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8 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA THE BULLETIN The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Asso ciation of Georgia. Published Monthly by the Publicity Department. 409 Herald Building, Augusta, Georgia. Subscription Price—$2.00 Per Year. ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1921-1922 P. H. Rice, K. S. G., Augusta President Col. P. H. Callahan, Louisville, Ky.. .Hon. Vice-Pres. J. J. Haverty, Atlanta First Vice-Pres. J. B. McCallum, Atlanta Secretary Thomas S. Gray, Augusta . . Treasurer Richard Reid, Augusta—Editor & Publicity Director Miss Cecile C. Perry, Augusta. . .Asst. Pub. Director VOL. II. NOVEMBER, 1921 No. 12 THE BIRMINGHAM VERDICT Rev. E. R. Stephenson, charged with the murder of Father Coyle of Birmingham, has been acquit ted by a jury of his peers. That is the worst we can say about the jury—that its members were Stephenson’s peers, and he theirs. The Columbus Enquirer-Sun has analyzed the ver dict in masterly and fearless fashion, and says in part: “By the dishonest verdict as rendered, Stephenson goes free to live out his miserable life with the knowledge gnawing at his heart and conscience—if he has a heart and conscience—that he is a cold blooded and cowardly murderer, no matter what the jury may have said about it. And sooner or later he will, too, go to the grave, where already the bones of his victim mingle with the dust, and his soul stand in judgment before the Maker of them both. There no appeal to religious prejudice will avail him; there no sob-speech of lawyers will soften the verdict of the one just Judge; but only repentance, complete and unfeigned, will serve to mitigate his crime.” The Jackson (Miss.) Daily News, the Spartan burg (S. C.) Herald and the Charleston (S. C.) American have condemned the verdict of the Steph enson jury, and former Governor Emmet O’Neal of Alabama, speaking before the students and alumni of the University of Alabama, declared that the verdict made human life cheaper in Alabama. “It would seem that the Jefferson County jury has made an open season in Alabama for the kill ing of Catholics,” he said, and he called on the students and alumni of the University to use their influence to kill the prevailing spirit of religious intolerance. Comparisons are odious, yet they are very often convincing. Catholics in Georgia have their troub les, but it would take more than a great deal of argument to convince them that Stephenson would have been acquitted of the murder of Father Coyle had the killing and trial taken place in any Georgia city. They have more confidence in the fairness of the representative non-Catholics of their state. ST. STANISLAUS’ COLLEGE. In the history of the Catholic Church in Georgia its members have been called upon but few times to hear news which caused them as much regret as that of the burning of St. Stanislaus’ College. St. Stanislaus’ belongs to the whole South, but its memories, associations and location make it in a particular way property of the Diocese of Sav annah. There many of our older priests were edu cated. Laymen in nearly every city in the state spent college days there. We have seen many of our Georgia boys enter its doors and the life of self- sacrifice characteristic of the followers of St. Igna tius Loyola. There are twenty members of the Catholic Lay- mn’s Association who have an additional reason for regret at the destruction of St. Stanislaus’ Col lege. They are the men who last July made the first laymen’s retreat ever conducted in the South east. They remember St. Stanislaus’ as a place where one could leave the cares of the world behind— a place where they could go when they were weary, and be refreshed. The Catholic’s Laymen’s Association sympathizes with the Fathers of the Society of Jesus in their great loss. It believes that another and greater St. Stanislaus’ will rise from its ashes. The wish is father to the thought. The burning of St. Stanislaus’ will not interfere with the preparations being made for the laymea’s Retreat next year. It will without doubt be held in Macon, and be conducted by one of the Jesuit Fathers The register with the signatures of the twenty charter retreatants was lost in the fire. NOT ALL IN DIXIE Three priets have been killed recently, Father Coyle m Birmingham, Father Heslin in California, and Father Belknap in South Dakota. Father Coyle was shot down in his home by a man brood ing over a fancied wrong. Father Heslin and Belk nap were lured. from their places of residence sup posedly to administer the last sacraments and com fort to dying men. Thus far, the people of Cali fornia and South Dakota have not been condemned for the murders of the priests outside of Dixie. Why should they be? But in the other case—well, there must be some process of reasoning unknown to us, which leads well meaning people to believe that “that’s is a different case.” There is an alleged ex-priest in Columbus who has forgotten who ordained him and the name of the church in which he is supposed to have received Holy Orders. Neither can he recite the Apostles Creed. He complains that his memory is not very good, but this is not at all noticeable when it comes to recall ing minute details of alleged misdeeds of members of the clergy. It makes a liar just as mad to be called one as an honest man.—Brunswick Banner.