The San Francisco call., 1895-08-03
IN ECUADOR.
Stories of Cruelty Told by the
Returned BenediCtine
Sisters.
Converts Surrounded by Mobs of
Insurgents and the Inmates
Threatened.

NEW YORK, N. Y, Aug. 2.-The story
of the five Benedictine sisters, who re-
turned from Ecuador to St. Walbergas
Convent in Elizabeth on Wednesday, hGv-
ing been driven from Ecuador by the out
RACES the church is being subjected to
there by the Liberal revolutionists, was
told by one of the party yesterday. They
are: Mother Superiors Quer Ciceri and
Alping and Sisters Edwarda, Beatrice and
Agatha, with three secular German
priests, Fathers Keller, Tipp and Nobis,
who were compelled to leave Ecuador for
the same reason. They arrived here on
the Pacific Mail steamer Columbia, on
Thursday.
Sister Edwards, who was seen at the con-
vent yesterday, said:
1--WE, like the three Sisters Genovar, Jo-
sephine and Frances, whose story was told
in these dispatches, left for Ecuador nearly
eight years ago to establish schools there.
We three sisters were assigned to Bahia de
Caraquez, from which place we have just
returned, giving up school with over
seventy pupils. We, however, were more
fortunate than they and did not suffer per-
sonal violence, although we were con-
stantly insulted and were often in fear of
|. our lives. Every band of marauding revo-
Tutionists which passed the convent cried ::
Down with the cassocks! and similar
hostile demonstrations. They accused the
church of being friendly to the Govern
ment.
1.-TWO weeks ago the convent at Roce-
fuert, which contained ten Benedictine
sisters, was surrounded by mob which
demanded entrance. 1t was refused, where
upon the leader commanded the men to
fire on the convent and its inmates. AT
this moment a friendly Ecuadorean ap-
no rod nd r1DDip hot the man and
the convent directly in the line of fire,
appealed to them to desist, informing them
that none but women were in the building.
During the delay thus caused a number of
our sympathizers gathered and demanded
the dispersion of the mob. In the confu-
sion which followed the sisters made their
escape.
"Such outrages became so frequent that
at last we felt compelled to leave in order
to save our lives, as have all the other sis
ters and priests in Ecuador. The seven
teen sisters remaining in the country when
we left are expected on the next steamer,
but no more missionary work will be at
tempted in Ecuador until the revolution
| is over The better class of the people
seemed greatly to regret our leaving, and
we are sure of a cordial welcome should
the Liberals be defeated. AT present, how
ever, they seem to be in the ascendancy,
having gained possession of nearly all the
seaport towns and being prepared shortly
to make decided attempt to capture
Quito the capital.
"The Captain of the Port at Bahia de
! Caraquez and the Administrator were
compelled six weeks ago TO take refuge in
the house of the Oblate Fathers, where they
were sheltered for several days. This, OF
course, gave the revolutionists additional
| reason for thinking that the church was
| friendly to the Government, although In
| reality the church is strictly neutral and
would as readily shelter revolutionist
| were he similarly prosecuted.
The three priests who returned with the
sisters went to the Alexian Brothers Hos
| pital in Elizabeth, and were there be-
| friended. They are Germans, and cannot
speak English. Their story is very similar
| to that of the sisters except that they re-
ceived bodily i'll treatment. The fathers
| were called from Germany three years ago
by Bishop Schumacher to do missionary
work. Father Keller was assigned to
work in Jipijapa and Father .Nobis in ST.
Ana, while Father Tipp, who had been but
lately ordained, had not yet received a
post. According to their story their lives
were repeatedly threatened, and one priest,
who is still in Ecuador, was shot in the
hip, while another was seriously stabbed.