The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-24
PROVIDENCE Church war
Details Of the Trouble Rchearscd Be-
fore Alderman Fidlcr.
TRESPASSERS HELD IN BAIL
They VIII Have to Answer NJ Court for
Their Attempt to Take FOrcibic Pos.
session or the Church Evidence
Given ut the Hearing.

sincavitch and Anthony Gowan, who
We're arrested Saturday night at 10
O'Clock for mailing up the doors of st.
Joseph'S Lithuanian Catholic church on
North Main avenue. Providence. their
motive being to prevent the priest, Rev.
Michael Peza. from saying mass the
next day. were given hearing before
| Alderman Fidler. of the First ward.
yesterday afternoon at o'clock, and
they were put under 5000 bail each on
| the charge of malicious mischief to ap-
pear for trial in court.
The status of affairs in st. Joseph's
congregatio makes 1t appear as If these
seven men form coteric that want to
run both the priest and the church.
The priest. Father Pcza, Is a man a about
10 years of age, highly educated and
well schooled In dealing with different
| temperaments in people. He has a de-
cided objection to being run, preferring
as pastor to exercise his priestly func-
tions in way satisfactory to his SUI
perior. lRt REV Bishop O'Hara. and ac-
cording to the dictates of his conscience
| and Judgment
The cause the seven men had for find
Ing fault with Father PeZa was. as they
allege. his refusal to give an itemiZed
statement. or. In fact, any account at
| all. of the finances of the congregation:
but that he took the money and used it
| to any advantage he pleased without
! consulting them one way or the other.
Had Him Arrested for Embezslcmcnt.
They swore out warrant for the
priest last Saturday morning on the
charge of embeZzlement. Alderman
| Fidler issued the warrant. the priest
was arrested and given hearing. but
they could not make out a case and the
defendant was discharged. They deter
mined then to lock up the church.
barricade it and refuse to let the priest
in to say mass on Sunday morning. The
priest had no knowledge of their de-
sign and was not Informed of it until
Lieutenant of Police NJ. Spellman went
to his house about 10 O'Clock Saturday
night and told him that crowd of men
We're down at the church mailing up the
doors. The priest instructed the lieu
tenant to arrest them. that they were
interlopers and trespassers and had no
authority to be there at that time and
with the purpose of locking up the
church.
Mr.. Spellman was passing along
North Main avenue, he heard the noise
of hammering inside. looked in and saw
what at once occurred to him as being
suspicious. The priest verified the sus-
picion and the men Were arrested in
the act. They We're in the North End
station house until Sunday morning
when they We're bailed out to appear for
hearing yesterday afternoon.
AT O'Clock. the time set. the defend
ants gathered in Alderman Fidlers Of
flee. They were represented by Attor-
ney c. w. Dawson. The priest was not
around. and 1t seemed that he might
not come at all. The defendants were
quite jubilant. At $50 Father Peza ac-
companied by Rev. Richard A. Aust.
pastor of st. Mary's Polish church, of
the South Side. appeared. and in a few
minutes Attorney John /. Kelley. coun.
sci for Father Pea, arrived. In less
than five minutes after this crowd
surged into the Office and threatened to
overwhelm the plaintiff. defendants.
court and jury and all, like a mighty
wave.
Attorney Kelley Opens the Case.
The case was opened by Attorney
Kelley; he addressed the alderman and
stated that 1t would be shown that the
plaintiffs had no right to do what they
did that the priest of the parish was
appointed by Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Hara,
and, according to the laws of the
church. the bishop Is the owner in fee
simple of the church property. Rev.
Father Aust was sworn to prove that
Father Peza was appointed, but Alder
man Fidler said that Rt. Rev. Bishop
O'Hara told himself that Father Peza
was the duly appointed pastor of the
congregation, so II was unnecessary
for Father Aust to testify, and he
was withdrawn. Lieutenant Spellman
was then sworn. He was passing
down North Main avenue at 10 o'clock
Saturday night and saw men fasten-
ing the doors Of the Lithuanian church,
which Is In a basement rooted over.
| L., %, ,1,t1,
scribed in the beginning OF this story.
and the result was the arrest of the
seven of them.
After they We're loeSed up, four of
them being put In one ceh and three in
another, Michael Bernotis said that 1t
didn't make much difference whether
they were locked up or not there would
be blood spilled on Sunday anyway.
Bernotis was In the cell where the four
of them were locked up. The lieutenant
said he had detail OF officers at the
church Sunday morning to see that
none of the red fluid wet the ground
Father Peza was sworn. He cannot
speak English and his testimony was
interpreted by Father Aust. He said
in answer to Attorney Kelley's ques-
tions that ne has been pastor Of the
congregation a year and two months.
The property Is. as II stands at present.
clear of debt. and steps were about
to be taken to have a fee simple deed
executed to give to the bishop. He
has the hooks and iron bars at home
that the defendants used In locking up
the church.
Father Pcza Cross. Examined.
Attorney Dawson subjected Father
PeZa to q severe cross-examination.
He had to deny that he was so far
neglectful of his care over the church
as to leave the doors wide open. go
away from home. and that all the
street gamins of the neighborhOod were
inside jumping around. and that some
of them quenched the light In the sans
tuary lamp. Father Peza said his
opinion was. although he would not
swear positively to It, that Mike Ber-
notis extinguished the sanctuary light.
He was asked If the defendants are
the regularly elected officers of the con-
gregation. and he answered that they
are the self constituted officers. that
they may have met In the back room
of some saloon and come to that con-
clusion regarding their own import
ance. but that he Is the regular pastor,
and as such is responsible for the man
agement and care of the congregation.
The priest swore to the fact that the
defendants were mailing the doors up
when they were arrested, and that he
instructed Lieutenant Spellman to ar
rest them That ended the testimony
OF the prosecution.
Attorney Dawson applied to the al
f'erman for THE defendants to be heard.
The alderman allowed It. Bernotis was
sworn. He admitted that the object Of
mailing up the church was to keep the
priest out and prevent him from say
ing mass until he should render an ac-
count OF the fipart,ial condition Of the
congregation. The witness swore that
he never made such q threat about
blood spiIlng as Lieutenant Spellman
accredited 10 him. Bernotis said that
they did not care about the bishop. that