The Indianapolis journal., 1891-06-27
IN A LIVING TOMB.

Driven to Insanity by Long Incarceration
for Writing to Her Lover.
Vienna Dispatch to san Francisco Chr,
Sister Barbara Ubryk. the Carmelite nun
who, in the year 1853. was the innocent
cause of the riots al Cracow, has just died
spent the last twenty-five years of her un-
happy life.
Sister Barbara belonged to a noble family,
who had forced her to enter the religious
order for the purpose Of preventing her
from marrying young officer of the lancers
with whom she was violently in love. but
who, unfortunately. had neither rank. title
nor fortune.
On entering the grim old convent of Cra-
cow she ceased all communication with her
family by her express desire, az it was be-
heved at the time, and 1t was not unil more
than twenty years had elapsed that one of
her brothers, on inquiring from the relig-
ious authorities what had become of his
beautiful sister. was given to understand
that she was no longer on the list of the
living.
Struck by the stiffness of the answer he
proceeded to the Archbishop of Cracow's
palace, and throwing himself at the ven
erable prelate's feet. entreated him to find
out if his sister Barbara were really dead.
The Archbishop immediately took steps to
discover the truth, but the abbess of the
great Carmelite convent In which Sister
Barbara was supposed to have died not
about the matter but availing herself of
the inviolability of conyents, absolutely
declined to allow the government officials
to pass the portals thereof.
Archbishop Gaelecke. who was a Just and
enlightened man. thereupon secured the
assistance of the police. and surrounded by
battalion of gendarmes. commanded by
Count Spaur, forced an entrance into the
convent, in spite of the desperate resist
ance and invectives of the infuriated nuns.
The latter actually went so far as to arm
themselves with stones. and the military
narrowly escaped being ignominiously re-
pulsed by these holy women. against whom
they dared not draw their swords.
After long search the Archbishop and
his party descended into the dungeons.
fifteen feet under the ground. where they
heard low groans and means, which sound
ed more bestial than human. proceeding
from half-brlcked-up cell in narrow
stone passage.
In this living tomb, seven PAGES long by
ten PAGES wide, they discovered, by the
light Of torches which they -carried,
woman with long. dlsheveied hair crouch
ing IN the corner of her filthy prison. At
the unaccustOmed sight of the light the
unfortunate creature began to scream with
terror. and. springing to her feet. tore at
the granite walls with her talon-like nails.
With much trouble the bricks, which
more than half closed up the entrance,
were removed. and the ravipg inmate of
the cell was approached. 1t was found
that both her feet aud hands were loosely
bound with steel chains 80 az to avoid the
remotest possi biIity of escape on her part,
and that her whole body was covered with
ulcers. while her tangled tresses were
simply alive with vermn.
This was Sister Barbara Ubryk, insane,
and having lost her power of speech in con-
sequence of her Incarceration for over
nineteen years in this chamber of physical
and mental torture.
The Archbishop. horrifed beyond meas
ure. had the abbess brought before him,
and frightened her into confessing TO him
that this bsrbarous deed had been perpe-
trated by her orders. and in punishment of
what she called crime committed by
Sister Barbara The crime" consisted in
her having during the first year of her con-
vent life kent mp a correspondence with her
former lover. and having consented by q
letter to elope with him.