SHAM MIRACLES. (From the "Watchman.")

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 608, 11 February 1852, Page 3

SHAM MIRACLES. (From the "Watchman.")

Rose Tamisier, tbe woman who has been arrestpd on a charge of baring by a pretended miracle, at St Saturnin near, Apt, committed what the French law calls " an outrage on objpcts of religious worship," was brought to trial a few days ago, before the tribunal of Correctional Police of Carpentras. She is excessively pale, and her features bear the mark of mysticism. Her bearing is modest, and she dresses in black with a nun's cap. Her age is thirty -three. The court was ciowdpd to excess, and the famous bleeding picture was placed behind the judges. It was proved by several witnesses that Rose had always pretended to possess the power of working miracles. To one witness she once showed a letter which she said had been written by a person who could neither read nor write, and that person she declared bad been miraculously endowed with the faculty of writing in consequence of her prayers. To another witness she asserted that she had, on a particular occasion, been surrounded with great light from heaven, at Cadenet. To a third sbe said that she had once, when in tbe convent of Sallons, planted a cabbage by the Command of Heaven, and that in a few days it grew to sucli a vast size, that all the persons in the convent were able to make a dinner of it. The cure of Saignon deposed that he bad known Ro^e Tamisier for^fifteen years, and had always marked tendency to piety and mysticism. In August, 1850, she told him that she had miraculously received the sacrament in the parish church ; and on going to the tabernacle of the altar he found that Uie consecrated wafer had disappeared. On two subsequent occasions the consecrated wafer again vanished, and Rose pretendedshe had again mhaculoasly communicated. 110 therefore removed the key of the tabernacle, and forbade her to approach the altar ; he has also directed his vicaire not to say mass at the principal altar ; but nevertheless tbe oonseciated wafer was again taken away, and be could not discover that any second key to thp tabernacle existed. On going to the church one morning, he was surprised to find the tabernacle open, two candles on the altar lighted, and Rose prostrate on the ground. In answer to his questions, she said that the candies had become lighted of themselves, that the tabernacle had voluntarily opened, that she had felt herself fixed to the ground at some distance from the altar, and that the consecrated wafer had then advanced slowly to her mouth. About the same time she pretended to havo marks of a miraculous character on her breast, and to prove this assertion she produced her linen which bore sometimes stains representing the Virgin Mary, and at others a crown of thorns. He took measures to ascertain whether she had not so marked her linen, but without success One day before celebrating mass he ordered Rose to place a piece of clean linen to her breast, and not to leave the church without his permission. When the mass was ovi r, he called her to the vpstry, and made her produce tbe linen ; to his astonishment it bore the figure of the Virgin. By the direction of the Archbishop, he directed her to pray to God that the marks on her breast might be removed, and a few days after they disappeared. The vicaire of Saignon. after deposing to the repeated disappearances of tbe consecrated wafer, stated that in the month of October last he had to say mass at five o'clock one morning, and expressed to Rose the fear he might not awake in time. Rose answered, "I will have you awakened." The next morning be was aroused from his sleep by three blows struck on his night table, and at tbe same time he heard distant music. A moment after the clock struck five. Tbe next day he said to Rose, " You forgot to awaken me." She answered, " I bad you awakened by my guardian angel !" The witness added that another miracle ascribed to Rose was that she had caused buttons to be 6ent to him in a strange way, to repair his coat ; tbe fact was be had found the buttons in bis apartmbnt, and that no one could tell bow they came there. But he att.iolied no importance to that fact, and considered it a joke. M. Massie, a landowner at Saignon, said that the vicaire had called him an atheist and an infidel for not believing in the reality of Pose's miracles, and had announced to him that still more extraordinary things would soon be witnessed. Madame Ferriero, a sister of the Order of the Presentation de la Marie, called in religion Sister St. Leonarde, stated that 6he witnessed some of Rose's miracles, and Had not believed in them. She bad warned her to be. prudent