The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-18
WHO is THIS MAN ?
Mysterious Priest APP,
pears In North
B1ookfeld.
HIS NAME IS KEPT A SECRET.
Celebrates Masses In Pri-
vate Houses on An I'm
proviSed Altar.

North Brookfield, Aug. 17.-The
French speaking Catholics in secession
from st. Josephs church have a priest
He is making his headquarters at the
house of Alexander Millett on st. Clan
avenue
Who he is, where he comes from, why
he is here and by whom he was sent
are mysteries. The one stubborn fac
is that he is here.
| But there are other facts. He wa.
not sent here by the Ri. Rev. Thoma.
d. Beaver, bishop of the diocese o.
Springfield, of which this parish is {
part. Neither was he sent by his 1oli.
ness Pope Leo XIII, nor by his dele
gate in America, Cardinal Martinelli
But the French people are apparently
satisfied
Even the name of the strange priest
is kept a secret and ostracism is the
punishment to be melted out to any one
who should, perchance, give the name
to those whose right to know is NOT
| recognized by the leaders in the grea;
contest, which has been fought and
fought again, until it has extended over
a period of nearly three years.
The man of mystery arrived here
Tuesday, although he was expected
last week. 1t is at his own suggestion
that his name is being kept secret
Since his arrival he has been in con
ference several timers with the leaders
OF the secession movement. Naturally
his arrival has become noised about
town and speculation is rife as to what
It means. One thing is well night GER
tain.
He can remain here permanently il
he so chooses with or without the con
sent of pope or bishop. His coming and
the secrecy that is being maintained az
to his identity furnish a fitting climax
for the most spectacular and bitter re-
ligious warfares that have been carried
on since the days of the Puritans. II
has been enormously stated that the
priests name was FIR. Laroche and
that he came here to reconcile if posi-
BILE the rebellious French people to the
edicts of Bishop Beaver and to the
visible head of the Roman Catholic
church, his holiness, Leo XIII.
The mysterious priests name is no.
Laroche, and today ". p Bouvier, sec
rotary of the revolutionists, scoffed al
the idea that he had come to make
any attempt to get the seeding Cath
olics to return to the fold of the
church. The priest has been mission.
airy and is bearded. Seeing a Catholic
clergyman with anything but a smooth
face, was an unusual thing for North
Brookfield people, and the theory was
advanced that the new arrival was a
fraud. Such is not the case. He is a
regularly ordained priest. Another
theory is that he is a silenced priest
or priest who for some reason was
debarred from performing the functions
of his holy office.
The missionary is not of this variety
either He has not been silenced, and
at present has perfect right to say
mass or administer any of the sacra-
ments in the power of priest to adj
minister. He is missionary and that
is why the French people put forth the
claim that he can stay here and adj
minister to their spiritual wants de-
spite the wishes of Bishop Beaver.
The priest is a pleasant appearing
man, and has created a favorable inn
preston among those who would be
members of his parish. He says mass
at Mr.. Millett's house each morning,
upon the stone slab with which the
missionary is always provided in lieu
of an altar. At a meeting in Depot hall
last night he made an address, ex-
planning his motives In part and dwell
cession from FIR. Tuite's parish. The
mysterious priest has no use for re-
porters just at present, and has nothing
to say for publication His only state
ment for publication is that he comes
to bring not trouble, but peace
Tonight at his rooms at the Millett
House, he met with the committee to
talk over the situation. The outcome
of this new feature of the revolution
will u al
over the county.
Mrs. Fred Jenkins tried to commit
suicide Tuesday night by taking dose
of sugar of lead. A physician was
called and she did not succeed. Until
yesterday she was dangerously i'll, and
1t was by hard work that DIR. l.. A.
Smith, who attended, put her on the
road to recovery. She was taken to
her former home in West Brookfield by
Mrs. John d. Lamson, in whose house
she has occupied tenement. Jenkins
has left town also. His furniture was
taken yesterday by furniture dealer
Alfred Burrill, as Fred had lost his po-
sition as driver of A. H. Fosters coal
team. 1t is not the first time Mrs
jenkins has made attempts upon her
life. The woman was originally Rena
Clark of West Brookfield The Spy re-
porter learned tonight that Jenkins
was seen in West Brookfield last night
The board of health refuse to APPROVE
the bill presented by H. Splaine & Co.
and the matter Is back where it stood
before. At last nights meeting of the
health officers the matter was dis
cussed and it was finally decided that
1t was an affair in which the board of
health had no part Before the meets
ing took place, 1t was generally expect-
ed that the bill would be approved by
the board, but DR.. George II. Spooner
was the only member in favor of an
proving. Dr. Thomas ]. Garrigan.
chairman of the board of health. is most
decidedly opposed to having the board
of health approve this bill, and stated
to The Spy reporter that he thought it
was matter of where the selectmen
feared the results If they paid the bill.
David Splaine Of the firm of HI.
Splaine & Co., was asked by The Spy
reporter what course he intended to
pursue, and stated that his intentions
were the same as The Spy exclusively
published last week. If the town fathers
do not now pay the bill, Mr.. Spaine
says he will put the matter into the
hands of the law firm Of Thayer & Rugg
GNVIS