The Red Cloud chief., 1908-02-28
PRIEST Is MURDERED
DENVER PRELATE VICTIM OF
ASSAsSiN's BULLET.
Father Leo Heinrichs Shot to Death
In st. E%Iizabeth's Church While Ad.
ministering Sacrament to italian An.
archist.

archIst.
Denver, Feb. 24.-Father Leo Helm.
rtchs was shot and killed when ad-
minlsterlng the sacrament at early
mass In St. E~lizabeth's Catholic
church, Eleventh and Curtis street.
this city, at s a. IN. Kneeling at the altar
rail, between two women Giuseppe
Guarnaccio pressed the muzzle of q re.
volver against the body of the priest,
after receiving from him the conse-
Grated swafer, and shot the priest
through the heart. Enchanting, MY
God. my God" Father Leo fell prone
in front of the altar and died without
uttering another word.
With an inarticulate scream, the as
sass.n sprang into the aisle and, q
ine the smoking pistol about his head,
dashed to the church door. For a
moment the hundred or more people
in the church were dazed. Then a
oma shrleked and the congregation
became panic stricken. Some women
tainted and many became hysterical.
Several men rushed to the aid of the
priest and others started in pursuit
oil the murderer. Among the latter was
Patrolman Daniel Cronin, who over
took the fleeing Italian on the church
steps. Giuseppe attempted to shoot
the policeman and was foiled and
o~verpowered only after a desperate
fight, in which several men had come
to the assistance of the officer. The
murderer was hurriedly removed to
the city jail and, as threats OF sum-
mary justice were made by men in
the crowd which quickly gathered In
front of the church, Chief Of Police
Delaney called out the reserve force
OF patrolmen, who were kept on guard
day and night.
Deputy Coroner Daniel Hayes took
charge of Father Leo's body, 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 the heart.
The bullets remaining in the revolver
had been sharpened to a fine point.
Giuseppe was placed in solitary con.
finement at the city Jail. He admitted
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:
Has Grudge Against All Priests.
81 just went W there because I
have a grudge against all priests in
general. They are all against the
w%orkingman. went to the cOmmun.
ion rail because | could get a better
shot. | did not give a damn whether
he was a German priest or any other
kind of a priest. They are all in the
same class. l left Italy three months
ago; went first to Central America and
than came to the United States and to
Denver. l am al anarchist, and ! am
proud of it. | shot him. and my only
regret is that | could not have shot
the whole bunch Of priests in the
church. | am a shoemaker, but have
not worked since coming TO Denver
Although no actual demonstration
against the murderer OF Father Leo
had been made, there was much talk
around town throughout the day of the
justice OF lynching him. In order to
avoid an attack on the city jail.
Giuseppe vas taken to the county jail.
q more easily defended building,
where he remained several hours.
Small groups of men began to congre-
gate near the county Jail, and after a
consultation the authorities decided
to take Giuseppe out of town. Accord
ingly. he was hustled into an automo-
bile and a fast run was made to Lit
Teton, fourteen miles from Denver.
where a train was boarded for Colo.
RADIO Springs.
Father Fuesbius. senior assistant
pastor TO Father Leo, received a tele.
gram from the father provincial at
Paterson, n. j., requesting that the
body of the murdered priest be
shipped there for interment. This will
be done. and in order that the booy
may arrive there not later than next
Sunday, funeral services will be held
here on Wednesday. Though the Gus.
tom of the franciscan order permits
Of no eulogy OF the dead at funeral
services OF members. this rule will not
ne iCI,owed IN the case OF FNalneT LEO,
because OF the tragic nature or MS
death, Rev. Father William Organ
OF St. Leo's church will deliver the
eulogy over the remains OF Father
Leo, and at the same time will preach
q sermon ON anarchism and socialism.
In all likelihood Father Fuesbius will
conduct tho funeral ceremonies The