The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-17
is STRUCK
DOWN BY THUGS !
ON Street
Fir. Joseph F. Folta, of Sacred Heart {
of Mary Church, Victim Of Gov. n
ardly Attack; Thinks Robbery IA
the Motive. AT
Assault May Have Been by Youna
Man He Chided for Smoking
Cigarettes.

The Rev FIR. Joseph r. Folta, Pc
tor OF the Sacred Heart OF Mary
church. Russell-st. and Canfield-ave..
was the victim OF cowardly assault
Monday night, az the hands OF two
young men whose identity Is as yet un-
known. Detectives Redmond and
Repp, OF the Garfield station. are AZ
work on the case and arrests may fol.
low soon. 3
FIR. Folta believes the motive for
the attack on him was robbery.
though there is Just possibility thnf
his assailants were seeking. To satis-
~ fancied grievance. A story Is told
IN the neighborhood that FIR. Folta
upbraided several young men for
smoking cigarettes at a fair In I'd
Polish seminary garden a short time
before the assault. and some OF the
young men. It Is said. were seen 20
double up their fists during the @leC-
ture," FIR. Folta, however, will not be-
lieve that any of his own people
would assail him in this fashion. He
clings to the robbery theory, refusing
to entertain any other
The priest left the seminary grounds
on st. Aubin-ave., near Garfield,
about II o'clock and walked to the
corner with Miss Sophia Jablonski.
one OF HIS parishioners. who is en-
ployod in the dry goods store of An
toni Glowczewski, No. 500 Russell-st.,
and who had also attended the fair.
At the corner they separated, FIR Fol-
ia turning down Garfield on the north
side OF the street and Miss Jablonski
crossing to the opposite side. Two
men were standing on the corner, one
of them drinking at a fountain that
stands there. They were probably
the men who attacked him. but FIR
Folta took no notice OF them at the
time, and Is doubtful whether he could
recognize the pair If he should see
them again.
Il had just passed ST. Albertus
school and had-feached dark spot
on Garfield. between st. Aubin and
Dequipdre when | heard some one rum
ming behind me-" said FIR. Folta. 1T
did not occur to me that was in dam
ger and paid no attention. The next
instant | heard something whizz
through the air and received terrific
blow on tho forehead. just over my
eye.
What has happened?' | cried and
sank to my knees. Then l received
another blow and became unconscious.
II the fellows intended to rob me.
they were disappointed, for the young
lady heard me cry out and came rum
ming across the street When they
saw her they ran, am told. But
even II they had gone through my
pockets they would have been but
poorly rewarded. | had only a small
amount OF money with me. Possibly
they thought I had some of the re-
ceipts from the fair In my possession"
II was several minutes before FIR.
Folta recovered sufficiently to walk to
the parsonage at No. S96 Russell-st.
When the priest appeared before his
pariehioners the following morning.
with his head wrapped I'm bandages,
they were greatly alarmed. The news
OF the assault spread rapidly in the
parish and has been the chief topic Of
conversation In the neighborhood
since. That anyone should dare to at
tack their priest seems almost beyond
comprehension OF FIR. Folta's devoted
flock
Whatever the motive was, the men
who attacked the priest were not
wanting In nerve. The st. Albertus
church corner is one OF the most fire.
quented In this section of the city.
p Rybicki. saloonkeeper at No. BOT
He was standing in the door Of his ga
loon. less than half block distant
from the scene when he saw the two
men steal up behind their victim.
whom he did not recognize az the
priest In the darkness. Before ne
coulG go 10 the priests assistance the
men had fed
Miss Jablonski bears out FIR. Folta's
account OF the incident. According 90
the witnesses one of the men wore a
straw hat and the other a black der
by. and one was short and the other
tall II was the short man who struck
the priest, Rybicki says
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