El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-05
Copyright. 1910 by Frank G. Carpenterl


7 ERUSALEM, Oct. 21.-Palestine is
boiling and seething with the guar
J rels of religious. fanatics. Every
sacred place in the country is claimed by
the Greeks, Latins, Armenians and
Copts. The hottest spots are divided UP
into sections, and lines are drawn here
and there indicating the church to which
each part belongs. The various sects
are divided among themselves as to who
shall control the monasteries, converts
and other institutions belonging to them,
and the quarreling goes on over the very
spot where Christ was born and upon
that where If is supposed the crucifixion
took place.
Dynamiting the Holy Sepulcher.
These quarrels are serious. Knives
are frequently drawn and many are
killed "A short time ago monk was
shot by an Austrian pilgrim IN the
church of the Nativity at Bethlehem,
and Just before last Easter a gigantic
candle was sent to Jerusalem addressed
to the care of certain priests. This
candle was nine feet high and two feet
thick, and as far as its outward appear
ance was concerned seemed to be en-
tirely of wax 1t was shipped in from
abroad. and was intended to be lit in
side the church of the Holy Sepulcher,
and to burn there while the celebrations
were at their highest. At that time the
church would have been filled with
Greeks. Armenians, Latins and Abyssin-
ians. When the candle came to Jaffa
the customs officers held it for duties,
and sent word to the priests to come
and pet it. They failed to appear,
whereupon it was cut open and 5000
little dynamite balls were found inside
it Had it exploded at the time of the
festivities 10000 or more people would
probably have lost their lives.
The War of the Greeks.
That candle was probably sent by a
Greek who is disgruntled at the church,
and in his desire for revenge cared not
how many he killed. There is a great
war going on among the Greeks. and L
am told that some of the factions have
refused to 90 to the church of the Holy
Sepulcher until their wrongs are righted
Turkey has now new constitution. bv
which it is provided that every sect
shall own and control its own churches
and church property. The Greek church
here is ruled by outsiders, and the
Greeks who are natives of Palestine
claim that they have the rioht to the
church and church property. There have
already been numerous riots between
these Greeks and The foreign monks. and
not long ago the people demanded that
the patriarch. or head of the Greek
church, resign. The native monks
threatened to put him out. and the Mo-
hammedan authorities here wired Con-
stantinople as to what they should do.
The sultan has favored the outsiders.
He telegraphed the patriarch to hold on,
but nevertheless there were more riots,
the people rose and the patriarch is here
now only on sllfferaQce
Monks Who Control Millions.
The fight among the Greeks is to
some extent sentimental, but it is also
largely one for the loaves and fishes.
The Greeks are the most powerful re-
ligious body in Palestine, and their
property. runs high into the millions.
They have monasteries. converts and
hospices scattered over the Holy Land
from Dan to Beersheba, and at all of
these the pilgrims who travel over the
country make contributions. Some of
the places are so valuable that the
priests in charge are said to pay a lump
sum of $1,000 or more a year for the
privilege of presiding at each of them,
expecting to recouD themselves from the
gifts of the pilgrims. Here in Jerusa-
lem there are 35 Greek monasteries and
other big buildings managed by 500