The Irish standard., 1891-09-26
AN IMAGE OF GOLD.
Found Concealed in an Old Next
can Mission.
The Strange Discovery of Venturesome
Amerfcan-Silnilar Images Said
to Be III Use Among
the Indians.

Up in the mountains, about thirty
miles from this city, says the Chi
huahua correspondent of the Boston
Globe, is an old Catholic mission. The
church is said to be one of the oldest on
the continent, having been built just
after the subjugation Of the Aztecs
This church is away from the usual
haunts of white men, and all the mem.
bers are Indians. The priest, Father
La Lumere, an old white haired French
man, has had charge Of the parish for
more than half century. The church
is closely guarded and no white man
other than the priest has ever been per
United to enter it's sacred precincts by
the Indians.
It has always been supposed that the
cause of this rigid exclusion was the
superstition Of the natives, but an ad-
venturesome young American artist has
the apparent madness of the descendant
of the Montezumas.
A party Of tourists went out from
iChihuahua to the old village for the
purpose of seeing the sights and taking
pictures of the Indians and old build
'hags. When they were refused admis-
sion to the church they at once con-
icluded that there was something there
they ought TO see.
They visited the priest and tried to
induce him to let them enter, but he
was obdurate and gave them no salts
faction.
In the party was q young man from
Illinois named William Morrison. He
determined at all hazards to see the in
|side Of the church, and at once set
Eahout laying his plans. He found that
10 mum her of old Indians were constantly
Jon guard each being relieved at stated
anter7als He also found that the door
was kept locked and the key was at the
priests house, but that the windows
could be raised by a little effort.
He prepared himself with q camera
with d hash-light attachment and 81
bottle of aqua ardiente, or Mexican
whisky, in which he placed enough
ignorphine to produce sleep. He then
saunaered along to where the guardian
was sitting and engaged his attention.
Foottlo spoke for itself, and it was not
ha.Hicult to induce the old man to take
two or three drinks. Morrison then
passed on, but soon returned, and found
ithe Indian fast asleep.
He quickly forced a. window and
gained entrance to the church. The in
!terior was very common, but upon the
altar was a small statue of the Virgin,
which Morrison at first supposed to be
gilt, but as it was the only thing in the
place that had the appearance of value,
and as it had a peculiar luster, he gave
1t a closer examination.
The statue was about q foot high and
when he took hold Of il he could barely
,xnovesit. Struck with it's extraordinary
weight he lifted it and found that it
weighed lot less than one hundred and
City pounds, This convinced him that
1t was of pure gold and he took a flash
Light picture Of the image and altar and
made his exit.
He told his story to the other mem
bers OF the party, and they concluded
50 get the facts from Father La Lu-
Rnere.
The old priest was much surprised
when asked about the golden statue Of
Ghe Virgin, and at first refused TO talk,
but when convinced that it had been
seen be said that it was pure gold and
had been made from the idols Of the
old Aztecs when they were first con-
verified.
They were induced to make offerings
81 5his kind, and when all had done SO
'Ghe gold was melted and run inSo the
statue. Father La Lu1nere refused to
give an estimate of the value of the i'm
age. but if it is as heavy as Morrison
thinks it must be worth fully fifty
thousand dollars. Father la Lumere
said that in many of the churches OF
&he interior there were similar statues,
but the Indians We're SO Jealous that it
was dangerous to attempt to penetrate
the mysteries Of the churches.
He advised The party not to let it be
KNOWN that they had seen the statue,
Cor the Indians might take extreme
measures IL prevent it's becoming
iS-7,:rv;, c77+Si1n Of tho town