The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-27
is IN ROME.
Vatican Asked to Pass
Upon North Brook
field Case.
FRENCH CITIZENS EARNEST.
Secession From St. JOS
eph's Church By No
Means Dead.
FRENCH CITIZENS EARNEST.

North Brookfeld, May 2s.-The eff
forts of the French-speaking Catholics
to have church of their own, ere
again reviving, and the plan of cam
paign laid out by the French people
over a year ago. is being carried out
to the letter.
In the opinion of the general public,
the matter was settled when Bishop
Thomas D. Beaver sent @ letter to
North Brookfield saying that II the
French people built a church it would
not be consecrated, and from tie
seeming inactivity since, it was be-
lieved that the majority of the sep
arate parish advocates considered
themselves beaten and were going TO
make the best of it.
But these views were all wrong, az
cording to the statements made to The
Spy reporter today by men who have
always figured prominently in the af-
fair. When Bishop Beaver refused his
sanction, it was stated that the French
people would resort to a higher tribu-
nal and would carry what they con-
slider to be their grievances to the pope
at Rome, in order that they might OBJ
tain their rights.
One of the leaders in the matter sta
ted today to The Spy reporter that
their petition for a church and pastor
of their own, with proofs why they
should have and are entitled to such,
is now in Rome and has been or will
within a short time be examined and
passed upon by his holiness, Pope en-
XIII.
These statements were corroborated
later in the day for the reporter ard
marked assurance displayed that the
verdict of the pope would be entirely
in favor Of the French speaking Cath
olics of North Brookfield.
It is expected that the pope's decis-
ion will be known here in 4 compare
lively short space Of time. The lot
purchased by a committee for the
French people as a site for a church,
is still in the possession of the com
mittee and the original intention holds
good in regard to it. The contest made
by the French Catholics Of this town
is still fresh in the minds of the publc,
as it furnished an over abundance CT
spectacular and sensational incidents.
The interest it aroused was by no
means confined to this county, nor
even to the state, and accounts OF II
were perused everywhere with eager
ness.
How the French people left st. JOS
epb's Church as a body and withdrew
their children from the parochlal
schools is a matter of household MS
tory here, and the logged determine
ton and stubborn perseverance Is eV-
ident from the fact that not one-tentn
of them have returned to st. Joseph 5
Church as parishoiners, nor sent thelr
children back to the Sacred Heart
School of Mercy. The French people
claim that they have never given up
nor even temporarily abandoned the
fight, but that on the contrary they
have been working quietly and silently
with success always within reach.
The members of the junior class OF
the high school will not declaim the es-
saws written for the T. c. Bates prizes,
as was the original intention. Instead
the prizes will be awarded entirely on
the literary merits of the essays, Whlch
have already been passed on by the
Judges 1t was intended that each pu-
Dill should deliver his essay orally, but
the plans of Hon. T. C. Bates, the do
nor of the prizes, would not allow this.
Mr.. Bates has Just sailed for Europe,
leaving Rev. John L. Sewall in charge.
The juniors were not to have recited
their essays until the fall term, but
Mr.. Bates has other plans in view for
the next scholastic year that this
method would interfere with. The
pupils learned today that instead OF
cash prizes the winners would receive
books.
Rev. John L. Sewall is in possession
of correspondence from Dudley G. Per-
kins of Newport News, Va, which
shows conclusively that Otis B. Bent
has not paid for the house there which
he was supposed to own, while it also
confirms The Spy's statement that Bent
had not become the legal owner of the
house. Instead Of getting Mr.. Bent's
money TO pay for the house, the erst-
while local town farm warden finds
himself out s25. which he put up to
bind the bargain out Of friendship for
Bent.
James H. Ivory, of the st. Joseph C.
T. A. S. field day committee, today re-
ceived a. letter from the Spencer COM
mittee asking that the Spencer men be
allowed one additional out of town ball
player besides the two already Sc
cured.
picked out the best possible talent in
town, and think that Spencer can at
least do as we'll
Another case of diphtheria has bro
ken out in the family Of Philip Laffe-
riere Of Church street. This time the
victim is Blanche, daughter about
years of age.
Members Of the local post Of the G.
A. r. made their annual Memorial adj
dresses to the public school pupils this
afternoon. Col. John S. Cooke visited
the high school, and gave the pupils a
brief sketch with some anecdotes of
Phil Sheridan, under whom he fought
in the civil war. The other veterans
who went to the schools were Charles
H. Deyo, Palmer P. Johnson, Frank
A. Smith, Albert H. Foster, Charles
Parknan, Rev. Serene D. Gammell, Ro-
land Hatch and George Stone. Rev.
Joseph ]. Spencer was also speaker,
as was Charles F. Maxwell of Joe
Hooker Camp, S. Of V.
Chairman Of the selectmen, Edward
A. Batcheller, with a gang of men,
today put the land near the Sons of
Temperance fountain in shape for a
concrete walk, which will be built from
South Common street to and around
the fountain
Henry Allen of Brookfield was in
town today improving the drainage and
cleaning up the premises about his
Church street property ana the mouse
now occupied by Philip Lafferiere.
A delegation from Meridian Sun Lodge
Of Free Masons went to Worcester to-
night as guests Of the Quinsigamond
Lodge, TO witness the working Of the
third degree on David NJ. Earle, Jr.
superintendent Jefts of the Warren
Brookfield and Spencer electric road
had a gang Of men working on the
North BrookfieId branch today.
Nelson H. Delane, fish warden of the
Quacumquasit fishing association, said
today that he had never seen the water
of Podunk pond as low as the present