Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-24

assaulted the nun on more than one
occasion.
1t is further reported by officers
that they have been informed that
Sister Mary, when last seen Aug. %.
1907, was i'll the basement of the
church at Isadore, with the house
keeper. At all events the sister dis
appeared at that time.
For 15 days the vicinity was
searched in an effort to find some
trace of her. Bloodhounds were
used, Father BienoWske lending
every assistance to the hunt. The
bloodhounds on their first effort,
wound up at the door to the base
ment but officers in searching the
basement found nothing out of the
way.
At last the search was abandoned.
when it was reported that Sister
Mary had been seen in Chicago with
a baby.
Girls Story Bares Tragedy.
The whole affair came to light as
a result of disclosures made by Miss
Martha Miller, 10 year old daugh-
ter of a farmer living near Isadore-
She accuses Father Edward Pod
leswesh, who succeeded Father
BienoWske at the Isadore church.
She says she was taken to Ann Ar
Dor hospital, where she gave birth
to a child.
She says that Father Podleswesk
accompanied her there and that on
that trip told her that last summer
he had been informed that the body
of Sister Mary had been buried in
the church basement
Miss Miller further tells officers
that Father Podleswesh told her
body and bury it in the cemetery,
as the church basement was to be
rebuilt and that he had done &C
cordingly with the assistance of
Jacob Flees of Isadore-
Alleged Accomplish COnfesses.
Officers located Flees. This was
in December, just passed, and i'm
upon the return to Isa-
dore of Martha Miller, whose con-
fessiOn gained by her father, Flees
confessed and signed an affidavit
in which he told the whole story.
He said that one day late last
summer Father Podlesweski had
asked him to help remove body
from the church basement; that to-
gether they had dug up the body
and at night reburied it in the GEM
etery, covering it with shrubs that
it might not be detected
The remains, he said, consist |
ed of a few bones, a rosary and a
portion of a cord used on a nuns |
frock.
Body Of Nun Dug Up.
Officers during the week just pas
sed dug up the body and verified |
the story of FIees. They then be-
gan their search for Father Pod !
Father Bienowski, and his
housekeeper, locating the former at |
St. Bonaventure's monastery, De-
troit; Father Bienowske at Manis- |
tee, and the housekeper they believe |
at the same place.
The bones of Sister Mary, con-
tained in a little wooden box, they
had hid, placing a strong guard
over the box, as theft of this
would mean loss of the only evil
1ence they have. Father PodIes-
wesh Is awaiting church trial in
Detroit
Father Bienowske and his house
keeper will be called upon to ex-
plain the discovery of the body of |
Sister Superior Mary. Officers be-
ieve both know the story, and that
both helped bury the body. They
nave reached no conclusion as to
he cause of her death.
History of the Nun.
After considerable effort the his
DRY of Sister Mary John has been
lug up. Born in Chicago, she went
o Detroit with her parents at the
lge of Q.
Upon the death of her father and
he commitment OF her mother to
an insane asylum, she entered the
Polish convent in Detroit, becom-
ing a member of the Felician Or
Ter and taking the vows of the
church as nun at the age of IS.
She came to the Isadore convent
from Detroit in 1906.
Sister Mary was sister superior
Of the school and convent at Isa- !