Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-06
VANDALS BREAK
INTO CHURCH TO
VIOLATE SHRINE
Cause $500 Damage at Our
Lady of the Blessed Sac
rament During Night
LEAVE GOLD, TAKE $40
Working by Candle Light in
North Broad Street Edifce,
They Respect Altar

vandals broke INTO the Church Of Our
Lady OF the Blessed Sacrament some
time between midnight and o'clock this
morning and started to wreck various
symbols OF worship. They experienced
change OF heart as they carried their
work Of destruction toward the altar.
paused before II in tthe weird light Of
their candles, respected the shrine and
turned their energies into the safer chan
neis OF petty theft. The loss is about
$500.
The interior of the little church, on the
west side of Broad street, the second
door above Ridge avenue was dark and
quiet and mysterious as catacomb after
the glare and hustle of the noisy thor
oughfare outside, along toward noon.
Presently the outlines and colors at the
altar grew out OF the darkness, over
which presided a tiny fame OF red in a
hanging cluster Of candles, the only light
there except the subdued reflection OF
sunlight that crept through the stained
glass OF windows
From the door. after the silent closing
OF Il had hushed away the street clatter,
nothing could be seen Of the work of the
Nandals except in the awkward angle
of a wrenched font An old man who
entered, TO sit in silence gazing at the
shrine did not know anything had hap
pened in the night. There is feeling
OF intimacy in the church. there being
only l2 rows OF pews, end these are semi
circularly disposed, so that all eyes are
concentred on the altar.
RIP CANDLES WITH PRIESTS
KNIVES
The vandals went about their work in
FIRST broke into the rectory adjoining
They went to the kitchen. where they
stole the silver knives OF the rector, the
Rev. Thomas J. Park They broke win
dow to get in, and they broke window
i'm the side door going into the church to
get at the lock.
IL was probably a little after midnight
when they found themselves in the
church. The organist had been there
until shortly before Il o'clock, practicing.
IT Is thought the men waited until they
heard the last of the resonant tones and
watched the organist leave the building.
The small red flame which burns all night
long did not give enough light to help
them at their strange work. So they car
ried candles.
Seven golden candelabra in the sanctu-
sry. valued at about $50 each. were dis
mantled and dlshgured. A candle stand,
in front OF the image of the Virgin, was
that far they stopped. The altar was not
assailed. None of the statues was in
jured.
TURN TO POOR BOXES.
at was clearly a case of vandalism"
said the rector today. "Vandals entered
the church about two years ago and did
some slight damage The men who en-
tered last night evidently were familiar
with the church and those who worship
here"
When the invaders started to have
compunctions they turned their attentions
10 the iron boxes in which contributions
for the poor are placed. Four of these
were broken, in the church vestibule and
in the corridor OF the adjoining building.
two being wrenched from the wall and
two partly destroyed by heavy blows.
Ten dollars was taken from one of them.
But the gold OF which some OF the
candelabra in the church are fashioned
was not carried away. The men seemed
10 be satisfied with mutilating it and
leaving 1t on the ground.