The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-07-26
WAS 4 WOMAN.
A Remarkable Story that Comes
from q Monastery,
BUDAPEST AUSTRIA,

Woman. Discovery Connects
Her Life With 8 Very
Grave Crime
A dispatch from Budapest, Austria,
to the New York American tells q
strange story. The letter says tne
sudden blaze Of excitement within
and without the walls Of the famous
monastery OF Tziducani, then frown.
Ing silence on the part OF the agitatec
monks, and now the most tantalizirs
mystery concerning the details Oh
discovery the most marvellous and IN
expected ever made within the 90
main Of a holy order.
What. Father BaSiie PopoTice, ho-
lest OF the aged brethren, really nc
mouk at all? Good Father BaSlle'
loved by the peasan5ry, for thirty
years famous for bis piety the wor4o
over, dying at ninety, to reveal the
fact that be is woman.
All about the countryside the amaz
ing news spread itself before the "a.
thers could gather their wits together
and resolve to give no authority tc
the report, to discountenance any fur.
ther discussion Of it. But their ef
forts in the latter direction have been
unavailing. The bare suspicion tha;
Father Popovice lived more than
third OF his life as a monk and was
buried as q woman is enough to set
the memories OF old men aud women
to work to fit into his history a page
50 dark that it cannot be read with
opt shuGder.
Did Father Popovice become q
monk thirty years ago to protec5 him
sslf from the consequences OF and to
expiate a terrible crine?
This IS what the old men aud VIC.
men Of the district renemoer-old
men and women WHO for forty years
have had dealings with the Tziducani
Monastery and whose trials have been
lghtened by the ministrations ct Fa
ther Popovice and bis brethren.
RECALLS A TERRIBLE MURDER.
It is not difficult for them to call
the exact year when Father PopoVice
first appeared among them. 1t was
the same year, the same month aud
the same week that the countryside
was shocked by horrible murder. In
the outskirts OF the district lived an
honest workingnau with his beauti.
ful wife and two charming children.
One day the husband discovered that
his wife knew and occasionally met
man who appeared to be considerably
above bis own station in life.
Although the husband cid not
charge his wife with inpropriety, he
is said to have reminded her that z:
good could come Of such friendship
The very next day the husband an6
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 sod swallowed her
There was strong circuns5antial eqi
dence that she was the murdreSS. Sht
was believed to haYe committed sui
eide in such manner as to place he.
body beyond possible discovery. HoV
she could have accomplished this wa!
a mystery that has never ceased bein:
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 gate
Of the monastery Of Tziducani believe
that the death Of Father PopoVice
has solved the mystery.
It was on the second night follow
ing the triple murder that man who
appeared to De between fifty ard sixty
years old, but with no hair on his fac;
save some short scattering hairs or
his chin-ano dressed like a getle-
man, appeared before the abbot o'
the monastery and begged to be ad
mitted as a member OF the order.
The man appeared much agitated.
he fell upon his knees to the abbot.
He shed tears and said that the saliva
tion OF his soul depended upon fu-
ture life Of the most rigid self denial
in the service Of God and humanity.
Nothing but VOW Of obedience:
charity and humility could save him.
The abbot bent his gaze severely up
on the supplianG and asked:
What crime have you committee d
that you thus seek to make expia-
tion?''
At these words the man trembled
and was silent for several moments.
Finally ne offered to confess, provided
the abbot would grant his prayer.
Again tie father superior OF the mo-
nastry looked inQuiringly at the kneel-
ing suppliant.
But" he said, at length, you ap-
pear never to have grown bsaro. It
is rule Of the order that the breuh-
rem must wear bearcs.'
MADE A CONFESSION.
TneU the man rose eagerly anG
showed the abbot the scattering hairs
on his chin, and protested that in
time their growth, il not luxuriant,
would at least serve to prove his spirit
Of obedience.
Very we'll" said the abbot; now
what is it that you have to confesS?"
The man put bis lips TO the aboou's
ear and whispered half a dczsn SEN
tenceS. The abbot drew back as
though shocked. But the crime that
the man confessed could not nave been
very great, for that night he began
bis novitiate.
One CT the monks who witnessed
this scene spoke OF it tc his fellows.
and gradually every one in and about
the monastery learned that the new
monk whose face WAS so nearly smooth