The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-07-17
PRIESTS SLAYER
PAYS PENALTY
GIUSEPPE ALAI HANGED FOR A
BLOODY CRIME AT CANYON
CITY, COLORADO.

Z CANYON CITY, Col, July l5.-CaD
ing down maledietions upon the Ro
man priesthood. and shouting in Ital
ian, Long live Italy; long live the
Protestants, Giuseppe ALA. the muir
derer OF Father Leo Heinrichs, was
carried to the death trap. and exactly
at $3.50 O'Clock tonight paid the ex.
| IRENE penalty of his crime.
Giuseppe Alias crime, the murder
of Father Leo Heinrichs, of the order
of Franciscan monks, at the altar
rail in st. Elizabeth's Church, in Den.
yer, while the priest was administer.
ing 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
Ala had been in Denver several
weeks, unemployed and apparently
penniless. Early on the morning Of
Sunday, Feb. %, according to his
story, he was aroused from sleep by
the ringing of the chimes in st. Eliza
beth's Church. He arose. dressed
himself nurriedly and walked out to
the church, led by the musical tones
pealing forth call to worship. But
he went not with the thought of
Thanksgiving in mind, for 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.
Entering the church, Ala went
through the usual ceremony of bless
ing himself with holy water, and then
seated himself where his view of the
altar would be unobstructed There
be followed the ritual up to the point
where communion is given to all who
are prepared. Ala approached the
altar and, kneeling, awaited the ar
rival of the priest officiating at the
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 were
all taken. When Father
Ieo-beloved by all who knew him
10Th in and outside the church-ap-
)eared with the consecrated waters,
III at the rail seemed impressed with
he solemnity and sacredness of the
ervice and inspired with thoughts Of
Aod. Ala, however, according to his
'wn statement, could barely restrain
desire to spring at the throat of
he priest, despite the place, the
Gene and the peculiarly sacred char
cter of the action in progress.
Along the line passed the priest,
lacing upon the tongue of each sue
.essiye communicate the consecra-
ed wafer and repeating the lines OF
he mass declaring the Eucharist thus
is the Savior himself in
erson. Ala was now the next in
ne. Father Leo, placing the wafer
pom the tongue of the stranger, al
of the murderous design
l Alias heart, began: Take, eat;
MS is my body" but stopped hor-
Dr-stricken. The subject of the pray.
r had spat the blessed morsel from
10 mouth. Almost simultaneously
18th this dissertation a shot rang out,
nd Father Leo sank to the floor NOR
lily wounded. A bullet from a re-
oliver fired by Ala had penetrated
le priests body near the heart.
ather Wulstan Workman, hearing
lie shot, rushed from the adjoining
lcristy just in time to administer to
ather Leo the last ascrament, Father
co expiring a moment later in The
ms of his brother priest. Imme-
lately after firing the shot, Ala,
it'll a curse, darted toward the main
sic of the church and rushed for the
,or.