Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-09-18
PRIEST SPENDS DAY
IN COUNTY JAIL
ASSISTANT PASTOR OF WEST
SIDE CHURCH is ARRESTED
AND SENTENCED

history of the Church of Our Lady Of
Sorrows on the West side the reg
ular Sunday masses were not sung
yesterday. Rev. Father Louis Cellier,
assistant pastor of the church, who
should have been officiating at the
altar, was, instead, prisoner in the
county Jail whittier he had been
sent Saturday afternoon by Justice
of the Peace Pablo Vigil Father Gel
lier had been accused of assault with
words. After short trial in the court
of the justice of the peace he was
sentenced to pay a fine of $25 and
costs. The priest refused to do so
and was sent to Jail. He also refused
to give bond, it is said. The COM
planning witness against Father Gel
lier was Margarito Romero.
The utterance which resulted in
the arrest of the priest was made
some time ago at one of the regular
Sunday services of the church. Speak
ing in regard to the Misunderstanding
between the pastor of the church,
Rev. Father Paul Gilberton, and
some of the parishioners. Father Louis
is said to have remarked that anyone
who would ma1iciously attempt to de-
fraud the church of her lawful pos
session was not better than thief.
According to the priests statement |
he did not mention any names. He
said further, it is asserted, that such
persons could be placed under ex-
communication.
Mr.. Romero and others, it is said,
thought the remarks of the father had
been addressed against them as they
had taken leading part in the at
tempt to secure the appointment Of
board of directors for Mount Cal
vary cemetery. Father Cellier was
arrested Thursday and kept in jail
for several hours before he gave
bond for his appearance for trial. His
trial occurred Saturday.
Late yesterday afternoon Father
Cellier gave bond. He has appealed
his case to the district court. He
was visited yesterday while in Jail
by a number of the members of the
local council of the Knights of Colum-
bus who assured him Of their sym
pathy. The Knights held special
meeting early in the afternoon, it Is
said, and drew up strong resolutions
. expressing their disapproval of the
, treatment which had been given
Father Cellier.
misunderstanding between Father
Gilberton and the people of his par
ish arose when a committee was sem
to him requesting that he join witt
a number of the people of the churci
+ in appointing board of trustees t
' manage Mount Calvary cemetery
q Father Gilberton is said to have tolt
: the committee the property belonge'
to the archbishop and he could not b'
: a party to any movement to selec
/ directors for it. Numerous mas
@ meetings were held in the court hous'
:. and the matter was discussed at con
+ siderable length. Finally the situa
/. tion became complicated furthe
r when Father Cellier mentioned tn
, controversy from the pulpit.
n Many Catholic people of the cit.
i and town are incensed at the arres
4 of the priest and the manner i
k which he was treated after his tria
u They say his arrest is an open cha,
D, lenge of the right of the priesthood t
h speak plainly from the pulpit. Other
IS says the priest need not have gon
" to Jail. Numerous persons offered t
Ig sign his bond and some agreed to pa
his fine, but he announced he prefel
n red to go to jail, it is said.
" The matter has caused a good des
ID of i'll feeling. The situation is con
K plicated one and probably will nc
" be settled until the return of Arcl
le bishop Pitaval, who is on his wa
Il home from Europe. Both parties
te the cemetery controversy assert the
,e are absolutely in the right.