Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
CULT WOULD Cruelty
ITS OWN BISHOP
Special Correspondence of The Star

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LODI, Poland. February IA, 1912.
bishop KOW..I.SkI, leader of the
y Maryawity, q sect with a large fol-
lowing here, is in hiding following an at
tempt of his own people to cruelty him.
Fortunately the police came on the scene
just in time to save his life.
Some weeks ago the bishop noticed that
his flock had dropped into way OF see
ing visions. in which he, two of his priests
and Mother kozlowslSa. supreme head,
played chief part. The fanatics saw these
four people under all sorts of conditions;
but lately they appeared to be cruclhed
with halos round their heads, and then TO
rise again. Bishop Kowalski argued with
them, but in vain. Mother kozlowsKa
lives miles away. in the city OF Plock, SO
the Missionaries could not visit her. BUT
they waylaid Bishop kowa;ski to say he
always came to their visions. was cruel
fled and rose again, whereby all the
wicked men in the city were reclaimed
and the fame OF the sect was spiedu
throughout the world He tried to per-
suade them that their dreams. the resui.
of much fasting. were but symbol, and
for some time he managed to quiet them
Last week, however, large crowd col
lected in the church where the blshop
generally breaches, and declared that the
vision of his crucifixion had again come
to them, and SO clearly that there was no
mistaking it's meaning. The bishop must
die to save the wicked men OF Lodz anu
promote the glory of their sect He was
sure to rise again, they told him, since
the vision always said so. The bishOp
shut himself up In his house. They broke
down the doors, and. in spite of his re-
monstrances, carried him off to large
open space behind the church. To his
horror he saw that cross had been pre-
pared. Two of his priests tried to snow
them their error, but in vain. The Ia
natics said they would cruelty them. too
They seized the unhappy bishop, bound
him, and, after prayers and eNhortatlons'
laid him on the cross. They were IN the
act of mailing his hands to it when the
police, warned by the two priests. who
managed to escape during the prayers,
fell into the yard. A terrible fight fol-
lowed as many OF the fanatics were
armed. But the police got the upper hand
at last. and, with the help of the military.
twelve ringleaders We're women, who de-
clare they will cruelty the bishop yet.
Their victim was released from the cross
in state of complete collapse. The
priests begged the police to take him to
prison for the night, as they feared he
would be kidnapped again. After day
in the cells he sufficiently recovered to
leave the city, disguised as hawker.
His refuge is dead secret, as he says
he cannot trust mis- flock.
Ten years ago all the Maryawity We're
members Of the Church of Rome. The
Mother kozlowska, who started life as
a seamstress, attracted certain priests and
their f1ocks by means of visions. in which
she declared God had told her to gather
men and women to fight the antichrist.
who has taken possession of the world.
Each time she and her followers wanted
guidance she went into a hypnotic trance.
in which she had directions for future
conduct. The Pope communicated
them, and Kowalski. who was a Roman
priest, was one of the first bishops.