Evening star., 1923-04-13
PRIEST IN RAGE
Stays SUPERIOR
"He Treated Me as Czar,' -
Says Father Dillon, After
Michigan Tragedy.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
KALAMAZOO, Mich, April 13.-Sia'
bullets from revolver brought
tragedy to the priest house Of ST.
Augustine's parish last night when
Rev. Father Charles Dillon. assistant
pastor of and member of the Car
thusian Fathers order, shot and killed
his superior, Rev. Father Henry
ONeill, pastor Of the parish. who had
ordered him from the house
The killing Of Father O'Neill culmi-
was thirteen months of i'll treat
ment," during which. he said. Father
O'Neill treated me like a little boy,
and assumed toward me the attitude
of a car"
Father Dillon, who is being held.
police that the tragedy was the cli-
max of the evening meal. Father
O'Neill. his assistant. and Father Nc
Cullough were at the table. he said.
Father O'Neill ordered Dillon to go up
stairs and pack his grip" Instead.
Dillon went to his room. obtained a re-
volver and returned to the dining room.
Says He Fired Twice.
to confess and repent before I killed
him." police report Dillon as saying
but as 1 advanced into the room
with the revolver extended. 1 saw him
grab a salt cellar to throw at me, and
1 fred
AS the priests body slipped to the
floor, Dillon, according to his story.
gave Father Mccullough a phial con-
tanning holy oils and told him to ad-
minister the sacrament of extreme
JUNCTION at once.
Father O'Neill. who was about nifty
six years old. succeeded to the st.
Augustine pastorate in November.
F. A. Brien. Dillon, following his ex-
pulsion as a member OF the Carthu-
sian order from France, travelled in
many countries as missionary
coming here from Battle Creek thir-
teen months ago.
Rev. Father William Murphy Of De-
troit is in temporary charge Of parish
affairs. Father Mccullough was re-
covering today from his collapse
which followed the tragedy.
Wants Death in Chair.
II knelt before God and prayed that
something would happen to that
man." Father Dillon was quoted as
saying in a. statement made to Prose-
cutor Stephen H. Wattles. He was
being questioned in the presence of
a stenographer. The statement at
times was disconnected and contained
numerous repetitions.
II had no right to kill Father
the statement said. II took that in
my own hands and killed him.
want to go to Jackson (the state
prison) I'd rather have the chair.
Il never did any harm in my life;
never took a cent from anybody. The
gentle little children all over Michi-
gan will tell you they love me-"
Asked how long he had possessed
the revolver. Father Dillon said Not
very long"
pose?" asked the prosecutor.
Yes, for the purpose" replied the
priest. "conditionaIly for the purpose.
Not absolutely to say 1t was going to
happen; l hoped it would not"
Asked who was at .the dinner table
Dillon replied that Father McCuI-'
Tough was present, but countered:
What do you want of witnesses? I'll
tell the truth. We were eating, He
told me to get out The last thing he
said was. Pack up and go.' said
All right. I will go 1 did go and
pack up. and he didn't like the pack
Ing in my hand. pulled the gun out
and 'Bing, bing'; he got it right here
Indicating the lower abdomen). He
said. I'm shot, father; I'm shot Right
in the midst of that he seized the salt
cellar to throw at me. Bing, binr.'
He dropped against the window"
Father Dillon. according to the
prosecutor. admitted he had been
drinking during the day.
Prosecuting Attorney Stephen n.
Wattles announced today that he was
preparing to issue ar order for
warrant charging Father Dillon with
murder. ''A
Under Father Dillon's own sworn
statement 1 can do nothing hut
charge him with murder" the prose-
cutor said.
Police Chief Taffee announced tbf.
morning that Father Dillon, who is
held at police headquarters, had reit
Grated the confession lnade last night
that he had shot Father O'Neill. A
post-mortem examination of the body
Of Father O'Neill otday disclosed six
bullet wounds.