The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-08-01
Papal Panic" in the July 18th is
sue of Harper's Weekly.
c. B. of c. v.
A MISSIONARY ARRESTED
(Rev. Theo. Buttenbruch, S. v. D..
Told by Himself.

~.
Told by Himself.
Mote: The following article de
scribes difficulties typical of the
Catholic Missions of the Philippine
Islands. 1t proves how we'll the mis-
sionaries deserve the sympathy ant
the material support of the Catholics
of the United States].
For some time l have been work.
ing hard to build a little church al
San Juan, Philippine Islands. From
the beginning the Aglipayans tried
to thwart my effort, but without sue.
cess. At last the schismatic author.
tiles at Dolores thought they had
found scheme that would effectual.
ly put stop to my attempts. It hap.
pened like this:
On the End of February this yeal
two uniformed policemen entered
my house and declared me under ar.
rest. I was not conscious of any
breach of the law and remembering
the famous case Of the Captain von
Koepenik in Berlin, I said with EN-.
phasis: What proof can you offer
that you are really state officials and
not imposters?" The question came
so unexpected that for a while they
did not know what to say. At last
one remembered the star on his
breast and pointing to it said: "Look
here, priest. I am of the policia mu-
nicipal and you are our prisoner. I"
When I asked against what law l
had failed they said: THAT we do
not have to tell you, you simply have
to follow us at once"
It was past - o'clock but they
would not let me take my dinner,
which was ready. 1t was more
than an hours walk from San Juan
to Dolores. Ny parishioners shook
their heads. when they saw their
misionero led away like criminal.
I tried to console them and asked
them. in case should be hanged at
Dolores, to send my last regards and
greetings to my dear mother at
home. My good people laughed and
SO did the misionero but not my cap
tors. It was about 2 o'clock pm.
when we arrived at Dolores. The
first thing asked for was some
thing to eat, for felt quite hungry.
They told me to go to Father En-
rique Burschen, the priest stationed
at Dolores, but I protested: II will
not take advantage of the good Faith
er's hospitality. am state pris-
oner and the mayor has to feed me
today" I dined in the home of one
of the policemen that day.
About S o'clock pm. my case came
up in court. My crime was: had by
my new church INSTRUCTED a
street." i.e., two bitches which the
mayor had caused to be made two
years ago on church property. After
some deliberation the settling of my
case was postponed, but before
was released they wished to ascer-
tain my height and my weight, as
is done with all criminals. Their ap-
paratus for weighing was the kind
which in my home town is used to
weigh sacks of flour or hogs. 1
did not fancy that. Besides the
weighing was to be done publicly be-
for the crowd of people and the Of
ficials. l refused to be handled in
this manner and went away with
Father Burschen. But l had hardly
made few steps when a policeman
came after me and arrested me again
in the name of the law. Father
Burschen took care of my horse and
l returned to my judge. 1 explained
that I would not submit to be
weighed in public. Thereupon the
apparatus was placed in room,
where only the judge, the police and
myself were present. thought
what a funny sight would be hang
ing up there. So told the Judge
to try out the strength of the chain
by hanging on it himself and to my
secret delight, the next minute my
judge was dangling from the "hog-
scales" Now I, too, had courage
and in a few seconds my weight was
fixed at 40 pounds.
On Feb. IL was fined $50 and
the cost of the legal proceedings or
two weeks Imprisonment. When
the sentence was read to me l did
not feel particularly bad and at once
appealed to the higher court. The
law against which I was accused of
having sinned, had been made by the
mayor in January, 1914. I had OBJ
structed that so-called street in De-
cember. 1913. Another point in my
favor was that the law had not been
approved by the Provincial authori-
ties and besides. I had documentary
evidence to prove that the street was
laid across church property. No fair
minded Judge could deny my claims.
The Judge at Dolores is not an edu-
Gated man. He had been a church
trustee in the Spanish times and to
this foot no owad his office as iudge