The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-08
COCAINE F|ENDS
THEFT ON ALTAR
CREATES PANIC
st. Joseph's Roman Catholic
Church Is Thrown Into Con-
fusion by John j. Collins.
ENTIRE CONGREGATION SEES
HIM TAKE HOLY RECEPTACLE
WOman's Shrek Causes Rush
for Exit, but Father Quirk
Restores Calm.

John ]. Collins, the young man who
created a panic in st. Joseph's Roman
Catholic Church by boldly taking the
sacred ciborium from the altar in the
presence of the congregation, was to-
day declared to be a maniac from the
excessive use of cocaine. Alienists in
the County Insane Asylum, where Col
Inns was sent from the Fifth Precinct
station, said that he had used cocaine
to such excess that his brain had
weakened, and that there was but lit
tie hope of restoring his reason.
Collins, who was a prominent mem
Der of a crack Jersey regiment of the
National Guard. is a victim of the
drug, against the sale of which THE
EVENING STAR procured the pas
sage of a law by the last Legislature.
When his regiment was encamped at
Sea Girt he was ordered out of camp
because he struggled cocaine into the
place.
st. Joseph's Church was filled ready
for the 10 o'clock mass, when Collins,
who lived at 1031a Wallace place,
walked boldly up the centre aisle,
knelt at the railing and devoutly
crossed himself. Then the congrega-
tion was startled to see him push
through the swinging gate of the rail
n approach the altar. At the first
OF the three steps leading to the altar
Collins knelt again, and this time he
remained there for two or three min
utes, apparently in prayer.
BoIdness Holds All I'm Check.
Those in the front seats had OBJ
served him, and were shocked, as he
had entered the place held sacred to
priests. Tho pastor, Father George w.
Corrigan, was in a side aisle, and
Father Andrew L. Clark, who was to
celebrate the mass, was gowning him
self in his vestments in the sacristy.
which opens off the sanctuary.
When Collins had finished his prayer
at the altar step he rose quickly and
gave one bound up the steps, grabbed
the holy ciborium and started down
the steps again. The ciborium is a
silver chalice eleven inches high and
five inches wide, in which Is kept wa
fers of bread used for communion.
As he started down the steps a
woman in the front part of the church
gave a shrek which brought the whole
congregation to its feet. Collins, APP
parently frightened by the shrek,
turned and went back to the altar,
placing the ciborium where he had OBJ
tanned 1t.
Panic Quick TO Start.
The Shrek of the woman, with the
sight of the strange man on the altar.
created a panic in the church. Men and
women rushed for the doors in a wild
stampede, many of them shouting hys-
terically. Father Corrigan raised his
hands n commanded quiet. He was
not heard in the tumult. Father Clark
rushed from the sacristy and ordered
all to return to their seats. Neither
was he heard or obeyed. Father Ed
ward It. Qulrk, who had said the 8
o'clock mass, was in the rectory adj
joining the church when he heard the
disturbance. Rushing in the front door
of the edif1ce he turned the commune
cants back, and with his giant physical
frame and his strong voice he conf
manded the situation. But, In the ex-
element, many woman a tainted and
others were so hysterical that they sal
in their benches and wept.
AS the uproar subsidized Detective
Sergeant Pagan, of the central office
Patrolman Thomas j.. Owens, OF the
Second Precinct, and Captain Johr
Coakley, of the Pennsylvania Railroad
detective staff, who were all in tho
church at the time. pushed their way
to the front and seized the youth. HI
was taken to the First Precinct station
house, n after being locked up fol-
some hours was removed to the County
Hospital for the Insane on South Or
ange avenue. Police n physician:
are of the belief that he is insane.
Collins told the police that he had {
dream Saturday night, in which Fathei
Thomas j, Toomey appeared to him an,
commanded him to go to the churcl
lust before 10 o'clock mass and taxi
the ciborfum. Father Toomey has beer
dead fifteen years. Collins was an alta
boy when Father Toomey was pastoI
Of the church.