The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-28
QUEER CASE of DIABLERIE IN
DULGED TN BY A BOLD, BAD
CHICAGO BOY.
FOOLS FRIENDS AND DOCTORS.
SHAMS POSSESSION OF THE EVIL
SPIRIT WITH ASTONISHING RE
SUITS.
OUTwITTED BY A POLISH PRIEST
And Compelled to Confess to the
Imposture-Was Shamming for
Fun.

After almost a year of imposture,
through which he persuaded the clergy
and laity Of four Polish Catholic par
ishes in Chicago that he was possessed
Of the evil one, after fasting, prayer.
penance and hope had been exhausted
by his pious parents to remove the
SPELL and not until powers of exorcisms
had been granted and churchly rites
had been exhausted in the hope of
driving out the devils-all without sue
cess-Ignacius Koziolek, an eleven
year-old boy, has been made to confess
that he was shamming.
The confession was secured by the
introduction of torture of a mild kind,
after kindness, reasoning and the bene-
fits of the clergy had met with fiat
failure. 1t was due to the sagacity of
the Rev. Father Casimir Stuczko, rec
tor Of the Holy Family parish, who,
after repeating the prayers of eXor-
cism over the youth for the eightieth
time without avail, came to the con-
clusion that he was taking, and COM
PEELED him to admit it by bending his
fingers until they nearly broke at the
knuckles.
Young Koziolek has led the priests
and his kin a painful chase with his
clever masquerading, and medical men,
hypnotists, faith healers, insanity ex-
perts and persons Of position who take
interest in psychological freaks have
been doing the child homage for al
most a year as a phenomenon the like
of which they were led to think had
not been seen before.
AS interest grew in the case people
began carrying Ignacius about in car
riages from place to place to examine
him. Some were solicitouS about the
condition of his mind, and others of
his soul, and many were glad to do
things for him merely for a chance to
satisfy curiosity. He was fed on fruit
and candies after his most violent ex-
hibitions, and the next time he per-
formed his role he did it with more
violence than ever. He grew ex-
tremely fond of the dignif1ed councils
which convened to study his case and
came to think himself a considerable
hero.
An accident which preceded his sup
posed possession" was believed by
some to be responsible for it. Ignacius
fell upon the Ice last winter, and, al
though showing only slight discoln-
future for three or four days, afterward
felt severe pains in one knee and be-
gan to limp. The trouble passed from
the knee into the hips, but in a few
weeks he was pronounced entirely
cured.
During the close Of his confinement
in bed, however he developed an I'M
accountable mood Of showing dislike
to the priests who visited him and an
adherence to everything connected
with religion. He demanded that the
priests stay away. He refused any
longer to pray or listen to prayer. He
turned his face away from the crucifix
which hung at his bedside and never
from that time on repeated the name
of divinity or the saints.
After a few weeks Of perveTSeness
young Ignacius developed the habit Of
considering himself impersonally in his
talk with others. Having exhibited the
incarnation of devilishness in his own
changed conduct, he began to talk as
if the real guiding mind in the boy of
eleven years was not the boy Ignacius,
but another personality dwelling in and
through him, manifesting itself at
chosen seasons and giving away to the
natural boyish intellect at others. In
such exhibitions the very devil did
seem to shine forth in the childS talk
and bearing.
Let this poor boy alone" the sup
posed possession" would demand, and
for the time being the boy seemed to
have lost his identity in that of the evil
spirit Let the child have rest and
do not force him. l will not have 1t.
1 am too wise and too great for you.
I will protect the child. If you Cypress
him, 1 will deliver him. If you force
ignorance on him, / will give him light.
You must fear re. / will kill you with
lighting 1 am the greatest one. This
is my child. and l will look after him.
Such was the child's mystifying
speech. 1t filled his hearers with ter
ror.
one Of the queerest acts of the boy
during this long melodramma was
pretended fright at holy water. lie
would never touch anything on which
If had been sprinkled. 1t was said a
dron of it upon his nightclotheS when
he was asleep would cause him to nave
chill. to grind his teeth and groan.
To none of the priests called In to
exercise the evil spirit would the poy
cCncede a point until Father Stuczkos
wit tripped him up on important polnfs,
and he surrendered.
Il said to Ignacius, If you're the
devil" explained Father Stuczko,
'''you have the gift of tongues. There
fore answer me in Latin or Greek. He
could not / said to him: Then II you
are the devil you know all things Tell
me if my parents are living in this
land or the old country He guessed
wrong once or twice, and l proved to
him that he could not even say If they
were alive or dead.
sThen 1 said, IF you are the devil,
YOU will have no physical pain" and
I bent his fingers back upon the knuck-
les. and when he made an cutlery |
called him to shame, saying the devil
did not cry. Then he admitted he had
been shamming, and said he fooled the
rest, but he would tell me the truth.
He became tractable and repeated the
prayer to all saints after me and made
the sign of the cross. He promised ne
would quit his pranks and start to
school sOon."
Ignacius in his later admissions said
he began his shamming for fun, and
after it had proceeded as far as pre-
tending to be the devil he thought he
could never gain forgiveness for that,
so he pushed his role as the devils own
boy to extremity.