The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-24
MYSTERY OF TWO FIRES.
Strange Missives Sent to Bishop
Becker and Father Mcmahon.

Becker and Father Mcmahon.
Augusta Ca. Feb. Especial to the
Constitution--There is a remarkable story
going the rounds in Augusta concerning
the recent burning on the same day of the
Highland Park Hotel in Aiken and the
Catholic Cathedral in Savannah The
laying of the corner stone of the new sa-
cred Heart Church on Sunday brought
quite a number of Catholics together and
Bishop Becker, from Savannah. was pres
ent to take part in the exercises of the &C.
casion. -
That evening, when some of the visitors
were about to leave for their homes tbera
was request for something 20 read on
the train. Father MacMahon went 20 bis
STUDY table and picked up. among other
publications, copy of The Globe a well
known magazine, devoted largely 10 Cath
oIic literature. He said: Here is a mas
aZlne received through the mail recent
~ Out nave never looked at il. When 7
opened 1t and saw it was published in 1891
ana mat even the leaves had not been chr
l Iald 1t aside, and l have not since exam.
ined it." e'>''''i
He turned the pages as he smoke and
presently an exclamation of surprise al
tracted the attention of the others. About
MIDWAY the book, on the blank space AZ
the poltom or page was written in dis
tlnct and well-formed characters: High
land Park Hotel will be burned to the
ground on the 9Th day of February, 1898 8"
rather MacMahon was sure the maya
zlhe hau been received lefore the date of
the hre, and at once the mysterious nature
of the notice was the subject of Interested
speculation. Who wrote it? WHY did he
send it to Father MacMahon. and how did
ne know that such a thing was to occur?
Or mad some practical Joker written il
without the priests knowledge since the
tre? The writing was unknown and no.
body who had been in the room with Fa-
ther MacMahon al the time since the re-
celpt or the book had moved it from the
| place he put it when he opened it.
There was no name signed. but under
meath the writing in place of d signature.
was skull and cross bones, with a beav-
| er hat on the skull. Beneath this, between
| the ends of the cross bones, were the two
| letters *. c.
The matter became at once the subject of
interested gossip, and when it reached the
ears of the Bishop there was an added
| sensation, for Bishop Becker said: "I re-
ceived an exactly similar thing, only in
| the magazine l received the statement was
that the Cathedral would be burned to the
ground on Feb. 6, 1885,"
Now, it is matter of fact that both the
! Cathedral and the Highland Park Hotel
We're burned on Feb 6, but why anybody
who might have the desire from any mo-
| tive to destroy the one should have aught
| against the other, is a matter wrapped
In mystery If some vicious anti-Catho-
lie sentiment inspired the destruction of
the Cathedral what was there in the
Highland Park Hotel to make it victim
of the same unaccountable spleen? Was
there any connection between the two, or
was 1t simply a strange coincidence? Were
| the notices in these old magazines actu-
| ally written before the fire took place, or
has some pratical joker been amusing
himself in this CHASTITY way? There is
room for no end of speculation, and ii
would seem also to present a very interest
| ing field of operation for a skilled detec-
| tive.