The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-31
THE SECTS in JERUSALEM
CATHOLICS WIN IN A LEGAL CONTEST
AGAINST CREEKS.
Greek AbbOts and Monks Sent to
Prison for Interfering with
Franciscan Brothers..
correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.

JERUSALEM, Aug. 1O.-The trial of the
Greek monks for attacking the Franciscan
brothers at the portals of the Church of
the Holy Grave on Nov. 4 last, was held
before tie Turkish Supreme Court. the
proceedings lasting from , p. m. until 10
in the evening.
Nineteen Of the accused monks were dis
charged for lack of evidence. while thirty
one. among them two abbots, were SEN
fenced to terms of Imprisonment from nine
months 10 one week.
The trial brought out the entire foreign
colony and the Pasha of Jerusalem, at
tended by a numerous staff, occupied a
conspicuous place on the judicial bench.
while a company Of soldiers kept order in
and without the palace of justice.
The foreign ccnsuls. with their dragomen.
sat in reserved seats. and the Turkish au-
thorities took care that the partisans of
neither plaintiffs nor defendants were in
the majority.
When the case was called the legal rep
resentativcs of the Greek monks announced
that their clients preferred not to appear.
They would obey the summons only if coun-
tersigned by the Russian consul, they said.
Your correspondent expected, of course,
that the judges would dispatch a small
army of bailiffs to bring in the defend
ants. whether they were willing or not,
particularly as the Greek monks are Turk
ish subjects. but nothing of the kind oc-
Cured. Neither was there any talk of
contempt of court. The judges Simply
listened 10 the attorneys statement and
ordered the trial to go on, Greeks or no
Greeks.
Defendants legal representatives then
moved that the case be dismissed on the
ground that Greeks and Franciscan
Brothers were equally guilty. No one. they
maintained, knew which of the two parties
began the fight. The Greeks said the Cath
olics were the aggressors, while the Cath
olics accused their brothers of the Orthodox
Church. The punishment inflicted had been
as hard on the Greeks as on the Catholics
hence neither of the parties was especially
aggrieved by the act.
CHIEF JUSTICES REPLY.
After a short consultation with his asso-
%ciates, the chief justice rose and dismissed
the motion. The plea. he said, had been al
ready taken into consideration by the
Chamber of Inquiry and had been adjudged
untenable. particularly after the Greek
monks tried to back it UP by bribing wit
nessess and persons in the judicial service.
The German and Italian consuls were
next asked TO read their formal protest
against the motion, made before the Cham
Der of Inquiry, and after the protest had
been heard, the trial proceeded.
The evidence, as sifted by the Chamber
of Inquiry, was then produced and wit
nesses called in rebuttal. all of whom
showed that the attack of the Greeks on
the peaceful Franciscan Brothers was as
unwarranted as it was brutal, the Fran
ciscans not exceeding their rights and
privileges when they demanded entrance
to the Church of the Holy Grave.
According to the evidence the Greeks ap-
pear to nave fallen upon their Catholic
brothers with sticks. swords, pieces of iron
and pistols. They threw stones upon them
and endangered life and limb in many other
ways.
The Greeks lawyers fought the evidence
step by step. trying by every legal means
and many tricks to o-utmaneuver the Fran
ciscan brothers, but the evidence of guilt
was overwhelming and when the court
withdrew toward 9 o'clock everybody in
the room felt that the verdict would be in
favor of the Catholics.
JuuSSS I6dppedTeQ a lew minutes De-
fore 10 o'clock and after the usual pre-
liminaries delivered sentence from which
there is no appeal.
Nineteen of the accused monks were dis
charged for lack of evidence. One Greek
abbot was sentenced to nine months i'm
prisonment. three monks got four months,
four monks and one layman three months,
another abbot. a monk and seven laymen
-
third abbot and eleven laymen one week
each.
GREEK HEAD OF CHURCH ESCAPES.
Among those who escaped was Abbot En-
thymius, the famous superintendent Of the
Church of the Holy Grave, who is supposed
to have been at the bottom of ali the
trouble.
Enthymius thinks the Church of the Holy
Grave rightfully belongs to the Greeks.
and if he had his way no Catholic would
ever be allowed to put foot into the sane
tuary. Relying on their masters influence.
and the Righteousness of his course, his
ignorant monks and their fanatic superiors
risked the murderous assault upon the
Catholics in November last, bringing heavy
punishment and disgrace upon themselves
and the church they misrepresent.
Archimaudite Enthymius, as stated. es.
capped responsibility, as he was able to prove
an alibi, but his acting superintendent was
heavily punished.
Among the sentenced laymen is the Sec
ond dragoman of the Greek cloister. 1t was
proved that he pursued a fleeing Francis
can Brother with a loaded revolver. Strange
to say, this victory for the Catholic Church
was won, not because, but despite the
French protectorate in Palestine. Accord.
ing TO treaty, the French republic, by its
representative, takes care of the interests
of the Catholics residing or travelling in the
Holy Land, yet the Franciscan Brothers
appealed in vain TO the French consul when
they were denied admission TO the Church
of the Holy Grave and murder.
ously assaulted
Evidently. on this occasion the French.
Russian alliance stood in the way of the
carrying out of treaty obligations. If in
stead of the Greeks. Protestant ecclesias.
tics had assaulted the Catholics. the con.
sui protector would have u~nfurled his fae
quickly enough, but he had not the stomach
to do his duty where Members of the Car:
own church were accused.
The German consul, the representative OF
a Protestant government. was first in ex.
tending a helping hand to the Franciscan
Brothers, while his Italian colleague. whose
government is nOminally at war with the
Vatican, also lent them all possible assist.