The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-11-16
New York Father Had Been
Abducted by Men Who
Meant Murder.
WAS CRUELTY USED
Quarrel Among Thugs
Saved Life of Father
Cirringione.
ny ASSOCIATED PRESS.

New York. Nov. 1o.-Thc Rev. Joseph
Cirringione, rector Of the Italian church
of the Immaculate Conception in Williams
Bridge, suburb of this city, who disap-
peared from his home under mysterious
circumstances last Friday night, was found
early today by a policeman i'll East Fifty
first street, raving wildly in Italian, and is
now in hospital
Father Cirringione had incurred the
enmity of Italians about Williams Bridge
by crusade against vice. He received
several threatening letters and had re-
ported the matter to the police. who were
cndcavoring to locate the writers. Late
Friday night two men called upon him
and, representing themselves as detectives,
asked him TO accompany them to the sta
ton house. lie did not return, and it was
believed he had been carried off by agents
OF an Italian secret society.
Bess for Protection.
When found today Father Cirrngione
fell exhausted into the arms OF the police
man, crying out repeatedly:
They have robbed me and they will
kill me. Protect me-
A hurried examination of the priests
physical condition was made by physi-
clan, who found that his worst wounds
were two red marks similar to those that
would have been made had the priests
wrists been bound with rope.
Under the influence of soothing drugs,
Father Cirringione became calmer and was
able to tell something of his story. tle
said that he had been robbed by two men
who had gone to his home on Friday night
and whom he accompanied, believing them
to be detectives.
Used Chloroform.
"They took me to the ocean," he said. but
beyond this the questoners could get little
in detail OF where he had been. He said
that when but few steps from the door
Of his own house the two men grasped
him, one grabbing him by the arms and
pinionng them behind while the other
thrust over his nostrils cloth of some
kind saturated with a pungent liquid.
Then he says he lost consciousness and
the next thing he knew was when he
found himself in dark and dismal eel
lar" with his wrists bound.
The priest said he had been freed but
few minutes before he had been found
by the policeman He said he had been
led blindfoded into the street and then
the bandages over his eyes removed and
had been given push.
Liquor Saved His Life.
Father Cirringone when he left his
house had gold mounted ebony cane, a
valuable gold watch and chain and some
money. When found today all were gonc.
Friends and relatives of Father Cir
ringione believe the story of the priest,
but the police are awaiting further devel
opments before taking any further action
for the discovery OF the alleged abductors.
To Civil Justice Rocscl, an old friend of
the latter, he said there were four men in
the gang which abducted him. Only one
was an Italian.
One of the other men was very rough
to him and insisted that he be killed. He
said he heard the men say on Sunday
that the papers were filled with the story
OF his abduction and this man insisted
that he be killed. The others objected
and managed to get this man intoxicated
and the priests life was saved