The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-01-20
ANDREAS HDF Err
THE CATHOLIC HERO AND MAR
TYR OF THE TYRoL.

TYR OF THE TYRQL.
The patriotism of William Tell has
Justly been remembered, and the
readers and histories have familiarized
children with the story of his exploits,
but how many of them, writes James
Reddick in "The Columbiad," know
anything of Andreas Hofer, the Cath
uolic hero of the Tyrol?
The inhabitants of the valley of
Passover are sturdy peasants, full of
faith, honesty, and brave to a fault.
Half an hours walk from the little
town of st. Leonard there stands a
small inn, known as 'The Inn on the
Sand" and here lived he who was
called the "Sandwirth" by the Ty-
.rolese; General Barbone," by the
Italians; and who said himself, when
he became Governor of Tyrol and they
wished to call him Excellency, II am
.Andreas Hofer, the peasant"
At the date of the Tyrolese Insurrec
,tion, Hofer was in the prime of life
He was strongly built; thick-set fig
,ure, with broad shoulders, a brown,
black curly hair, and a great beard
falling ON his chest, which he had
vowed never to cut while Bavarian
remained in Tyrol.
From 1876 to 1905 he distinguished
himself as a mountaineer and hunter,
and later on was elected captain Of
the Passover Rifle Club. In 1897 a
part of the French army of Italy, COM
.manded by General Joubert, marched
on the Tyrol, and the Inhabitants of
Passeyer took up arms, Hofer fight
ing in the ranks as a common soldier.
The Tyrolese barred Jouhert's way and
forced him to retire. Three years
later the French entered the Tyrol
from Switzerland, and their victories
were followed by exeesses peculiarly
.odious to the Tyrolese people. At
Schluders the soldiers massacred the
priest, broke open the tabernacle, and
.desecrated the Sacred Host.
TyroI ceded to Bavaria.
When Napoleon decided to conquer
the Tyrol, Ney was deputed to carry
out the invasion, and entered Tyrol by
the gorge OF Scharnitz, having first
crossed the Alps in the face of an
obstinate resistance. Difficult as this
route was, it offered him the advantage
of striking straight at the heart of
the country-Innsbruck. He swept the
surprised Austrians before him in dis
order. The victory at AusterlitZ few
weeks afterwards made Napoleon mas
ter of Austria, and he demanded as the
price of peace the cession of Tyrol
to his ally, Bavaria, and the Tyrol be-
came Bayarian territory.
Bavaria, though a Catholic country,
was governed by a violent anti-Cath-
olic ministry, They suppressed all
monasteries and religious orders, they
coerced the regular clergy, and
through the police committed sacri.
leges and robberies of Church proper
ty. This persecution inflicted on their
priests and their religion was no doubt
the cause of the insurrection in 1909.
The William Tell of the TyroIese.
Hofer proved himself the William
Tell of the Tyrolese. A conspiracy Of
a far-reaching character had been
growing, the peasants met at the vari-
Gus shooting competitions held on Sum-
days and feast days, and the leaders
of the various parishes formed their
plans and received ambassadors from
Hofer and his friends. Hofer counted
on help from Austria, for he had at
Vienna powerful and faithful friend,
the Archduke John, brother of the
Emperor, and Governor of the Tyrol,
before it was ceded to Bavaria. On
the 18th day Of January, 1909, Hofer
and two companions set out for Vienna
to complete the arrangements for the
insurrection, and in the month of
April the Austrian Emperor declared
war on Napoleon, in fulfilment of his
promise to Hofer.
Hofer called his people together with
these words: Tomorrow we shall
march for God, Emperor, and Father
land" After four days fighting the
Tyroleans had captured two generals,
seventeen staff officers, five hundred
minor officers, five thousand nine hun
dred and ten men. But the struggle
had only commenced. Nap0Ee0n'S Jury
when he heard how his troops had
been served by undisciplined noun
taineers knew no bounds. On May 1st,
strong force of Bavarians and
e French, under General Wede, occupied
Salzburg. The French and Bavarians
marched upon Innsbruck, ravaging and
burning as they went Two days later
Napoleon was defeated by the Arch
duke Charles at the battle of Aspern
Essling. On the evening of May Gath
the little Tyrolean army camped three
hours march from Innsbruck. At
Hofer's request one of the monks ad-