San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04

oAAiNSihS HNOl. VI HON
an English soldier hid the
bones of seventeen can
onized saints in his fried fish
shop for years has come to light n
through bankruptcy court pro- -
ceedings.
The reliquary containing
these bones, which included -
those of st. Lawrence, who was
martyred Oh a red-hot gridiron,
was one of the most precious
possessions of the Catholic "
Church. The reliquary was 4 z
sealed by Pope Clement XII in II
1920 to protect it and establish N
its authenticity. w.
In the early days of the war
the reliquary reposed in the
sanctuary IN the great Peronne "
Cathedral, IN northeastern
France. Peronne was one of
the places most fought over in Va
the war. Four times the Ger
mans captured and abandoned
it.
The great cathedral was shot
to pieces The roof was entire
ly destroyed, most of the walls
and pillars lay in fragments in
the ground and the windows
were all blown in.
Shells rained on it for fortv-
eight hours at a time. All its
furnishings were wrecked. Oc-
caslonally II was used as a shelter b,, ,
vanclng and retiring troops. Thon:ar
Of wounded soldiers crowded behind
walls to die.
But through all the dreadful conf
and storm of shells, the sacred relioua
remained uninjured and undisturb,
Thousands of soldiers of different natio
must have seen il and left il untouch,
The martyrs of old looked on at the n,
martyrdom of humanity.
Then, one nloonlit evening in 1871
William Carter, soldier of the Fort
eighth Division of the British Army, "
out walking among the ruins of PerOn
and its cathedral, when his eye was
tracted by the glitter Of the golden re
quarry
II was an imposing mass Of hammer
gold with glass cover protecting {
bones of the saints. all Of them cleal
labelled with their names-St. Lawren'
st. Vincent, St. Clement, and 30 forth.
Among them were sixteen martyrs a
two very early Popes, al Of them canc
lied saints.
Tempted by the glitter, the British ;
der seized the reliquary. which weigh
over fifty pounds, and carried II ava
He says he did not know what il was a
that his officer authorized him to keep
Carter packed up the reliquary a
forwarded il to his mother, living in B;
tersea, 4 working class district in Sou
London. There for two years il lay d
opened until Carter came home on lea'
Then he examined It and wrapped il
again, deciding 70 wait for the end Of t
war before doing anything with it.
At last, in 1919, Carter was demOb
lied. He bought a business as a deal
in fried fish and potato chips at 4
Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
suburb Of London Fish fried in plenty
rich grease is a favorite delieacy wi
lower class Londoners. and they som
times carry it with them 10 places
amusement.
Carter kept the Teliquary as an orn
ment in his new establishment. He foul
IL too heavy TO hang on wall or to pla
on any sideboard he possessed. Final
he placed il under d table in his ktchp
with the glass upward.
For years the sacred object Il
there. while fried fish was being prepar
above it. There it might have remain
indefinitely if the greedy eyes of a fri
fish customer had not caught the gold
glitter. He waited for a convenient O
portunity, seized the sacred reliquary a
ran away with it.
Carter discovered the theft of his W
prize before the man had gone hUndr
yards, recovered the religuary and ga
the raider a good thrashing.
After this Carter placed the reliqua
a