Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-07-22
HERMIT OF THE ORGANS.
Story of the Life and Death Of Father
Matteo,

One of the most mysterious and at the
same time pathetic figures that aver APP
peared upon the Santa Fe trail was a
gentle, sanity, self-sacrificing priest.
Familiarity known as ''El Solitario," who
for several years lived in a cave in the
Rincon range of mountains, N. M, and
in his honor the Mexicans have christen-
ed the highest peak SCI Cumbre del Sol
itarjo"-the hermit's mountain.
He was always reticent about himself
and seldom spoke of his past life, but al
lowed it to be known that his exile and
self-denial were not involuntary, and
that his sacrifices for his fellowmen were
to eXpiate some great crime. He wa of
Matteo. Many romantic tales of his
early life were in circulation. Most of
them were inventions or speculations to
account for his presence in the noun
tains. 1t was generally understood
among the frontiersmen that he had
fought with Garibaldi and had fled from
Italy under the curse of the pope. He
was also the hero of a romantic love
story, and his tragic death was attributed
to the brother of a girl in Naples. But
whatever his former life may have been
there was no doubt of his penitence, and
he lived like a saint, administering con
ISOLATION and Offering hope to the UNI
happy, binding up wounds and healing
the sick in body as we'll as in soul.
The fact that he maintained no rela-
tions with other priests and was never
known to communicate with Bishop
Lamy at Santa Fe, who was himself a
conspicuous and picturesque character
of long experience upon the frontier,
was accepted as evidence that Padre
Matteo had been deposed and perhaps
communicated, But that made no
difference with his m~inistrations, and
even increased his popularity. His pro-
found sorrow, his unremitting zeal, his
complete sincerity were enough to satisfy
the rough miners and herdsmen to whom
he ministered and the suspicion that the
church had refused him absolutlon
aroused sympathy for a fellow-sinner.
Father Matteo was highly educated.
He spoke all languages. He had a
knowledge of all literature. No foreigner
cver came into the Rincon country but
the priest could talk to him of his home
in his own language. Besides his prayer
book and his rosary, the only article
that seemed to be associated with his
past life was a much battered mandolin,
upon which he played both secular and
religious airs, to the great enjoyment of
his Pensioners. He was a master of the
instrument, and it was the only diversion
this gentle man of sorrow ever INDUCED
in.
His familiar and beloved form had
been missed from its usual haunts for a
week or ten days when a party of miners
found his ~lifeless body lying on the
rugged trail that led to his cave. A
poisoned dagger of unusual design and
evidently of Italian manufacture had
been driven between his shoulders into
his heart. The assassin had attacked
him from behind, and apparently had
escaped without meeting his eyes. His
rosary, that always hung about his neck
was firmly elapsed in his fingers, and
the expression upon his face was one Of
holy resignation. No trace of the
assassin was ever found, but it was the
general impression that the murder was
committed by one of a large gang of
Italian railroad hands, and was the
result of a vendetta.
On the walls Of his ave the miners
carved an inscription which read:
"Mattoe Boccalina. JOSH Maria"
The humble Mexican herders, who
idolized the priest, erected a semi-circle
of crosses before the entrance, twelve in
number, typical of the twelve apostles
whom he so faithfully served. On the
anniversary of st. Matthew, who was
his patron saint, the natives always
visit the cave, and for the lack of any
other methods of expressing their regret
and remembrance build a big fire. The
Indians and the miners also reverence
his memory. He was we'll known along
the Santa Fe trail from the Missouri
river to the Rio Grande.-Wm. e. Curtis
In Chicago Record.