Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-02-28
KILLED At THE ALTAR.
Aaarehlst Murders Catholic Prizes
IL a.,.. 'Durlno Mass,

""s "s
Denver.-During the most solemn
moment of Holy Mass at. st.. Eliza.
beth's Catholic church. Guaranaccra
iGuinseppe ,(or' Giuseppe GuarnaccioJ.
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
benediciion over him. The assassina-
ton occurred ut $3.50 O'Clock Sunday
morning. 10 rrD4,r i4o NJ
Father Leo sank upon the COM
'nunnn 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
conmunicants.i and the church was
partly filled with worshipers awaiting
their turn to partake OF the sacra.
ment. I uHl7ll'H
With cry the murderer sprang up
and started down the side aisle of the
church. Knocking women to right and
left. fionrishins 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. Hurdlin. two benches he was
upon the murderer when the latter
caught his feet In the mating and
fell. He was up again In an instant
but Cronin. pressing his revolver
close to the stomach Of the assassin.
wrenched the weapon from the ltal
ian's hands. And back near the altar.
where he had fallen. Father Leo lay
dead, not "A spot OF blood besmirching
the robe Of white which he wore.
Gunrnaccio WAS hurried tn the city
jail. Forcboding rumors of mob VIC
!encc reached the ears Of tho police
ana not ten minutes after the Italian
had been jailed. the low rumbi. OF
voices ani the irampin. Of hundreds
Of feet could be- heard coming up
l...rimr street, For time IL WAS be-
liaved that the crowd was simply on.
bsnt on curiosity and uo dsmonstra.
tion was made until about 10 o'clock.
when shouts went up for n leader.
Chief Of Police Delaney rushed at
once To the jail. hurried the murderer
into other clothes. told him To don a
siouch hat. and. taking him through
! the rear door Of the jail. hurried him
county jaii. Shouts began To arise for
the blood Of III" ASSASSIN and IL was
about o'clock when the crowd real
lied that Gnarnaeeio had bc-n taken
To the county Jail. Th- mob then hnr.
ri-d thithcr. When the mob started
for the county Jail cuarnaccio Was
again placed In an automobile and
whiri~d away tn l.itti-ton. where u
train for Colorado Springs Was caught.
Guarnaccio was Ia custody of D,t-c.
tiscs bcl.u- and Sanders and Sheriff
Nisi,ct.
The motive for the Grim. IL doubt.
sai. II In said that Gnarnaerio is either
simply mad assassin. or one cool
and collected who held srudr-
against Father i.-o ever since IN" lat.
ter was preaching In Paterson. New
Jersey. y year ago.
Father Leo came TO D-n,~r from
Paterson. New Jersey. last September.
afiH Guarnaccio came from the same
pi.r- on December 18th last. The
italian was horn In Milan. iiais. hot.
bed of anaTchism. anL is a confessed
anarchist and socialist.
II IL reported that in the city Jail.
when an interpreter vas secured. the
sssnssi- declared that he had aiart-.l
out In the morning with the ini-ntiou
ot killing four priests In Denver. He
said he @ss an anarchist and had
bc.,n ,..,shiHe anarchis,ic doctrines
for ff'c-n years.
Only his arrest prevented him from
killing three Mor- priests. whose
names he refused To iiSuisc. Guar
naceio stated that he did not know
Father i.ro ani had never seen him
beforr. hut tha, the doctrines of an
archy taught hi'n that all priests were
-ncmir. Of the common people and
should bc killed.
lie h,sstcd Of having done good
deed. and said: "s,y work is done.
let the Law take It's course"