The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-28
WAS A WOMAN.
A Remarkable Story that Genes
from a Monastery,
BUDAPEST AUSTRIA,
Father Basile Popovlce, Dying at Ninety
Years of Age, Turned Out TO Be a
Woman. Discovery Coruects
Her Life With q Very
Grave Crime

Her Life With q Very
Grave Crime
A dispatch from Budapest, Austria
to the New York American tells ;
strange story. The letter says the
sudden blaze Of excitement within
and without the walls Of the famous
monastery Of Tzlducani, then frown
ing silence on the part Of the agitateC
monks, and now the most tantalizine
mystery concerning the details OF 3
discovery the most marvellous and un.
expected yer made within the do
main Of q holy order,
What! Father Basile P~opcvice, no.
lest Of the aged brethren, really nc
monk at all? Good Father Basile,
loved by the peasantry, for thirty
years famous for his piety the world
over, dying at ninety, to reveal the
fact that he Is a woman!
All about the countryside the arnaz
ing news spread itself before the IA
theirs could gather their wits together
and resolve to give no authority to
the report, to diScountenance any fur
ther discussion Of it. But their ef
forts In the latter direction have been
u%nava'ling. The bare suspicion that
Father Popovice lived more than a
third Of his life aS - monk and was
buried as a woman is enough to set
the memories Of old mon and women
to work to fit into his history a page
80 dark that it cannot be read With.
out a shudder.
Did Father Popovice become u
monk thirty years ago to protect him
self from the consequences Of and to
expiate q terrible crime?
This Is what the old non and wo.
men Of the district rememher-old
men and women who for forty years
have had dealings with the Tziducani
Monastery and whose trials have been
ljghtened by the illustrations Of Ia.
ther Popovice and his brethren.
RECALLS A TERRIBLE MURDER.
1t is not difficult Cor them to r call
the exact year when Father Popovice
first appeared among them. IL was
the same year, the same month aud
the same week that the countryside
was shocked by q horrible murder. In
the outskirts Of the district lived an
honest workingman with his beauti.
full wife and two charming children.
One day the husband discovered that
his wife knew and occasionally met a
man who appeared to he considerably
above his own station in life.
Although the husband did not
charge his wife with improperly, he
is said TO have reminded her that n,
good could come Of such q friendship
The very next day the husband ard
both children were found dead in Che
hut-savagely murdered.
The wife and mother had disap
peared as absolutely as though the
ground had opened and swallowed her.
There was strong circumstantlal eyi
dence that She was the murdrcss. She
was believed to have committed sui.
eide In such a manner as to place hel
body beyond possible discovery. How
she con!d have accomplished this was
a mystery that has never ceased being
discussed.
ABBOTT'S STRANGE VISITOR.
Now at least these Old men and wo.
men WHO, for three decades, have
passed In ard out through the gates
of the monastery OF Tziducani believe
that the death OF Father Popoyice
has solved the mystery.
1t was on the second night follow.
ing the triple murder that a man who
appeared to be between fifty ard sixty
years old, but with no hair on his face
save some short scattering hairs on
his chin-and dressed like Il petle.
man, appeared before the abbot OF
monastery and begged to be al
mitted as a member OF the order.
The man appeared much agitated.
He fell upon bis knees 10 The abbot.
He shed tears ard said that the saliva.
tion of his soul depended upon a fu.
ture life of the most rigid self denial
In the service OF God and humanity.
Nothing but a vow OF obedience,
charity and humility could save him.
The abbot bent his gaze severely no.
on the supplianJ and asked:
What crime have you committed
that you thus seek to mako expia.
tion?"
At these words the man tremblcd
and was silent for several moments.
Finally he offered to confess, provided
the abbot would grant his PRAYER.
tie fathef superior Of the mo.
nastrY looked inquiringly at the kneel-
ing suppliant.
But" he said, at length, "you ap.
pear never to have grown q beard. IL
Is q rule Of the order that the breth-
rem must wear bear6s."
MADE A CnNErscInN
Then the man rose eagerly and
showed the abbot the scattering hairs
his chin, and protested that in
time their growth, If not lu~xurtant,
would at least serve to prove his spirit
Of obedience.
Very well" said the abbot; nov
what Is 1T that you have to confcss?"
The man put bis lips to the abbot's
and whispered half a dczon SEN
The abbot drew back as
shocked. But the crime that
man confessed could not have been
great, for that night be began
lis novitiate.
One of the monks who witnessed
This scene spoke OF it to his fellows.
md gradually every one in and about
jhe monastery learned that the new
monk whose face was so nearly smooth
lad something on his conscience, and
vas engaged IN a service OF expiration.
lie had called hin self pop0yiCc, but
nc had subscribed tn tho voue