The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-17
CURSlNG, ALA, PRIEST
MURDERER, IS HANGED
Assassin Of Rev. Father Leo nsinrichs,
Executed for Ills Crime.

throughout the Catholic world lest it
should prove the beginning Of ! gen
eral plan Of priestmurder.
Entering the church, Ala went
through the usual ceremony of bless-
ing himself with holy water, and then
seated himself where his view 81 the
alter would be unobstructed. There
he followed the ritual up to the point
where communion 10 given TO all who
are prepared. Ala approached tho
alter and kneeling. awaited the u.
rival Of the priest oficieting at the
communion. not knowing, Ala has
said, or caring who 1t should be.
When Father Leo-appeared with
the conescrated waters, all at the rail
seemed impressed with the solemnity
and sacredness Of the service and In
spired with thought Of God. Ala, ac-
cording to his own statement, could
barely restrain q desire to spring at
the throat Of the priest, despite the
place. the ene and the peculiarly
sacred character Of the action ii pro
gress.
Along the line passed the priest,
placing upon the tongue o. each sue.
cessive communicate the c~onsecrated
wafer and repeating tine lines Of the
mass declaring the Eucharist thus
administered Il the Savior himself II
person. Ala was now the next ii
line. Father Leo placing the wafer
upon the tongue Of the stranger, all
unsupported Of the murderous design
N Alias heart, began: Take, eat;
this is my body but stopped horror
stricken. The subject Of the prayer
had spat the blessed morsel from his
mouth. Almost simultaneously with
this descration q shot rang out and
Father Leo sank to the floor mortally
wounded. "A bullet from a revolver
fred BY ALA mad penetrated the
priests body near the heart. Father
Wulstan Workman, hearing the shot,
rushed from the adjoining sacristy
just In time to administer to Father
Leo the last sacrament, Father Leo
expiring a moment later In the arms
Of his brother-priest. Immediately after
aring the shot, ALA, with g curse
darted toward the main aisle q the
church and rushed for the door. With
hair disheveled and smoking gun
fourishing over his head, he made his
way to within ten feet Of the portal
where he tripped and fell. Policeman
Daniel Cronin, who was among the
worshippers, wrenched the gun from
Alias hand and dragged him to the
street IN an effort to protect him from
the maddened worshippers.
The trial was comparatively brief.
Insanity was offered as 9 plea 70
escape the moose. The best alienists
in Denver testified that Ala was sane
and he was sentenced to be hanged.
Previous to coming to Denver Father
Leo lived at Paterson, N. j. Pater
son is the headquarters Of the Francis
can monks in this country and It has
been thought possible that he incur
red the enmity Of some one Or per
haps q group Of anarchists there per
sonal In its nature and applying only
70 him. Whether or not Alia brood
ed over fancied wrongs until ms mind
became diseased, It ID admitted that
for years he had entertained q hat
-ed for the priesthood, and on this
Sunday morning when the chimes
sounded from the church he had ap
parently lost all power Of control for
good, but the cunning Of evil remain
ed. The result was murder which has
no parallel In history. ri $$&
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