The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-03-18
PRIEST MURDERED BY
ANARCHIST At ALTAR
Father Leo Heinrichs Shot at Den
yer by Giuseppe Guarnacoto.
SLAYER HAD TAKEN SACRAMENT
Had No Personal Enmity For Vic
tim, But Killed Him Merely Be-
cause He Was a Pricst-Glories
in His Deed.

Denver, Outstanding in his
white communion robes at the altar
of his church, Father Leo Heinrichs,
of st. Elizabeth's Roman Catholic
Church, was shot and killed in front
of several hundred worshipers who
occupied all Of the seats in the
church. The murderer, after firing
the shot, created a panic in the
church by dashing down the aisle,
iourishing the weapon and threaten
ing to kill any n who interfered
with him. Not a person in the place
dared stop the slayer, and he reached
the street. Two policemen saw him
coming out, however, chased him for
several blocks and finally captured
him. He said he was Giuseppe Guar
nacoto, an Anarchist, and he asserted
that his only sorrow was he had been
unable to kill all the priests Of the
country.
The shooting came as a tragic eli
max to the services. Father Helm
richs was administering the sacra-
ment at the early mass, and before
the altar rail there knelt a line of
men and women. The assassin, with
head bent in mock penitence, knelt
between two women and calmly waited
for the priest to reach him. He took
the consecrated wafer which Father
Heinrichs offered, and as he did so
he pressed the muzzle Of a pistol
against the priests breast.
Nathan. II o;p riohc fa1t tho Uyn0nNn
pressing against him, and was about
to step back when the man fired.
The bullet entered the priests heart
and he lurched forward. Az he did
SO the w%orshipers heard him exclaim:
"My God! My God"
The sound of the pistol and the
curl of the smoke that wound its WaE
upward above the altar rail tolC
those in the church what had hap
pened. The men and women seemed
stunned for several moments, and
then one Of the women who had
knelt next to the murderer screamed.
The cry seeEed to recall some OF
those in the room to their senses.
and several men started forward
from their seats to the side Of the
fallen priest.
Guarnacoto, who had risen after
he fired, evidently thought the men
intended to capture him. He sprang
into the aisle, and, waving the pistol.
shouted he would kill any n who
laid hands on him. AS he started
down the aisle m shrieked and
several of them tainted. The men
who had started toward the priest
stepped. hastily into pews and sat
down. No one tried to prevent the
murderer from leaving the church
and when he reached the door he
placed the pistol in his back pocket.
Two policemen, however, saw him
coming out of the door and started
after him. Patrolman Cronin over
took the fugitive, and as he was
about to seize him he drew the pistol
from his pocket and tried to shoot
the policeman. There was a strug-
gle, at the end of which the MUIR
derer was. overpowered.
Cronin led the prisoner back to the
church, and on the steps they were
met by the worshipers, who were
hastily leaving the building. Won
en- we're weeping Historically and
others knelt on the steps and prayed.
A crowd of men who had been at
tracted by the struggle between the
policeman and the assassin, when
they heard what had happened,
threatened to lynch the prisoner. He
was hurried to Jail AMI placed in soil
tary confinement.