Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-10-05
ARREST OF A PRIEST.

Kew. FRANCIS WleZOK, lOrmeTly dseier
ant pastor of st. Stanislaus' Bohemian
Catholic Church, in Baltimore, and now
rector of church in Scranton, Pa, was
locked up in Baltimore last night on
the charge of sending obscene matter
through the mails.
The warrant on which the arrest was
made was sworn out before Justice iran
nan by Rev. Thomas Moyrs, rector OF
ST. Stanislaus' Church, and the letter IN
which the alleged Obscene language Is
said to have been used was written to
domestic in the employ of Father Morys,
Miss Stephana Talasca.' The arrest was
made at the iectory Of st. Casimere's
Polish Catholic Church, where Father
Wiezok was a guest.
Father Wiezok was transferred to
Scranton in June. The police say that
shortly after the priest left, the girl,
Stepbana Talasca, also left Baltimore
and went to live with Wiezok in Scran-
ton. Father Morys, it is said, wrote
her, asking her to return to him, and
she went back TO Baltimore and again
took up her position in the rectOry. Then,
it is alleged, the former assistant OF st.
Stanislaus' wrote the girl letter, which
she received on August % last, in which
resulted in Wiezok's arrest last night.
Father Wiezok went to Baltimore on
Monday to testify in connection with a
damage suit growing out of railroad
accident, and Father Morys, it is said,
was informed of his presencein the city.
The girl had shown the letter which she
claimed to have received from Father
Wiezok to Father Morys, and the latter
Immediately took steps to have Father
Wiezok apprehended on the charge
named.
A message purporting to be from
Cardinal Gibbons was received at detec-
tive headquarters asking that Justice
Grammar or the detectives who had made
the arrest call on the Cardinal before the
priest was placed in a cell. As the case
is one which will have to be disposed
OF by the United States authorities this
request could not be complied with.
An attempt on the part of representa-
tive of a newspaper to see the Cardinal
in reference to the case was unfruitful,
the servant declaring that his eminence
had retired.
Accompanied by quite number of
his friends and two detectives Father
Wiezok was finally marched to the Cen
trail station, searched and locked up for
the night in an upstairs cell.
Through an Interpreter, Father VIE
zOk declared to reporter that he was
the victim of a private quarrel between
Father Morys and himself The two
priests are cousins, and are said to have
been on bad terms when Father Wiezok
was transferred to Scranton.
A priest who was with Father Wiezok
at headquarters, but who declined TO
give his name, said that by his action in
having his brother priest arrested Father
Morys had virtually suspended himself
from his priestly Office, as he had not
consulted the Cardinal before taking that
step. The proper procedure, this priest
said, was to put the charges he had to
make before his eminence, who would
have had the accused tried before an &C.
clesiastical tribunal. By failing to take
this course, he said, Father Morys had
committed breach of the church law
and was, therefore, debarred from cele-
brating mass yesterday morning or per-
forming any OF his usual duties until his
conduct had been investigated and passed |
upon by the Cardinal.
Father Morys could not lie seen last
night, it being said that he was not at
home. The accused priest is a man of
medium height, with broad shoulders,
thin brown hair and ford face. He
wears glasses and has nervous manner
of talking, using many gestures. He
has not been in this country very long
and cannot speak English. The young
woman to whom the letter is alleged TO
have been written is described as I'M
usually attractive. Father Morys said
this morning that Father Wiezok had
apOlOgized, and that he would drop the
matter.