The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-13
STOLE
T0A|D POOR
Devil Bested Me-" Says Pastor
Held in $85, 900 Theft-Given
Bonds by Woman.


CHICAGO, May ia dramatic
story of Liberty bond intoxica-
tion," temptation and fall was told
with tears yesterday by the Rev.
Anthony Gorke, Polish priest OF the
Roman Catholic Church Of the
Holy Settlement in New Chicago,
Ind.
PARISH IMPOvERIsHED.
The small parish OF Father Gorks
10 located in the Calumet Steel dis
trict. II ID usually Impoverished
and has been intensely so since the
depression In the Steel mills. The
charge against him 10 accessory
after the fact In the 100000 mail
robbery committed several months
ago in Toledo. He returned to the
Government 1s3.ss0 in Liberty bonds.
a part of the robbers loot. He had
spent Sl,l4O in paying debts OF the
parish and buying food and clothing
for jobiess members OF his church.
Mrs. Wanda Urbortis. who handed
him the package Of $4,000, has been
arrested in Toledo.
TT was all Just chance" said the
priest. and most unlucky chance
for me. One day two weeks ago i
was on the platform Of the Engie-
wood station. Mrs. Urbortis. for
Der member Of my flock. saw me.
| Father she said. i Am in trou-
BILE. Take this package and take
care OF II until / ask for 1t. What
ever you do. don't open It, ! put
my hand over my eyes. gave her
my word. ! wish now that had
kept L.!
TEMPTED BY CURIOSITY.
II put the package away Three
days later I read that Mrs. Urbortis
had been arrested in Chicago. (The
woman was arrested. held one day.
and when II was found she did not
have the bonds. released).
INSTANTLY / knew what the sealed
package contained. But my curios-
ity and ina gination helped destroy
\ me- / conjured the contents to be
bills of large denomination. next
that II contained bonds. The first
struggle with conscience lasted
thirty-six hours. 1t was the second
day after l read of the woman's
arrest that i violated my promise
to her.
| II broke the seal, and then before
me was gold and brown bonds of all
denominations-a total of SS5, 200. 1
saw the great fortune swimming
before my eyes. i counted the bonds
iagain and again until ! was shaking
| with nervous exhaustion.
Il could not eat or sleep that
night ! began to speculate about
the great good such treasure
could do. The devil was at my
elbow encouraging my evil thoughts.
assumed that fate had given them
to me. ! wanted to give to the
poor and establish a hospital.
REASONED WITH CONSCIOUS.
The struggle lasted a long time.
I prayed and carried out my regular
| routine as q priest. l reasoned my
self into the belief that / could do
more good with the bonds than the
person who lost them. / healed my
conscience with the thought that the
loser had many more. / was hearing
confessions while tremendous sin
lay heavy on my soul.
MY parish, you understand, 10 very
poor. Many are actually starving. At
every turn / was confronted by the
poor. hungry men and women, the
underfed children.
| "All / could think OF was these
bonds. I would see them and then !
would see the faces OF some OF my
despairing Pensioners, There was
enough to pay off the debts OF my
parish, to make everybody happy 1t
had fallen into my hands. l fought
until I was weary-then I gave in.
The priest bowed his head In his
| hands you know the rest"
The rest is that Father Gorke
buried S72, 900 worth OF the fortune in
his yard. and concealed most of the
Remainder about his parish house.
Through parishioners he cashed 81 40
in coupons. On " ednesday he sent
John Psulek and -. Bartinowski to
the cashiers cage. Paulek waited
\ outside. The cashier recognized the
coupons. Both men were taken into
custody. Paulek confessed and named
the priest
ALTRUIsM DOUBTED.
Father Gorke, about forty years
old, speaks Polish and German, but
no English.
Captain Porter. head of the Secret
Service. is not impressed with altru-
istic plans OF the priest.
"He tried to protect the woman by
saying he found the bonds" IL was
declared.
1t developed that since he began
4 cashing the coupons the priest had
taken various trips to parishes in
parts of Illinois.
The Toledo robbery was one OF the
most daring OF recent mail thefts.
Early on the morning OF February IL,
five men drove up to the Central post
office in Toledo. They forced two
mail drivers to lie down on the plat
form. and then gathered up eleven
registered mail sacks and escaped.
More than 81, 900, 900 in bonds were in
the stolen pouches. Every bank in
Toledo sustained losses.
DANNCTC Uni n It'd OpTvEp