SHOTS IN ST. PETER'S.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1133, 22 May 1911, Page 8

SHOTS IN ST. PETER'S.

MAN WHO WANTED'TO KILL THE POPE. An extraarciinnry incident occurred in St. Peter's, Kome, on Jlay 1. Every morning solemn High Jlaos'is celebrated in one uf the side chapels, where the canoi'.s asaembio to sing Matins. Generally tourists interrupt their sight-toeing and tarry near the chapel listening to tho shifiins- At about half-past eleven on tho morning of Jlay -J, when the Jlass was ended, ami (he celebrant, preceded by the canons, h;:d left tho altar, a loud report echoed through the great church. The congregation, in a state of panic, rusiied wildly towards the door?, and tho canons and priests flod to the sacristy. Women screamed, ami tho utmost confusion prevailed.

A policeman was then seen to be struggling violently with a powerful man, who held a smoking revolver in his hand. Several men'rushed to tho policeman's aid, and succeeded in disarming tho offender, who was in :i state , of groat excitement, and threatening to lull tho priests. Surrounded by policemen, and followed by a large crowd, ho was taken to tho police station.

Meanwhile, the brave policeman who, single-handed, had-sprmig upon tho man when he fired the first shot, realised that ho had been shot through the arm. He refused, however, to go to the hospital until the prisoner had been lodged in (he police station. At the station the man giivo (lip name of l'ietrn Desanti, and said he was a native of Istria, aged 45. Ho added that ho was an Anti-Clerical, and hated religion and the priests; hcuco his desire to kill tho Vatican clergy. Desanti said he came to Homo last August, with the fixed determination of killing the Pope, but as he had not been able to enter tho Vatican, he decided to kill a priest. His original intention, he continued, was to get appointed gardener al the Vatican, and as he knew the Pope, well l.y sight he could easily havo shot him, but tho authorities refused him tho post. Desanti regretted that ho had missed the priest, and remarked that ho would willingly try again if he had the chance.

Monsignor Oiv.i, who was' celebrating Mass, said that ha heard a revolver bullet whizz within an inch of his neck.' •Ho instinctively bent his head, and was not hit.

Desanti's real motive, it appears, is personal. It is alleged that the .parish priest of his native town had persuaded his undo .and aunt to disinherit him and to leave their money to the Church. In an outburst of fury Desanti murdered his relatives, and was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. Ho was released after serving twenty years, and emigrated to America, where lie saved money, and returned to Italy with the intention of wreaking his vengcanco on tho head of -the Church.

The Popo was informed of the outrage just before lunch, and was deeply grieved at tho sacrilege, which he attributed tn tho growing spirit of anti-Clericalism, lie gave order? for the rcconseer.ition of the chapel, and sent a message of sympathy to Consignor Orzi, whom he congratulated upon his narrow escape.