The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1880-01-16 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

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 shockine,outrage. The church had been &voluted 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 relelnated 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 the priest by a person in the body of the church, and tbc bullet lodged in the altar. The acolyte who was serving mass immediately fled into the mcristy, and locked the door behind him so that the priest in following was unable to enter. Here his assailantfired 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 was followed by the would-be murderer. The rev, father succeeded in getting round to the front of the church, and made his escape. Two more shot were fired after him, one of them piercing the back of a chair at the top of the right aisle of the church. The man rushed to the back of the altar and seizing some of the massive candlesticks, dashed them to the grotmd, breaking them into fragments. He 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 AMA's which fastened the door he snapped like matchwood, 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, a suptily of which was afterwards found in his possession. The ante-pendium was a beautiful work of art, being worth at least fl5O. It was the gift of the noble ladles of Genoa, being the work of their own hands, and was presented to the church on the tith of December last, the Feast of the Immaculate Concept•ion. As it was low mass that was 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 moment K. The congregation at first was struck with panic at the audacity of the attack, but, quickly recovering from it, the housekeeper extinguished the flames, and Si/m,, members of the congregation surrounded the man, whose name is ticossha, removed  from his person the revolver and dagger which he hail on lum. lie lc a shortly after taken to the Clerkenwell Police Court, where after an investigation he was remanded.