The state 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 Tor Giuseppe Guamaccio),
alias Angelo Gabrielle. spat the conse-
Grated wafer from his mouth with an
oath. and, without arising from his
knees ut the communion rail, shot and
killed Father Francis Leo Heinrichs
while the priest was still bowed in
Denediction over him. The assassina-
ton 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 cry the murderer sprang up
and started down the side aisle of the
| church. Knocking women to right and
left, tlourishing the gun before him, he
made for the main entrance of the
church. Cries of For Gods sake,
hold him!" came from the panic.
stricken people. Policeman Daniel
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
TELL. 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 yio-
!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
liTlmtr street. For time II was be
| loved that the crowd was simply one
bent ON curiosity and no demomstra.
tion was made until about 10 O'Clock,
when shouts went up for a leader
Chief of Police Delaney rushed at
once to the Jail. hurried the murderer
into other clothes, told him to don a
sluuch bat, 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 il was
about | o'clock when the crowd real
lied that Guarnaccio had heen taken
to the county Jail. The mob then hur-
ried thither. When the mob started
for the county Jail Guarnnccio was
again placed in an automobile aud
whirled away to l.ittleton. where Il
train for Colorado Springs was caught
Guarnaccio was in custody of Detec.
tives Del.ue and Sanders aud Sheriff
Nisbet.
The motive for the crime Is doubt.
full. II is said that Guarnaccio is either
simply a mad assassin, or one cool
and collected who held n 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
bed of anarchism. and is confessed
anarchist and socialist.
1t is reported that In the city jail
when an Interpreter was secured, the
aesassin 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 diyulge. 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 aud
should be killed.
He honsted of having done good
deed. ana said: My work ig done
Let the law take It's course