Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-12-25
A CHECKERED CAREER.
The investigation as to Rev
A, Miles Smyth.

"a utt0o Siisy isb'
The investigation of the charges
against A. Miles Smyth, who had
charge of the Catholic parish here
and at Cottonwood last year, but
was afterward dismissed from the
Catholic ministry and joined the
Episcopal ministry, is attracting
no little attention in this state and
Washington.
|. Smyth is charged with the ruin of
Maud Steidel whom he afterwards
married at st. Joseph, Mo-, in
1895, and who acted as his house
keeper during his residence in this
county, being introduced as his
step-sister. Smyth denies the
charge in the following statement
given to the Spokane Review:
II was formerly member OF
the Benedictine monastery at Con-
ception, Mo. My real name was
M. j. Wagner, my church name
Father Dominick Wagner. | was
sent from the monastery to st.
Joseph to build up parish, which
| did. In 1895 l left the church
and shortly thereafter was married.
II was never communicated.
The church authorities took the
ground that l had communicated
myself by getting married.
CATER my marriage the church
authorities caused my arrest on a
charge of embezzling $500 from
them. The statement that l was
ever charged with seduction is alb
solutely untrue. The embezzle-
ment charge was thrown out of
court. The church made every
effort to separate me and my wife.
~ then went into the general
merchandise business in Kentucky,
taking my wife with me. .Wher-
ever we went our story came out
sooner or later, and the Catholics
would boycott my business and
otherwise harass me. l moved
back to Missouri, then to Kansas
and then to Iowa. / frequently
moved from different towns in the
same state.
"Finally / went to Auderbolt
. Iowa. Through the efforts o.
Father Heusemann, a priest there
| consented to a separation anC
divorce from my wife. Father
Heusemann, acting for Archbishop
Kane, signed a contract agreeing
e to pay my wife $50 month TO
r her support, and went to Geth
g semane abbey in Kentucky, wher,
. spent few months. Then
was sent to Idaho. l consente,
" to return to the church only t,
e escape endless persecution.
d "After ! came to Idaho, IN,
v former wife wrote me that tn
church people, after making a few
payments, had failed to carry on
their contract to support her. Sh
n was penniless, and l advised he
70 to come to Idaho and keep hous
% for me until / could get her place
She came and kept house for m
v until l could secure her a place il
y the Sacred Heart training schoo
1t in Spokane.
Ne "When l decided to leave tn
II church my parish at Cottonwoo
" petitioned the bishop to have m
kept there. The people of Grange
vile told me if / would come ther
q they would build me parish house
N I have letters of reeommendatio
q from Bishop Glorieux, whom | III
" derstand the Catholics now clair
re dismissed me from the church
IN which is absolutely untrue.
" have letters of recommendatio
az from the abbot of the monastery a
Conception. l have letters fror
the abbot in charge of the monas
terry Of Gethsemane, and fror
y various bishops and priests, a
ID given me since my return to til
1t church. Now that l have signi
4 fed my intention to leave it tn
: Catholics have recommended thei
persecution of me- Where it vii
% all end God only knows. TIL
70 publishing of this story will prob
ably drive me from Spokane"
Father Fret, of Cotton, Wash.
|. who claims to be well acquainte,
II with Smyth, gives the other side o
- it as follows;
1T would like to know if tina
lnA- EnscnnNol p,s,x,S@au Ia %l,a