in her conduct. Several other witnesses then deposed that Rose had made extiaordinary statements to them ; bad pretended to bo in frequent communication with the Holy Virgin, to have peculiar marks on her breast, &c. She said that an]j intimate friend of Rose had assured her that one day as two women were passing the church of St Saturnin, they felt themselves irresistably attracted to the interior, and on kneeling* before a picture, saw blood flow from it. At this stage of the evidence the tubunal adjourned. It continued on the Ist the examination of witnesses. M. Caire, formerly vicaire at St Saturnin, said that be knew Robe at the time he resided in that placp, and considered that she bad a marked tendency to do extiaordinary tilings. His opinion was, that her piety was not veiy enlightened. For this pint, when her pretended miracles were related, ho bad lefused to go up to the chapel, and bad recommended the cuie to put an end to tbe scandal, for the sake of religion. This led to an altercation, and the cure ended by saying that if witness did not demand his removal from the parish, be would. Witness accoidingly left the parish. As he bad been the confessor of the woman, be positively refused to answer any questions whatsoever as to her character and conduct. M. Cbavard, a priest formeily of Notre Dame dcs Lumieres, and at present of Marseilles, said that, in order to see whether Rose really had the spiritual giacea. to wbioh she pretended, be got her to engage in a nsuvaine with him to demand n prodigy in his favour. Before the end of i»-, lie in oidor to catch her in a snare, represented that when at prayer one day before tbe altar of tbe miraculous Viigin he saw in a splendid vision glitteiing with light, the Virgin Mary, holding the infant Jesus in her anus ; that Jesus dropped him a. letter, written iv characters of gold, and that on opening it lioiead, '' Peace be with you, my son ' J have nothing more piecious to give to those my heait loveth !" that after reading it, the letter suddenly vanished ; that he had then seen three hearts, to one of which a cios-i was chained ; that from one of them blood dropped into £

ihaliiv h^lrt hv » hand, n „. In- I'atl then heard the voice ofan angel sn\inc, " Tnl o and drink without hesitation, for thj- liido'l will (•nipnninica'f* tn thee forcp to resist the rude trials wliicli a^ait thop l " tbar after drinking, the chalice suddenly became changed into n bishop* TuUie, which floated hefoie Ins enchanted »»yps ! Hose rl T'iri'i\ tin* prpci°flv at the same lime shf had «een the same vision, nnd «he explained what the difTeient thins: 1 * signified. !\l. Ai dre, cure of Heaumettes, said lip consider* d the u>n.icl< s as ju«rs:linj> tiuk*, ami he propospd to expose them b\ a pultliraiion in n religious periodic.!, but vis prevented bj the eccle&iiistical BnihoTiiii*". Ife found that Ko-p belonged to a sect which Ind Infely sprung up in the c'nircli unrlpr the diieclion of a rain named Vintras, the members of which pretended to hare the power of vtoilnri" miracles »nd secinsr vision?. M. Cimit, onp of thp 7'i'cnuc-s of St. Saturri'n 7 =aid hp cw-'derpd ih" miiat Ips of Rose ns impostures. I\l. Grand, cuie of Hip same j.ansb, was then called and Ins presence in the witness box excited great interest. He said that on the 10th of Novpmber last Josephine fmb'Mt bad called on him to.stitp thai she and Rncp Tamisier, being a'one in the chapel of Calvaiy, had pppn blood issue from the two wounds of the Saviour in the painting, lepreseniing the descent fiom the cios», placed above tbe altar. He sent hpr away with instruction' to infomi him if she should a<rnin observe tbe same thin?. In the morning; of the 13th .December, .Josephine colled on him, and begged him to go at once to the chapel. He found Ro?e alone in it, Kneeling on the steps of the altar. She was in a sort ol ecf.isv, and did not utter a single woid on seeing him. After about ton minutes, Rose said, "Look now if you wish to see the blood flow !" He lighted a candle, and got on the altar. Hp saw seveval dropa *of blood flow from The wounds of the. right hand and side of Christ. He sent for M. Bonnot one of his vicabes, and for Dr. Clement, The latter, on arriving, burst into laughter, on being told why be had been sent for. But having got onto the altnr, lie touched one of the wounds with his finger, and, smelling the finger, said, "It is blood!" The doctor (hen applied a pocket-handkerchief to the wound of the hand, and on examining the stains found that they \\a\e of blood. He three times lepeated that expeiunent with the same result. Afterwards the blood ceased to flow. The same phenomenon was remmked •with renpeet to the wounds on tbe side