The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-24
STORY OF REVOLVING CRIME
WHICH ALARMED COUNTRY


WHICH ALARMED COUNTRY
Canon City, Colo, July 1s.-Guiseppe
Alias crime, the murder of Father Leo
Heinrichs, of the Order of Franciscan
monks, at the altar rail in ST. Eliza
beth's church in Denver While the
priest was administering the sacrament
of the Eucharist. struck horror to the
heart of every person in Denver and
awakened anxiety throughout the
Catholic world lest it should prove the
beginning of a general plan of priest
murder.
weeks, unemployed and apparently pen
niess. EARLY on the morning of Sun
day, February 90, according to his
story, he was aroused from sleep by the
ringing of the chimes in ST. Elizabeth's
church He arose, dressed himself hur-
riedly and walked out to the church.
led by the musical tones pealing forth
a call TO worship. But he went not
With the thought of thanksgiving in
mind, for he declared, and many times
repeated. after his arrest that the
chimes recalled alleged wrongs expert
uted by him to the church.
Entering the church, ALA went
through the usual ceremony of blessing
himself With holy water, and then seat
ed himself where his view of the altar
would be unobstructed. There he fol-
lowed the ritual up to the point where
communion is given to all who are pre-
pared. Alia approached the altar and,
kneeling, awaited the arrival of the
priest officiating 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
positions at the communion rail We're
practically all taken. When Father Leo
beloved by all who knew him both in
nd 1,n oh11 rod !,
the consecrated waters. all at the rail
seemed impressed with the solemnity
and sacredness of the service and in
spired with thoughts of God. Ala,
ment. could barely restrain a desire
to spring at the throat of the priest,
despite the place, the scene and the Pc
cuiarly sacred character Of the action
in progress.
Next in Line.
Along the line passed the priest,
placing upon the tongue of each sue
cessive communicate the consecrated
wafer and repeating the lines of the
mass declaring the Eucharist thus ad-
ninistered is the Savior himself in per-
son. ALA was now the next in line.
Father Leo. placing the wafer upon the
tongue of the stranger, all unsuspect-
ing of the murdcrous design in Alias
heart, began Take, eat; this is my
body" but stopped horror--stricken.
l.
the blessed morsel from his mouth.
Almost simultaneously with this desc
Grafton 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 Wulstan Work.
man, hearing the shot, rushed from the
adjoining sacristy, just in time to ad-
minister to Father Leo the last sacra-
ment, Father Leo expiring moment
lot L; ,o,,
Immediately after firing the shot, Ala,
with a curse, darted toward the main
aisle of the church and rushed for the
door With hair disheveled and smolS-
ing gun flourshing over his head, he
made his way to within 10 feet of the
portal. where he tripped and fell. Po-
liceman 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 maddencd worshippers. Out
side. the policeman and his charge We're
surrounded by several hundred persons
who We're about to tear ALA from the
officers hands. when several priests
and Franciscan brothers appeared on
the steps and pleaded with the enraged
awful murder to God.
The presence of the ecclesiastics in
terceding for the life of the destroyer
of a beloved brother had effect. The
SIIiSlc pOllCciuiil Was dllOWcu TO take
ALA away in a buggy hastily driven to
police headquarters. Several hours
later Ala was spirited out Of town in
an automobile and taken to Colorado
Springs for safekeeping.
Tho Trial.
The trial was comparatively brief,
but every opportunity Of defense was
given. Insanity was offered as plea
to escape the moose. The best alienists
in Denver testified that Ala was sane
and he was sentenced to be hanged.
A petition from citizens in Alias native
town in Italy pleading for his life, and
declaring that he was undoubtedly in
sane was forwarded to the Italian con-
sui here. but for some reason unex-
planned was never presented to the gov
ernor. Many believe that the murder
of Father Leo was part of an anarch-
istic plot against the Catholic clergy
but nothing has recently transpired
tending to substantiate this view. Pre-
vious to coming to Denver Father Leo
lived at Paterson. N. ]. Paterson is the
headquarters of the Franciscan monks
in this country and 1t has been thought
possible that he incurred the enmity
of some one or perhaps group OF
anarchists there, personal in its nature
and aODlying Onlv tn him His great