The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-25
Famous "Ring of the Fisher
man" Has Disappeared.
Was on POpe's Finger at Time
Of His Death.
SOMEBODY STOLE 1T.
Cardinal Oreglia Compelled to
Omit from Certificate
The Customary AlIusiOn to
Having Received 1t.

New York, July 25.-The HeIald's
Rome correspondent cables the follow
tn<:
The ring of the fisherman. which
.~houId have been found on the hand
OF the pope has disappeared. It~is not
30 much question of it's material as
Of it's intrinsic value, for the ring of the
fisherman is used to seal the papai
bulls and is the outward sign Of the
authority of the pope.
When the cardinal camerlengo GER
tines the death of a pope he receives
the ring of the fisherman from the
chamberlain of his holiness. 1t is then
destroyed in the presence of all the
cardinals at the first meeting of the
sacred college held after the pope's
death.
But when Cardinal Oreglia, the pres
ent camerlengo. had certified to the
death of Leo XIII, Monsignor Bisletn
was a prey to the deepest despair, and
had to admit that the ring had disap-
peared. Cardinal Oreglia. who had. as
is the custom, brought his declaration
of having received the ring from the
papal chamberlain all written out. had
to put it back in his pocket.
Mgr. Bisletti can give no indication
as to the robber The theft must have
taken place between the death of the
pope and the morning of the following
day, when Cardinal Oreglia officially
certified to his death. During this time
a large number of persons entered the
death chamber.
The disappearance of the ring has
caused a tremendous sensation at the
vatican. where it is the sole subject of
conversation. In the meantime in the
fusion to receiving the ring has been
suppressed.
Friends of Monsignor Bisletti hope
that when the seals are removed from
the cabinets of the late pope the ring
will be found in one of them, but very
little confidence is felt. The ring should
never have left the pOpes hand and
every one denies having touched IL.
ANOTHER STORY.
When the time came to take the fish,
erman's ring from Pope LeO's finger
It has Just developed another was
found in its place. This did not sur
prise anyone. as generally the pontifr
does not wear it, the ring being less of
an ornament than an unused seal. AT
the first meeting of the congregation
of cardinals after the pope's death.
when the ring should have been broken.
the ceremony was omitted and it was
put on record that the ring for the mo-
ment could not be found.
The ring is known to have been lost
twice before. Among the state papers
preserved at Simancas, near Valladolid
Spain, Is a letter from Count Olivares
then Spanish ambassador at Rome, to
Philip II, dated September s. 1888, say
ing:
'ssixtus V has been very i'll from anx-
iety and vexation. The Vexation to
which I refer was al missing the fish
erman's ring. He carried it with him
in purse and he discovered that he
had been robbed of it by a cupbearer
TTnldSG the nIlhiiCffW given the q il
obliges him to punish the man he will
not do so, or even dismiss him, such
is his affection for those who serve him
The pope would do anything to avoid
showing the world that his confidence
had been abused"
In September, 1899, the late Pope Lee
was one day asked for an audience by
an under servant, and yielding to curl
osity he granted it, whereupon the man
entered and kneeling said:
Your holiness, 1 have to restore tc
you what has been loss not only tc
you but to the world
At these words he proffered the fish,
erman's ring. which had been found
Pope Leo looked at it in surprise, and
then said
"The thanks of the church are due te
you, my son. 1 shall see that you are
rewarded"
The next day the man called at the
treasury and was given three dollars.
The ring has never been seen since
up, so great was his fear of losing il
b again. So far it has not been discov.
ered, but the vatican authorities as.
sure the Associated Press that the rins
viii undoubtedly be found
On two other occasions the ring wa.
taken from the papacy by force Ir
1877 the French republicans, invading
the Papal states, despoiled Plus VI OF
all his valuables and among them tht
fsherman's ring. It was returned fhe
next day as it had no intrinsic value
When Plus VII was kidnapped in tn,
middle of the night and was made tc
give up this ring, the pope gave If III
after breaking it in two pieces. which
were kept in Paris until returned II
Rome by Louis XVIII
LYING IN STATE ENDS.
Rome, July 25.-On the strike of mid.
day, as the noon gun from the castle O,
st. Angelo was fired, the lying in stat,
OF the body of Pope Leo XIII came qui
etly to an end and those few who still
fingered at the gates of the chapel, il
St Peters. were ordered to leave ant
some two or three hundred persons, in
Guiding Cardinal Goossens, who arrived
from Mechlin just in time. passed slow
~ out of st. Peters into the sunlit piaz
"a and the worlds last farewell to tn,
great pope was over.
Ten minutes later Italian infantry ans
Bendarmes poured out of the basilics
ana lined up on the steps in imposing
array. The outer gates were then closet
-@~ N+Ac DouS VI tile idle pope was lei
TO the tender care of those who hat
watched by Leo XIII in his life time
The preparations for this evenings in
terment were Immediately commenced
While the bells of the basilica rams
out their daily melodious noon chorus
the troops formed in column and wer,
marched to the barracks. Their his
toric incursion into vatican territorS
ended without the slightest friction.
1t is estimated that so 600 peonle mass
ed the catafalque since Tuesday morn
ing.
The last funeral mass in st. Peter,
was celebrated this morning in tn,
chapel of the choir by Mgr. Panicy