The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-03-13
GETS
THREAT FROM
BLACK HAND
POpularFather Benedict DeiieS
Enemies Despite Death
Threats He Received
[spEcIAL 10 LEE r1nrsn

a.
tndaunted by a smolderinp aa,,o 80
uiSsension in the parish that for
months has been gradually famed ~
secret meetings, intrigue spies AMI
ou'ieer-spylng, Father Benedict Ra-
Jeahy' for % years pastor ST st. Johns
oIavlsh Catholic church. YESTERDAY
"rh'hg mounted the pulpit and hur;
81 IN the faces of the clique thar h.
calls "bolshevik@ his defiance of them
and renuncia.ad in the fact Of death
threats his determination to continue
in charge OF the parish and 10 rear the
more than 700 children in mis- schools
as Americans ana not as slavs or
Czcheks or any other nationality.
GETS DEsTH LETTERS.
Father Bene ut Saturday laid before
Chief Bunde " the Hammond police
department two black-hand letters rs
had received the day before. Both
threaten him with death Both ara.
written in Slavish. One was mailed -
Chicago; one il whiting. What they
say:
The Chicago letter. This bears
black hand drawn in ink The letter
IS written in pencil. Translated free
" it says: Benedict Rajeany: / notify
you what you may expect Both I and
my society are very strong You VIII
be killed in shors time But you won.
know when ! VIII kill you sure r.
s.-I am an Italian
Remarkable that this Italian should
have such good knowledge Of Sfavfsh.
is il not21 and Father Renedlct laugh
ed heartily as he showed the letter .
the reporter.
The second death threat was mailed
in Whiting. II is better written and
appears or better grade of paper than
the other 1t says:
at would be better for you. to dis
appear from here because thexeatas-
trophe tthe priests cea.h) is certain Of
fulhlllnent unlesS you go. Well my
friend this is my last good bye TO you.
Farewell to you anyway"
The letter contains also some maud
lin sentiment and what is more m
portant an understanding Of certain
happenings in the parish that lay the
writer's identity open
The letters werei brewed ! am Ger
tain at a secret meeting Of my enemies
at 504 Ere. street one night last week
Father Benedict explained. Since
they can present NJ reasonable
grounds for my removal before Bishop
Alerding at Fort wayne they have
taken this method Of securing their ne
farious aim They viii Kill me ani
so. perhaps get another priest more
to their liking who VIII convert the
schools into an old-country institution
and their off spring into clan OF
worse than hyohenated citizens
Am / not afraid TO die? But why
afraid? Man dies only once. can
die only once ] must die sometime.
j am not afraid to die
CUR.TE BRINGS CoRRIPTIoN.
According to Father Benedict the
whole dissatisfaction that threatens to
disrupt one Of the richest foreign
parishes in northern Indiana is the re-
suit Of the temporary pastorate Of an
interruptions tiereyman, more ambiti
Gus for his worldly gain than solicit
ous about the teachings or his church.
who held SWAY at St Johns for six
months last year during the absence Of
Father Benedict.
This priest, about whom Father
Benedict was loafhe to speak in the
least deprecating manner. assumed the
duties Of the parish while Father
Benedict spent six months on trip
through the west and south in an ef- !
fort to rccuperate his health. The
curate.s name was Reverend Joseph
Zalihera He had been assistant pas
tor. il is understood, in both the Clevf
land and Toledo dioceses Both Bisho'
Schrelnbs and the late Bishop Farreiy
are said TO haze had occasion to take
the young clergyman's faculties from
him and to deprive him Of permission
i. act as a prize st in those synods- This
because Of the young mans inherent
unscrunlous amhi iouSuess that was
forever causing trouble
WAVING TO THE GSANDsTAND.
When Father Benedict left for the
went IN July. 19s1 he engaged Father
1alfhera vino had managed t. gain
admi,tance to the Fort Wayne diocese. |
il taka his place He gave explicit in
structsons he says. that the curate
sbonld above Ell other things refrain
from interfering with the school. its
curticula. the teachers. OF in any way
10 NEEDLE with existing conditions.
WIN Father benedict cut Of the way
the Young clergyman imm ediatcly SET
~ work 10 fng~atiate himself with the
.ne,..~s+io1 Whereas the older
nrio-t FOR 25 Years had carried on an
-,nceasine anA successfol struggle g i
maintain and American program OF as i
s,,,ilation in his schools and had T,
fought continuously the ever-shiftins /
tide that sought to sweep aside all bat !
yyhat smacl<ed Of the o'd-ceuntry, th~
young curate now played to the out
and-out alien minority in the parish /
and won their questionable support /
with promises to reinstate the singing +
Of slav1sh songs in the choir the in +
PRODUCTION of the slavish languages IN I
the schools. and finally the removal q
he present teaching body Sisters of i
Providence. women mostly OF GERMAN T
and irish nativity, for teeening oFdar
comprising only sisters akin TO the I
traditions and desires e the ailens.
Father Zalibara and his insurgent i
,ros,rar,s met with villa Acclaim OF the
CONTINUED on page tnree.)