The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-29

HlOst sIupc SlIlu. MOsl Oh lib meals
consisted of bread and water or milk.
| After the new church was built Father
OKccfc occupied Il room over tile sane.
tiary. He gave up the parochIal resi-
| dence To The Sisters Of the Notre Dame.
who teach the parochin school, founded
and endowed by him, SO as TO be forever
free He frequently taught classes in
school. and regarded us having n natural
talent for teaching.
In appearance 1,'ather OiSecfe is hand.
some and OF robust build Ifc had deep
blue eyes and an abundance OF gray hair,
| Despite his austerIty. lie was fond OF
company ana All entertaining host.
Fnthcr Okecfc was proud Of his con-
nection with the Confederate army. and
tborc an Intense love for the Southern
| people and the leaders OF the corlfc,l-
eracy. with whom he had been 10 closely
associated, both as Il friend and az an
| adviser
Visited Davis in Prison.
When Jefferson Davis was n prisoner
at Fortress Monroe. he was visited daily
| by Father O'Keefc who consoled thu
leader OF the Lost Cause during the bitter
| hours that he was imprisoned He was
4 Invited by the widow of Mr.. Davis to ac-
company the body of the latter to Rich
mond TO be entombed.
| II is stated that 1t is the desire of Fa-
Their O'Keefe that he shall he buried with
all the simplicity possible. but with the
regulations In accord with his position
| In the Confederate army. as he wishcs
u to be known that he Will dio ms he has
lived. an unrcconstructed Confederate.
Cardinal Gibbons holds Father O'Keefe
| In the highest esteem and says that hs
| has always done the work of two priests.
| AT one time Father o Keefe. besides per-
forming his pastoral duties, acted as
superintendent OF parochia schools OF
the archdiocese OF Baltimore and as ed
| itor OF the Catholic Mirror.
! Death found Father O,Keefe an
crossed with great plans for the future.
including the building OF "a magnificent
Catholic high schoo lat Towson, which
| would rival any institution OF the kind
| In the country. Father O'Keefe modelled
his parochial school after tho public
schools, using whenever possible tho
same Textbooks. The only difference
| was that Christian doctrine Is taught in
| the former school.
Man of Courage.
| Father O'Kcefe is Il man Of rare per-
| sonal courage and number of times in
| his notable career he was brought face
| to face with possible death amid tho
carnage OF battle, the ravages OF yellow
| fever. and the enmity Of the Know moth.
/
One night during the time the Know
! nothing party WAS Mt the height OF It's
! popularity in Virginia. Two men cine TO
/ the resid nee OF Father O'Keefe and in
! formed h m that they werc sent to row
/ him across the river to Portsmouth to
! visit dying man. Fatt or O'keefe went
| with them, and when the other side OF
! the river was reached the two men toll
! him that the sick man lived i'll hou .
I n pp ia III
/ that he then realized that lie was to be
! asaassinated. aud made mp his mind To
! fight for his life. lie Covered the two
| men, holding n revolver In each hand.
| and compelcd them 10 walk abe Id OF
! h m until TIE principal streets of Ports
mouth were reached, where he caused
,oibern to be arrested, II was afterwards
discovered that the two IN TAD beea
selected to XIII Father O'Kecfe, but o
timely action OF the brave p.iest had
taken the nerve OF tie two wo ild-oe
assussns
i, At the outbreak of tins Civil Wa
Father o'keefe applied to Bishop McGiil
for pcrmiss on to lake up arms In de-
fense OF the South Tnls perm ssion "
denied by the bishop, who enjo ned Father
O-Eeefc under his saeerdotal voSu not
to bears arms but stipulated that Ner-
folk was attacked lie could exercise tte
natural right of self-defcnss In de Tending
his home city.
Thcreupon Father O'Kcefe went to
! Richmond and offered 10 lead night al,
tack with 500 picked men on the federai
camn at Point lookout below Norfolk:
President Davis consented. but stipuialed
/ that a Confederate colonel must accom-,
/ many the expedition. The officer arrived
!, In Norfolk. but became intoxicated. ana
when lie became sober again heavy rem
forcements had arrived at the camp, ana.
4 ha o.
ed.
Father o'Keefe urged President Davis
to take up arms in defense OF the
South. The latter is said to have declar-
| ed after the war. that II Father o'Keefes
advice had been needed the result of tho
| conflict would have been dIffernt
His One Sorrow.
Those who knew Father O'Kecfe init
mately were aware that ono sorrow has
! overshadowed the latter years of his life.
1t was his removal from the pastorate OF
St Mary's Church at Norfolk. The then
ordinary OF the diocese, 1t Is said. did not
approve of the elaborate improvements
Father O'keefe had in hand, but he
/ sonal esteem In which he held the latter
by Offering him the. pastorship of the
most important church in Richmond
cese OF Virginia forever and returned to
the Archdiocese of Baltimore. where he
was warmly welcomed by Cardinal Glib
Father o,Keefe was devoutly attached to
| people Of Norfolk OF all denominations.
and they warmly reciprocated his feel
ings. lie was frequently urged to visit
that city again and to be rendered IL pub
/ lie reception. but he declined. and has
passed the remaining days of his life
without ever again seeing the city he so
| dearly loved
Defied General Butler.
One Sunday during the Civil War. while
1 iengaged IN sinstructing some children.
4 Father OKeefc received the following
telegram from General Benjamin Butler:
4 General Butler sends his compliments
/ to Father OKcefe and desires to know II
he prays for the Federal authorities at
the vesper service"
Father O.IScefes reply is characteristic.
He wrote the following on the back of
i General Buffers note;
"Father OKeefe does not return his
compliments to General Butler. do not
i I Intend 10