The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-04-05
(By Associated Press leased Wirel

(By Associated Press Leased wire)
Moscow - Vicar General Butch
kavitch has been executed.
The Pravda says the execution oc-
Cured on March 81. The newspaper
Izvestia asserts:
"The sentence of death on Butchka-
witch, whose reprieve was refused, has
been carried out" The time and place
are not given.
Monsignor Butchkavitch met death
before q firing squad.
The Izvestia prints the announcement
on an inside page under one line
head in it's court news department. In
the Pravda the execution is noted
briefly without comment in a column
of local news.
Carried Out Secretly.
The details of the prelate's. execu-
ton probably will never be revealed.
Judging from what has happened in
previous cases, it is thought probable
that after the executive committee
had refused to reprieve him, he was re-
moved from the prison in which his
colleagues were confined to the prison
for the condemned and that there, af-
ter the death sentence had been read
to him, he was executed. This is the
general procedure in the swift and
quiet carrying out Of the death pen
atty.
Constantine Butchkavitch, vicar gen
eral of the Roman Catholic church in
Russia, was sentenced to death or
March 26 after he and Is other pre-
lates, including Archbishop Zepliak hat
been found guilty of opposing the So
Wet government. The Russian centra
executive committee, meeting las
Thursday night to consider appeals
made in behalf of the ecclesiastics, de
MED clemency in the case of Monsig
nor Butchkavitch, asserting that h
had 'used his position as priest t.
carry on a direct and active state
treason" The committee at the same
time committed to ten years imprison
ment the death sentence imposed OF
the archbishop.
Protests from Many Lands.
News that ,Monsignor Butchkavitcf
would have to pay the extreme penal
ty created a stir in many lands. So
Wet officials since last Friday haC
professed ignorance as to the final out
come of the case, and last Saturday
afternoon Commissar of Justice Jursk
told correspondents that the death sen.
tence had not been carried out yet.
The preIates were charged in gener-
al with carrying on widespread propa-
ganda against the Russian government
and were alleged to have melted the
people against the Communist regime
Appeals from the outside worlC
which had poured in upon the Soviet
authorities had no effect in staying the
hands of their executioners. Compe-
tent opinion, indeed is that even the
breakingNof diplomatic relations by out
side governments or threat of wal
would not have moved the Moscow
officials from their course. Their last
word in the case had been spoken, il
appears when they committed to ter
years Imprisonment the death sen.
tence upon Archbishop Zepliak, con.
victed at the same time as Vicar Gen.
eral Butchkavitch.
America Joined in Protest.
Protests from all parts Of the world
were made against the execution Of
the death sentence, the American gov
eminent joining. in the appeal fol
clemency.
The protest of the American state
department was based on humanitarian
grounds and set forth "the earnes
hope" that the life of the vicar genera
might be spared.
Monsignor Butchkavitch was fathel