The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-13
FOUR ITALIANS DROP DEAD
YOUNG AMERICAN, WHO WAS DRIv-
ING, ALSO A VICTIM.
The Assassins Unkaown. bus sup-
posed to BE Friends of n, saloon
Keeper Who Had Been Killed.

OMAHA, Neb., March 12-During the
early morning mass at st. Paurs Roman
Catholic Church, to-day, a. party of Poles
who were formerly members of the congre-
CATION. but who were ousted by Bishop
Scannell, entered the church and attempted
to take possession. Father Karminski, who
was saying mass, resisted the attempt to
capture the church. and one of the invaders
opened fire. Father KArminski at once drew
a revolver and fired into the attacking party.
After a fusillade the invaders withdrew.
leaving their wounded in the church. The
injured are:
legs.
JOHN KOZICKA. shot through the knee.
JOSEPH linda, one of the priests sup
porters, stabbed and beaten.
The police were at once summoned and.
after hard fight, they took possession OF
the church. Several people were arrested.
among them, Father Karminski, and they
are now in Jail.
The trouble was the outgrowth of dis
sensions which have torn the church for
two years. Bishop Scannell removed the
priest in charge in spite Of protests of Lead
ing men of the congregation and the matter
was carried into the courts. For a time the
church was guarded by the police whenever
services were held, but three weeks ago the
District Court decided that the Bishop
should have possession and the trouble was
supposed to have been ended. The other fac
ton, however, was dissatisfied with the
priest in charge and there have been NUT
terings among the Poles in the neighbor-
hood, but no outbreak was anticipated by
the police. When the officers arrived on the
scene this morning they found an infuriated
mob surrounding the church, and it was
necessary for the police to fight their way
into the building. There they found the
priest in possession, backed by five altar
boys, and the wounded men lying in the
aisles The leaders of the mob were placed
under arrest and taken to the police sta
ton, followed by an excited crowd.
Although the attack was surprise to the
priest, something of the kind had been ex-
pected for some time. and he had arranged
a signal to call his supporters around him
when it should occur. This signal was the
ringing of the church bells. The enemy had
'.tumbled" to this fact, and when the at
tack was made men pulled the ropes of the
bell outside and tied them to fence. Priest
Karminski discovered this, and, after clos
ing the doors of the church. he sent one or
the boys into the tower and soon the danger
signal was pealng. When the hell was
heard the priests t, supporters % M & began & to rally
the building they We're welcomed by. the
The enemy decided that this would have 10
Joseph linda, who, next to the priest. is at
the head Of the congresation which has
the steps as 81 a guard and bravely he met the
onslaught. But numbers were too much for
him and he was ..downed;" His head was
and he mas a deep and long cash on his
forehead which was made by a knife: His
fo eose ana ioc fhe o Of the
and the enemy was again baiked linda was
seyere t6ey jo 1ia are not are
The parties making the attack claim to
have the right Of the reside. rssiasPcs. e. They say
and, and II so. the title is vested in. Bishop
Bishop has the power to appoint a priest to
carry on services. They claim that the
and, therefore, it has no right to the prop
erty The other side also claim right to
the property. They, admit that It belongs
mo money s1f they ought to have say in the de-
IS now decided to vicar-generaI Choka and
they refuse to transfer the deed to bishop
ss''thas have the deed they claim that he mad re-
fused to appoint priest and that, therefore,
hey ELECTED the present priest e
hood by Archbishop Vilatte to carry on the
service of the church according to the Latin
Roman Catholic as Bishop Scanneli.
The congreg alton is about evenly divided.
about sixty families being on each side. The
leaders of the Scannell division seem to be
Joseph Kezscka and Jacob Netzer with
Adam Trzanoski as lieutenant. Priest
Karminski and Joseph linda appear to be at
the head of the other faction and the priest
claims that he has been threatened fre,
quentIy by his enemies. who desire to kill
him. he says, and have held meetings to lay
plans for doing So but the Bishop has told
them not to do this. He thinks that the
whole trouble was caused by Koziscka
who he says, is continually urging on his
countrymen.
Priest karminski Is charged with shoot
ing with intent to kill.