds that the re-
former has committed suicide
We doubt not the report will do mis-
chief because, as the historian Ranke says.
" A false report, if believed, is as effective
as the truth" 1t will have the effect of in
spring certain classes with hatred of the
Reformation. In those times it was be-
lieved that happy death was confrma-
ton of Christian life; hence the impor-
lance 10 the Papacy of making it appear
that Luther died drunkard and by his
own hand.