Wichita eagle., 1890-02-02
voluntarily assumed the duties of Keeping IL

voluntarily assumed the duties Of Keeping IL
clean and in order On that October morn
ing she went about her work as usual, aud
when Father Kelly arrived she had al
ready poured the wine for the mornings
service from the bottle into the glass
cruet used on such occasions, and had
placed the cruet on a table near the
altar, where it would be ready to Father
Kelly's hand. Father Kelly noticed, while
moving about the sacristy, a small amount
of white powder near where the bottle of
communion wine had stood. He commented
on this to Miss Terriss, who said she had also
noticed it, and they thought nothing moro
about it for the time.
At the offertory, as usual, Father Kelly
poured the wine from the cruet into the
chalice with an equal amount of water, and,
in due course of the mass, drank the mixture
about ten minutes later.
Almost instantly he realized that he had
been poisoned The wine of the sacrament
seemed like liquid fire burning out his life.
In his own words, s'The pain grew more in
tense each instant, but persevered in saying
the mass through beforeI had left the altar. +"
As soon as he stepped from the altar be called
for help. A druggist and a doctor were sum-
moned, emetics were administered. and the
priests hfe was saved, although he was sick
in bed for several days.
As may be imagined, the matter created
great CONSERVATION in the village Investi-
gatien showed that the door of the rink could
easily be forced and, as no one for moment
suspected Miss Terriss, it was agreed that
some one must have gained entrance to the
rink and placed the arsenic in the wine bot
tie. A chemists analysis Of the wine in the
bottle showed that it contained enough poi
son to kill dozen men. Father Kelly at
tTibuted the crime to some ''crank," )" and the
matter was allowed to rest there.
On the morning of the first day of the year
Father Kelly, who had been at the church
(which was then completely until nearly mid
night at an entertainment, took quartet Of
singers-two ladies and two gentlemen, all
from Utica-who had volunteered to sing for
the occasion, to his home to spend the night
About l O'Clock In the morning they all re-
tired; but Father Kelly did not fall asleep
readily, and at 8 .. n. was reading in bed
Suddenly the door bell was rung violently.
Father Kelly dressed partially and went to
the door. There he found some one who held
out letter. Father Kelly stopped slightly
to take the letter. Crash! blow from
bludgeon in the hands of a mysterious visitor
struck the priest on the hand and arm. This
was followed almost instantly by another
blow which struck the priest full on the head.
He fell, bat as he fell he shouted loudly for
help His assailant ran rapidly away just
as the guests, reused from their siumbers by
the cry of the priest, arrived on the scene
In the morning short, thick bar of rusty
iron was found on the porch. 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY the weapon that had been used in this
second attempt on the priests life.
There the matter stopped. Father Kelly
had not had good enough view of his mid
night visitor to form any opinion as to
identity or even to be sure of the sex, al
though his impression was that it was a man
who had struck him. Thus came about the
mystery which has thrown Oneida into
e---ment and badly puzzled the detectives.