of Christ. The doctor becoming impatient, rolled the pocket-handker-chief to a ball in his hand, and roughly rubbed the painting. The blood then ceased to flow, but it was obeeived. that the stain on tho pocket-handkerchief perfectly represented a heart. Dr. Clement was astonished, and ciied, "It is prodigious!" tho doctor then added that for all the world he wished he had not been a witness of such a thing, for that all Ins professional biethi en would turn him into ridicule. He, however, related what be had seen, and the matter became publicly talked of. On the 16th of December, Josephine Imbert again informed witness that the picture was bleeding and he went to the church. A large crowd was present, the bell having been rung to collect the faithful. Hose was again before the altar. He got on the altar and clearly saw blood flow from the pounds; the Mayor of St. Saturniu and Dr. Clement, who were wi(!i him, saw the same thing 1 . The blood was not toucned for balfan-hour, and then it was wiped off with a pocket-handkerchief; it again, however, bpgan to flow. The Archbishop of Avignon ainved at St. Snturnin on the 20th December, tn examine into the affair. lie expiessed si wish to be allowed to enter tbe chapel before any one else ; but Rose said it was absolutely necessary that she should go there alone and sny her customary prayer. The prelate reluctantly consented to hn her enter the church first, with Josephine Imbert and a woman named Jean, her cousin. About an hour and a half after the Archbishop was admitted. But M. Grave, sub-perfect of Apt, bunied before him, and getting on the alter, wiped away the blood with a pocket-bandkei chief. The consequence was that the prelate saw nothing. The next day witness (the om6) went to the church to say ma«s : there was no hlood then on the pictuie, but a quarter ofan hour later it began to flow. On the sth of February he was told that Rose had declared that something supernatural was about to take place in tbe chnpel. Tbe chapel was then locked up, and he had the keys. Blood was that day seen on the picture. Ti>e chapel had been sealed up until within a few days befoie, in compliance with th<» orders of the ecclesiastical authorities, who had declared that there was no miracle, lie could not tell to what cause the extraordinary facts he had related were to be ascribed. Rose had always heen considered a good girl, and her conduct wus irreproachable. The Mayor of St. Sauturin deposed that lie had seen tbe blood on tbe picture ; he could not say that it was by a miracle, but it was inexplicable and supernatural. — The woman Jean, cousin of Rose, was then called, bur appeared veiy reluctant to give evidence, and she only replied by monosyllables to tbe questions put to hei. She was, however, made to state that Rose had given her a pocket-hand kei chief stained with blood fiom the picture ; also, that on one occasion, after communicating, tbe consecrated wafer remained on her tongue for half an hour without dissolving, that she had then felt herself irresistibly atti acted to Rose's bed, and gave her the wafer with her tongue, Rose receiving it on her tongue. That circumstance had always appeared supernatural to witness, and the result of divine inspiration. — Josephine Imbert stated that Rose asked her to write to her, and that she replied that she could not write; whereupon Rose said, "You will soon know bow to do so !" and, after a while, feeling an inclination to write, she took pen in hand, and wrote wilhout the olightfot embarassment. Since then she continued to write, though she never received any lessons. She several times accompanied' Rose to church, but never saw her put blood on the picture. When on such occasions they entered the chapel, Rose was accustomed to kneel at the altar. When Rose felt phe was about to receive a grace from heaven, she i directed her to go and seek other witnesses. When Rose felt there would be no miracle, she returned qu:etfy borne. Witness never locked Hose in the church. Her conviction was that the bleedings of the picture were caused by divine intervention, and that Rose was holy. — Dr. Clement was then examined. lie described how he wiped up the blood on the picture, as related by tbe cure", M. Giand. He could not, he said, explain how the thing had been caused, and did not think any satisfaction explanation had been given of it. — 'I he tnbunal then adjourned Later accounts from Carpentry announce that the affair of Rose Tamisier had, after thiee days' long and laboiious investigation, an unexpected termination : the tribunal declared itself without jurisdiction, and has sent tbe aff.iir before whomsoever it may concern, all things remaining in their present state.