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

Grave Crime
A dispatch from Budapest, Austria
to the New York American tells 9
strange story. The letter says the
sudden blaze Of excitement within
and without the walls Of the famous
monastery Of T%ZlducAni, then froWn,
Ing silence on the part Of the agitateC
monks, and now the most tantalizIne
mystery concerning the details of d
discovery the most marvellous and un,
expected yer made within the do
main Of o holy order.
What Father Basile Popovice, 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 ut ninety, to reveal the
fact that he is a woman!
All about the countryside the annaZ
ing news spread itself before the IA.
theirs could gather their wits togethe,
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
%unavailing. The bare suspicion that
Father Popovice lived more than a
third Of his life as a 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 q Shudder.
Did Father PopOvice become a
monk thirty years ago to protect him
self from the consequences Of and to
expiate a terrible crime?
This Is what the old men and wo.
men OF the district remember-old
men and women who for forty years
have had dealings with the Tzlducani
Monastery and whose trials have been
Dghtened by the illustrations Of Fa.
ther Popovice and his brethren.
RECALLS A TERRIBLE MURDER.
1t Is not difficult for them to r cal
the exact year when Father popovice
first appeared among them. II wa,
the same year, the same month aud
the same week that the countryside
was shocked by q horrible murder. Ir
the outskirts Of the district lived ar
honest workingnan with his beauti
ful wife and two charming children
One day the husband discovered thai
his wife knew and occasionally met a
man who appeared to be considerably
above his own station in life.
Although the husband did not
charge his wife with improperly, lie
Is said to have reminded her that q.
good could come Of such II friendship
The very next day the husband arc
both children were found dead In che
hut-savagely murdered.
The wife and mother had disa
peared as absolutely as though Tho
ground had opened and swallowed her
There was strong circumstantial eyi
dence that she was the murdrcss. She
Was believed to have committed sui
eide IN SUCH q manner as to place hel
body beyond possible discovery. How
she could have accomplished this wa,
a mystery that has never ceased beins
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 believ,
that the death Of Father Popovic,
has solved the mystery.
1t was on the second night follow
Ing the triple murder that a man wb(
appeared to pc between fifty and sixt,
years old, but with no hair on his fac
save some short scattering hairs OF
his chin--and dressed like a gctle.
man, appeared before the abbot O,
the monastery and begged to be al
mitted as a member OF the order.
The man appeared much agitnted
He fell upon his knees 20 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 up.
on the Suppliait and asked:
What crime have you committed
that you thus seek to mako expia-
tion?"
At these words the man trcmbled
and was silent for several moments.
Finally he 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 an.
pear never to have grown a beard, IL
Is g rule Of the order that the breth.
rem must wear boards"
MADE A CONFESSION.
Then the man rose paperlv ana
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; nov
what is 1t that you have to confcss2n
The man put his lips to the abbot's
ear and whispered half q dCzon sen.
fences. The abbot drew back as
though shocked. But the crime that
the man confessed could not have been
very great, for that night lie began
his nOyitiate.
One of the monks who witnessed
this scene spoke OF 1t to his fellows,
and gradually every one in and about
the monastery learned that the new
monk whose face was so nearly smooth
had something on his conscience, and
was engaged in a service Of e~xpiation.
He had called himself Popoylcc, but
when he had subscribed to the VOWS
he was christenGd again, and Brother
began his career In the mon
astery of Tziducani as the meekest