The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-06
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The simple news which the cable brings
from our Eastern possessions that Father
Rios and q score of his disciples have
been captured and hat the father himself
has been sentenced to be hanged requires
an explanation
Otherwise this irebrand already sufici-
emily near in the Philippines would soon
be blazing in the churches.
While Father Rios was widely known
throughout Luzon as thu Pope OF the
Philippines his right to bear this title
was warmly contested by the friara and
tbs police.
AS q matter of fact. he is simply a half
cracked Malay. with a good deal Of per-
sonal or animal magnetism. who has for
the last ten years made q good living by
exploiting the superstitious fears and the
unfsthomabls creduiity of his fellow Ia
gals.
HIS scot Is known. unhappily, from
Tayabas to the Lake OF Bay as the Colo
rones from one of its watchworda, "saecula
saeculorun," ages Of ages" this is. "for
all time" one Of the Latin phrases used
In the mass. which Pope Rios picked I'D
In the days when he was hanging around
tbs parish churches securing such infor-
nation an he thought necessary to found
Q new religious sect
When Tia time became ripe and Pope"
Rios moved out int tbs wilderness, fol-
lowed by his adorers, men and women, the
slogan he conjured with was better than
the dream Of the darkies down South.
Every day will be Sunday by and by"
Pope" Rios saw that promise and went it,
one hundred better.
"Eyery day will be sunday-next week"
he announced. and the concourss Of people
which followed him Oiled the road and
overlooked into the tungieA
TURNING POINT IN
HISTORY OF SECT
A week passed, no mama fell ana even
the water huffaloes who drew the sacred
images and the Fetch symbols were de-
voured
Then cana the turning point in tbs his
tory OF tbs sect which, slowly but inevi-
tabiy, has led the Pope to the unenyia-
Die position where he now is, awaiting ele-
walton OF the kind that is no more popu-
lar in the Philippines tina elsewhere
When the food a out. alasi for Door
human nature, there was q considerable
drop In the fervor Of the "Pope's" fol-
lowers and some even deserted him.
Rice saw that to retain his position he
must do something practical
IL led him TO the assumption Of a
temporal power to exercise the right az
eoniscating all the food supplies in his
Immediate neighborhood, which, of course
brought about clashes with the police.
and Ia now led to his final overthrow.
or, rather, uplifting.
! take @ personal interest in this fate of
Pope" Rice, because one swelterfne nor
cay IN December we came 30 very near
meeting.
As the purpose Of our coming. a hiking
column about 100 strong, from the pueblo
OF Tenauen. could not be regarded strictly
u the Hight of a theological mission Rice
yielded Us the field.
We a to be content with an insneo-
uon OF the lava-bed tabernacle. the crater
mouth church and the mystic cav. near
Lake Taa, where he had 80 long prac-
60 his subjects.
PLANS THWARTED BY
CHARACTERISTIC AMIGO TRICK.
When we got back to cur 'bunkies" and
talked over the affair we all agreed that
We had been lone out of our meeting
win one of the most picturesque figures
10 the Philippine panorama by a charao-
oA@AAA I4Gh.
the amigos. e 10
Ihey provide the comic touch which re-
Heves the tragedy of the situation ana |
are. l take 1t. not such bad fellows after
all @4ler
They simply want to be friends all
no' eh1 are always pleased to serve
- on q salary as long as In SO doing they |
hurt no one Of their W people.
Sor months the police. the consfsb,,Ior ~
Sno tne army had been on the trail of the |
jungle Pope" until at last the concl1- |
non was forced upon him that the Taal |
etslrIct mas become too hot for him, his
AoernscIe on the island in the lake un-
tenshie, so he skipped out between two
suns while the amigos of Lima and of
Calamba fairly tugnbled over each other in |
onerinE to lead US to his headquarters |
Wnlon' or course. they knew perfectIv |
Wei he had deserted some days before
All lnformants are agreed in saving tba.
me Pops" of Taal, indeed Of all South
err buzon. was something OF a charmer.
For ten years his whole establishment
including saints. apostles and law ]siste-s
mas been supported IN good and ever
luxurious style by the people Of the be- |
uighteo neighborhoods, which. from diva |
70 time, ne has chosen to bless with his
court
ny BVoo fr1Sno, the franciscan friar. |
VINO was also the parish priest of Taya- |
bas, to whom I am SO much indebted for |
information upon this and other subjects.
SAID. with righteous Indignation, that |
Rios wes q devil OF a fellow among the
psttiooats' or. rather, sarongs, n that |
his principal source Of power was derived
from the women. who. in the Philippines, |
perhaps more than anywhere else, exert |
greet influence upon the course OF events. |
CONQUERED BY FAMINE
AND THU PLAGUE
30 strol,g wae the .Pope's" position. "a |
arm h peoples belief In his s-upernatura |
powers. that I am confident, with all due |
respect for his eaptors. he never would
hsve been taken but for the famine and |
Shs cattle plague which have swept over
fha country, making the struggle for ex-
fsaence severe for the nrst time in the his |
tory of the Philippines. and the support of
an extra church. such as that oyer which |
Aics presided. simply impossible.
Ths cable, always so lacenic when deal~ |
ing with Manila new9 announces that
While Rios himself Is condemned to hang. |
ssssty-seveu Of his disciples 50 to Bilbid.