Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-04-09
NO CLUE FOUND TO
ASSASSIK or
VICAR GENERAL
AJthofities BafiIed by
DaStardIy Attempt to Take
Life of Eminent Churchman
Of Tucson Diocese,

The identity Of the would-be as.
sassIn Of Rev. Father Girard, vicar
general Of the diocese OF Tucson, is
still battling the authorities in Tucson.
where a searching investigation is in
progress. The Tucson Citizen says:
Officers today are making a search
ing investigation into what they be-
lleye was an attempt Of an assassin
to take the life Of Father Girard.
vicar general OF the Catholic diocese
Of Arizona and New Mexico.
a shot fired some time Sunday
morning between . and 3 O'Clock
broke the window pane in Father Cir
ards room In the priest house on
south Stone avenue just south of the
Cathedral, and lodged in the wall.
Fortunately Father Girard was not
n the room at the time as he had
gone TO Benson on Saturday afternoon
to conduct sunday services in that
town.
It is the belief Of the officers. how
| ever, that a would-be assassin, not
aware that the priest had left the
city, took a chance shot through this
window, believing that 1t might strike
the priest, who was supposed 10 be
IN his room.
Who the would-be assassin could
have been is i matter of the deepes,
mystery as Father Girard IS one o;
the oldest and best liked priests In
the southwest. He has a large cir
lie of friends among those who dc
not belong to his church and he Ia
held in high esteem in this city as
well as throughout the .ntire south
west.
II was stated at the priest house
today that It is not known there who
could possibly have fired the shot. II
Is believed, however, there that 1t was
fired with murderous intent.
That the bullet ranged upward az
ter SCATTERING the window pane Is re-
;arded by the officers as most con-
elusive evidence that the bullet came
from the gun Of a would-be assassin
Had 1t been n chance Shot. which
usually is spent and falling, the bui-
let would in all probability have
ranged downward.
The bullet. which is of "A calibrc,
was dug out Of the wall and is now
n tho possession Of the police.
Residents in the vicinity of the Ca
thedral heard the shot but paid lit
tie attention to It.
None Of Father Girard's fellow
We're awakened by the shot
and it was not until about : o'clock
Sunday forenoon that the broken win
1pt4 "a M rra lfrrAtsara1 and an ffty-l
investigation the bullet in the
wall In the priests room.
The bullet passed directly over the
lesk in Father Glrard's room at which
he frequently works at night Judg
Ing from the course of the bullc'.
Father Girard. had he been seated at
desk. would have been struck in
The head by the leaden missile.
on Father Girard's desk was an
electric light with a large shade fas-
10 a desk stand. This incan-
was not turned on but in the
lin light made by the moon, this
might easily have been mistak-
n for the outlines Of a mans head
The course Of the bullet showed that
I passed Just over this shade.
The bullet lodged in the wall, above
4 dresser located near the head of
Girard's bed.
Father Girard Is expected to return
his evening from Benson whore h.
been conducting services.
In recent months thcre have been
number OF d%nstardly attempts TO as
iassinatc priests. beginning with the
ragody in Denver a few months ago,
'or which Ala, the anarchist, was
langcd. followed the murder of a
PRIEST i'm New Jersey. and two attempt
d transformations during tho past week
n other parts of the country