Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-16
. A[|A PAYS PENALTY
CDRS|NG PRIESTHOOD
Murderer Of Father Leo Hanged
in Colorado Penitentiary at
Canyon City
DYING WORDS FOR PRoTEsTANTs
DYING WORDS FOR PRoTEsTANTs
Father Leo's Brother Priests Plead for
co,nmutation of Sentence to Life
Ala Murdered Father Leo Heinriehs
At Altar Of Church While Receiving
Sacrament.

S0GC&U0uIs
Canyon City. Col, July 1e.--Calling
down maledictions upon the Roman
pries thood and shouting In italian.
.Long live Italy! Long live the Protes-
tants!" Giuseppe Ala, the murderer or
Father Leo Heinrichs, was carried to
the death trap. and exactly at S;So
o'clock last night paid the extreme
penalty Of his crime.
Ala went to the gallows attended
by Father wulstan, the priest who was
at the altar with Father Leo when he
5brea.hed his last and who admins
tered the last sacrament to the dying
priest. Alias neck was not broken by
the drop. He strangled to death.
UIon receiving word from Acting
Governor Harper that Ala was to be
hanged. Father Wulstan fastened to
the governors office with a petition for
the life Of the condemned man and
begged that the sentence be. changed
to life imprisonment. He explained that
the priests Of st. Elizabeth.s and the
entire brotherhood bore no Ill will to-
ward the assassin Of Father Leo, but
preferred that the man live in order
that he might have time to repent his.
sins. The request was refused.
Father Bernard, pastor Of st. Eliza
q kl.~ 1etn IN onY
City to meet the condemned man and
express the sympathy Of the monks
and their lack Of i'll feeling.
ALA, as do all men put to death IN
Colorado, hanged himself The gallows
sis constructed with a hydraulic trap,
which begins to work as soon as the
condemned man steps on the gallows.
The trap drops one minute later.
Story Of Alia's Crime.
Giuseppe Alias crime, the murde;
OF Father Leo Heinrichs. Of the Or
der OF Franciscan monks. at the altar
rail in st. Elizabeth's church In Dem
.yer while the priest was administering
the sacrament OF the Eucharist, struck
horror to the heart Of every person in
Denver and awakened anxiety thruous
the Catholic world lest it should prove
the beginning Of = general plan Of
priest murder.
AHA had been in Denver several
weeks, unemployed and apparently
penniless. Early on the morning OF
Sunday, February %, according to his
story, he was aroused from sleep by
the ringing Of the chimes in St Eliza
betfl's church. He arose, dressed him.
- xnyo1 fn the
church, led by the musical tones peal
ing forth a call to worship. But he
went not with the thought Of thanks
giving in his mind, Tor he declared,
and many times repeated. after his ar
rest, that the chimes recalled alleged
wrongs experienced in his native Italy,
and attributed by him to the church.
Murderer Blessed Himself.
Entering the church, Ala went thru
the usual ceremony of blessing himself
with holy water, and then seated him
sell. where his view OF the altar would
be unobstructed There he followed the
ritual up to the point where commun-
ION IS given to all who are prepared.
Aiisl approached the alter and kneel-,
Ing, awaited the arrival Of the priest
ofYiciatinx at the communion, not
knowing. Ala has said, or caring who
It should be.
a number OF other communicates
had assumed the same posture, and po-
sftions at the communion rail- were
practically all taken. When Father
Lee,-beloved by all who knew him
both In and outside the church-ap-
peared with the consecrated waters,
all. at the rail seemed impressed with
the solemnity and sacredness OF the
service and inspired with thoughts OF
Goi. ALA, however, according to his
own statement, could barely restrain
4 desire to spring at the throat OF the
priest, despite the place. the scene and
the peculiarly sacred character OF the
action In progress.
Ala Gets His Chance.
Along the line passed the priest
placing upon the tongue of each sue
cessive communicant the consecrated
wafer and repeating the lines OF the
mass declaring the Eucharist thus ad-
ministered is the Savior himself IN
person. Ala was now the next In
line. Father Leo, placing the wafer
upon the tongue of the stranger, all
uns,uspecting Of the murderous design
In Alias heart, began: AXE, eat; tnls
Is my body" but stopped horror
stricken. The subject of the prayer
had spat the blessed morsel from his
mouth. Almost simultaneously with
this desecration shot rang out and
Father Leo sank to the floor mortally
wounded. A bullet from revolver
fired by Ala had penetrated the
priests body near the heart. Father
W,,lstan Workman, hearing the shot.
rushed from the adjoining sacristy just
in time to administer to Father Leo
the last sacrament, Father Leo expir-
ing moment later In the arms Of his
brother priest. Immediately after fir-
Ing. the shot, Ala. with curse, darted
toward the main aisle Of the church
and rushed for the door. With hair
disheveled and smoking gun flourish
ms. over his head, he made his way
. within ten feet Of the portal, where