The Springfield herald., 1908-02-28
KILLED AT THE ALTAR.
Anarchist Murders Catholic Priest
During Mass.

Denver.-During the most solemn
moment of Holy Mass at St. Eliza
beth's Catholic church, Guaranaccra
Guinseppe (or Giuseppe Guarnaccio),
alias Angelo Gabrielle, spat the conse-
Grated wafer from his mouth with an
oath, and, without arising from his
knees at the communion rail, shot and
killed Father Francis Leo Heinrichs
while the priest was still bowed in
benediction over him. The assassina-
tion occurred at G:30 O'Clock Sunday
morning.
Father Leo sank upon the COM
munion rail and died with the sub
lime Latin words of the service of the
Lords supper on his lips.
The communion rail was lined with
communicates, and the church was
partly filled with worshipers awaiting
their turn to partake of the sacra-
ment.
With a cry the murderer sprang up
and started down the side aisle of the
church. Knocking women to right and
left, nourishing the gun before him. he
made for the main entrance of the
church. Cries OF For Gods sake,
hold him" came from the panic
Cronin, who was sitting not ten feet
back from the altar, sprang after the
man. Hurdling two benches he was
upon the murderer when the latter
caught his feet in the mating and
fell. He was up again in an instant
but Cronin. pressing his revolver
close to the stomach of the assassin.
wrenched the weapon from the Ital-
ian's hands. And back near the altar,
where he had fallen, Father Leo lay
dead. not spot of blood besmirching
the robe of white which he wore.
Guarnaccio was hurried to the city
Jail. Foreboding rumors OF mob vio-
!ence reached the ears of the police
and not ten minutes after the Italian
had been jailed, the low rumble of
voices and the tramping of hundreds
of feet could be heard coming up
Larimtr street. For time it was be-
linved that the crowd was simply one
bent on curiosity and no demonstra-
tion was made until about 10 o'clock,
when shouts went up for leader.
Chief of Police Delaney rushed at
once to the jail. hurried the murderer
into other clothes. told him to don a
SLOUGH hat. and. taking him through
the rear door of the Jail, hurried him
into his automobile and away to the
county jail. Shouts began to arise for
the blood of the assassin and 1t was
about ! O'Clock when the crowd real
lied that Guarnaccio had been taken
to the county jail. The mob then hur
ried thither. When the mob started
for the county jail Guarnaccio was
again placed In an automobile and
whirled away to Littleton, where
train for Colorado Springs was caught.
Guarnaccio was in custody of Detec-
tives DeLue and Sanders and Sheriff
Nisbet
The motive for the crime Is doubt
full. 1t is said that Guarnaccio is either
simply mad assassin, or one cool
and collected who held grudge
against Father Leo ever since the lat
ter was preaching in Paterson, New
Jersey, year ago.
Father Leo came to Denver from
Paterson. New Jersey. last September.
and Guarnaccio came from the same
place on December 18th last. The
Italian was born in Milan, Italy. hot
bed of anarchism, and is a confessed
anarchist and socialist.
1t Is reported that in the city Jail.
when an Interpreter was secured, the
assassin declared that he had started
out In the morning with the intention
of killing four priests in Denver. He
said he was an anarchist and had
been teaching anarchistic doctrines
for fifteen years.
Only his arrest prevented him from
killing three more priests, whose
names he refused to divulge. Guar
naccio stated that he did not know
Father Leo and had never seen him
before, but that the doctrines of an
archy taught him that all priests were
enemies of the common people and
should be killed.
He boasted of having done a good
deed, and said: MY work is done.
Let the law take it's course"