St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-21
There Is Nothing Of the Su-
pernatural In the Canton
Window.
Bishop Cottep Writes a Let
ter of Explanation Of the
Situation.
Mrs. Kuester Changes Her
Plea to Murder in the
Third Degree.
She Will Be Sentenced to
Spend a Few Years at
Saltwater.

WINoNA, Dec. 20.-Bishop j. B. Cot
ter this afternoon gave out the follow
ing statement in regard to the Canton
window:
The result of the rigid investigation of the
Canton incident made under my super
vision on the 18th ana 18th OF this month
may be told in substantially the same Ian
guage used and reiterated by me i'll answer
10 the numerous requests, public and private,
preferred during the period of an excitement
unreasonable and intense, only i'll proportion
TO the distance the curious minded and sen
sation-seeking lived from the scene. The
manifestations thus far observed in the little
window glass of the Canton church appear
to be explained on purely natural grounds,
and other interpretations are uncalled for;
The statements, however, thus far advanced
favoring an explanation by the proc
esses of polarization" OF the un-
preventable introduction OF gaseous
blue smoke in cheap grades OF window
glass during its manufacture. can scarcely be
held as atfording sufficient explanation OF
the unique face forms found in the first WIN
dow, nor of the singular coincidence OF more
strongly defined forms found in the second
glass. No theory pointing TO supernatural
origin for the appearances has been shown
by the investigation made to be tenable, ana
no one has been. nor under existing condi-
tons can be, permitted with any sembance
of warrant from the church to assert that the
manifestations are miraculous in their char-
acter. Whoever advances the supernatural
theory does so solely in the exercise OF MS
private Judgment" his argument deriving
value from proofs presented in support OF
his opinion.
The cruel charge of fraud made by ire
sponsible parties eXacts notice simply on ac-
count of the Introduction thereby OF mis-
chievously beclouding difficulties into the
case. Not a shadow of evidence has been
advanced in support of the uncharltable as
sumption. The testimony of the party who
bought and inserted the glass taken under
solemn oatn is to the effect that he purchased
and put i'll the glass during tine absence aud
without the knowledge of the pastor, with
no thought of securing or witnessing any OF
the manifestations occurring IN the nrst
window, and entirely ignorant of the pres
ence OF the cloudy defects found in it at the
examination conducted on the 18th inst IL
is quite safe to say that supposing sucn mex
cusable base intent on his part, 1t would De
next to impossible to select piece OF glass
possessing the conditions required Tor tne
production of the unique results witnessed
Whilst the mass Of testimony alleging the
presence of cures is held to be 1nsufnclent 10
prove miraculous Intervention. no snow Oh
reason permitted its rejection as other than
evidence not sufficiently corroborated. The
counsel given 10 honest, earnest lnqulrers
Immediately after the first Investigator. ana
repeated into WEAKNESS again ana again
since, must be offered now and with greater
emphasis 1t is except II De u VISION from
the Most High: "Set not thy heart upon
them, for dreams have deceived many, and
they have failed that put their trusts Ill
them."-Ecc. xxxiv. 81.
Persons who advise the afflicted on the
strength of sensational rumors and in the
face of my carefully considered declaration,
to visit Canton for extraordinary suceor.
cruelty subject them to the dangers and pain
tul inconvenences of travelling, inclement
weather and the meager accommodations
inseparable from the misnamed pilgrimages
to Canton JOSEPH b. CoTTER
Bishop Of Winona.