The Potteries Examiner : — 1880-01-17 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MURDER A PRIEST IN CHURCH.  On Saturday, the Church of St. Peter's Hattongarden, London, better known as the Italian Church, was the scene of a shocking outrage. The church had been decorated for the Christmas and New Year Feasts, and special preparations had been made in view of the visit on Sunday of Cardinal Manning. Ten o'clock mass was being celebrated on Saturday morning by the Rev. Father Bakanowski, a Polish priest, licensed as chaplain to the Poles in London, who is allowed the use of St. Peter's Church for the performance of his religious functions. Just at the elevation a shot was fired at thepriest by a person in the body of the church, and the bullet lodged in the altar. The acolyte who was serving mass immediately fled into the atcristy, and locked the door behind him so that the priest in following was unable to enter. Here his assailant fired two more shots, one of which became embedded in the crown of the arch over the sacristy door, and the other in the side of the door, , The priest then sought refuge by going behind the altar, where he wasfollowed by the would-be murderer. The rev. father succeeded in getting round to the front of the church, and ramie his mape. Two more shots were fired after hint, one of them piercing the back of a chair at the top of the right aisle of the church. The maarushed to the back of the altar and seizing some of the massive candlesticks, dashed them to the g,nuind, breaking them into fragments. Ile then went up the altar steps and wrenched away the door and framework of the tabernacle. The force required to do this may be imagined when it is stated that the door itself is a plate of metal of considerable thickness. The screws which fastened the door he snapped like rnatchwood, and then seized the pyx and chalice, which he bent and damaged as much as he could. Not content with this he brought out the ciborium, which contained about 300 consecrated elements of the Host The altar linen and ante-pendium were ignited by the falling candles, which he tore from the altar, or by the man setting fire to them with matches, supply of which was afterwards found hi his possession. The ante-pendium was a beautiful work of art, being worth at least £l5O. It was the gift of the noble ladies of Genoa, being the work of their own hands, and was presented to the church on the Bth of December last, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. As it was low mass that *vim in the course of celebration, fortunately the ante-pendium was covered by another of less value, which has been some time in use in the church. The outer one was to all intents and purposes destroyed, and the under one was scorched and blackened by the flames. The debris of the broken glass, candles, metal, and woodwork was scattered all over the chancel. The incidents thus described were the work of a few moments. The congregation at first was struck with panic art the audacity of the attack, but, quickly recovering from it, the housekeeper extinguished the flaws, and some members of the congregation surrounded the near, whose name is Scossha, removed from his person the revolver and dagger which he sad on him. He W2IS shortly after taken to the Jlerkenwell Police Court, where after an investigalion he was remauded.