The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-28

CATHOLIC PRIEST AT DENVER
MURDERED BY ITALIAN.
Lather Leo Heinrichs of ST. Eliza
beth's Church, While Offering sacra-
ment, Was Shot Through the Heart
Panic Ensued Among congrega-
tion-Assassin Was Captured.

Denver, Col, Feb. 24.-Father Leo
Heinrichs was shot and killed while
administering the sacrament at early
mass in st. Elizabeth's Catholic
church, Eleventh and Curtis streets,
this city. at 6 O'Clock Sunday morning.
Kneeling at the altar rail between two
women, Giuseppe Guaranaccio pressed
the muzzle Of a revolver against the
body of the priest after receiving from
him the ~consecrated wafer and shot
the priest of God through the heart.
Enchanting MY God! my Cod"
Father Leo fell prone in front of the
altar and died without uttering an
other word.
With an inarticulate scream OF tri-
umph, which the communicates de-
clare was the yell of a demented man,
the assassin ran into the aisle, and,
waving the weapon about his head,
dashed to the church door. For a
moment the hundred or more people
in the church were dazed. Then a
oma shrieked and the congregation
became panic-stricken. Some women
tainted and many became h~ysterical.
Murdered Is Captured.
Several men rushed to- the aid 1 the
priest and others started in pursuit of
the murderer. Among the latter was
Patrolman Daniel Crefn, who overlook
the fleeing Italian on the = church
steps. G~uarnaccio attempted to shoot
the policeman, and was foiled and over.
powered only after a desperate strug-
gle, in which several men had to come
to the assistance of the officer. The
murderer was hurried over to the city
Jail.
Church Closed for the Day.
Before the commotion caused by the
tragedy had subsidized the Franciscan
Brothers connected with the st. Eliza
beth church silently brought candles
for the dead and placed them beside
the body of their superior where he
lay. BY direction of Bishop Matz, the
church was closed for the day.
Deputy Coroner Daniel hayes took
charge of the body of Father Leo
which was removed to the city morgue
A single hole in the white communion
robes of the priest showed that the
bullet had gone straight to his heart
The bullet remaining in the revolver
had been sharpened to a fine point.
Assassin Was an Anarch,st,
Guarnaccio was placed in solitary
confinement in the city Jail. He ad
mitted to a policeman who interviewed
him that the priest whom he had killed
was a stranger to him, and in eXplana
ton of his crime made the following
statement:
Il was just over there because
have a grudge against all priests il
general. They are all against thu
workingmen. l went to the com
munion rail because l could get a bet
ter shot. l did not give a d
whether he was a German priest o.
any otner kind of a priest. They ar'
all in the same class.
Il left Italy three months ago, wen
first to Central America and then cam,
to the United States and to Denver.
am an anarchist. l shot him, and IN.
only regret is that l could not have
shot the whole bunch of priests in tn,
church. | am a shoemaker, but hav,
not worked since coming to Denver.
Priest an Able Churchman.
Father Leo Heinrichs was born a
Koeln, Germany, August Is, 1867. H,
entered the Franciscan order Decem
Der 4, 1886, and was ordained July 26
1891. lie came to Denver last Sep
TENDER from Paterson, n. J., where TO
three years he was rector of st. Bona
ventures.