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SIXTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMENS ASSOCIATION OF GEQRGIA
APRIL 22, 1944
City of Gastonia, North Carolina,
Honors in Its Name, Wm. Gaston,
Devout Catholic and Eminent Jurist
The thriving and progressive
industrial City of Gastonia, in
North Carolina, honors in its
name the memory of one of the
most distinguished American Ca
tholic laymen of the early nine
teenth century. William Gaston.
In ah of the history of the
United States, few men who fol
lowed the legal profession ever
leached, and probably none sur
passed in distinction the career
of William Gaston, whose eloquent
exposition of Catholic teaching in
, an address before the North Caro
lina Constitutional Convention
held in 1835. is. after the passing
of a century still acclaimed as a
masterpiece of eloquence, and it
is not surprising that it resulted
in the amendment of the provi
sions ot the State Constitution
which made Catholics incapable
of holding public office.
The Rev. •William Tobin, pastor
of St. Anthony’s Church, Florence,
S. C., has outlined some of the
highlights of Judge Gaston's
notable career, and The Bulletin
is pleased to give its readers the
benefit of what Father Tobin has
written:
FOREMOST LAYMAN
William Gaslon was probably
the best known American Catholic
Layman of the early nineteenth
century, as Bishop John England
was tlie greatest churchman. Eng
land and Gaston lived in neighbor
ing states. They met often and
corresponded frequently. Both)
wielded a facile pen; and there
is a marked similarity of style
in their speeches and writings.
Those were the days when aspiring
authors took the virile and earnest
words of Samuel Johnson and
Edmund Burke for models, and
charming and graceful craftsmen
like Goldsmith. Addison, Irving
and Macaulay hadn’t yet come into
their own.
Bishop England and Judge Gas
ton fought the good light together,
and they died in the same year
of 1842.
At the present time there is a
county and a prominent city of
Ninth Carolina named for Judge
Gaston. The Old North State
thinks of him as one of her
eminent sons-
IRISH AND ENGLISH
William Gaslon was born of an
Irish lather and an English mother
(Margaret Sharpe) in I he final
decades of the eighteenth century.
His father was savagely slain by
English loyalists, “f was baptized
an American in the blood of a
murdered father” is the way the
Judge pul it later on in life.
It is a commonplace nowadays
that a mother’s influence on the
future career of her child is all
important. Gaston had a
velous mother. At a time
mar-
when
North
(their
Catholics were as few in
Carolina as angel’s visits
number is sliil paltry enough!
she was a light shining in the
universal darkness. Mere is how
Bishop England characterized her
in Ins Miscellany, the first Catho
lic paper ever issued in the U. S.:
“The facts remesenting the Ca
tholic Chinch 'in North Carolina)
are very few and apparently un
important. Yet there is one in
dividual whose memory ought to
be preserved and cherished by the
Catholics of future generations.
Her piety, her intelligence and her
attachment to the principles and
practice of her religion, under
the circumstances peculiarly try
ing. have been worth of the best
days of Christianity. The lady,
whom we thus mention with re
spect. was Mrs. Gaston, mother to
the Hon. William hasten of New
born.
GEORGETOWN STUDENT
At the age of 13, William Gas
ton became the first student en
rolled on the books of George
town University, an institution
that, under the care of the Jesuits
has long since shaken off its swad
dling clothes. Gaston’s career at
Georgetown was not a whit less
brilliant than his subsequent
triumph at Princeton-
As a young lawyer. Gaston
speedily gave evidence that shyster
methods were not for him. In a
few years lie was at tlie very pin
nacle of his profession. Though
such legal lights as Webster, Clay.
Calhoun and Marshall were his
contemporaries, his talents fail not
by comparison- He once unhorsed
Henry Clay on a controverted mat
ter of importance. The Orator
Webster bowed to his superior
knowledge. And Marshall—the
same Marshall who more than any
one has set a permanent stamp on
our Constitution and Supreme
Court, as some of our leading
modern politicians often find out
to their making or marring—offer-
led '« freely resign his position on
’the Supreme Bench of the land,
if Gaston could only be induced
to fill his place.
It was tlie privilege of those who
visited Raleigh on tlie occasion
of the centenary celebration to
hear U. S. Senator Josiah William
Bailey (a Protestant), and one of
North Carolina’s two representa
tives in our Upper House, deliver
a long and interesting address on
Gaston before a packed hall.
“North Carolina." said tlie elo
quent speaker, "has produced no
more lofty example, no more noble
man.”
And here is what ft. D. W. Con
nor, distinguished North Carolina
professor, and National Archivist,
writes in part about Gaston; ‘'Jur
ists and party leaders in every sec
tion of I he Union laid their prob
lems before him and begged for
light. Story and Kent consulted
him on knotty questions of law.
A senators hip. a cabinet position
were his for the acceptance; and
in 1834 I lie son of Alexander Ham
ilton urged him to come to the
rescue of the Hamilton concep
tion of the Union by running for
the Whig nominal ion in opposition
to Webster and Clay, for the presi
dential choice. To all these calls
he turned a deaf ear in order to
devote himself to the administra
tion of justice mi tlie Supreme
Court of his native state.”
MRS. JOSEPH DEVENNY,
FORMERLY OF AUGUSTA,
DIES IN BOSTON. MASS.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Relatives in
Augusta have been notified of tlie
death in Boston, on April 11, of
Mrs. Katherine Mullurky Devennv,
daughter of the late Mr. and
Mis. Austin Mullarky, of Augusta,
and widow of Dr. Joseph If. Deven-
ny, of, Boston.
Mrs. Devenny is survived by I vyo
children, the Rev. .1. Austin De
venny, S. .1. of Bagdad College,
Iraq, and Miss Mary Devenny, of
Boston: three sisters, Mrs. Joseph
A. Mullarky, Augusta. Miss Marga
ret Mullarky. Augusta, and Miss
Ann C. Mullarky, Boston, and a
number ot nieces and nephews,
among whom is the.Rev, William
A. Mulheriu. S. J„ of New Or
leans.
JOHN It I OR l)A \
DIES IN AUGUSTA
AUGUSTA. Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for John H. Riordan, who
died April 13. were held from the
Sacred Heart Church, the Rev. J.
K. O’Donolioe. S. J„ officiating
A native of Augusta. Mr. Riordan
had been employed with tlie At-
lanlic lee and Coal Company for
many years. At tlie time of his
death lie was working at tlie Au
gusta Arsenal.
He is survived by his mother.
Mrs. Nora ifallinan Riordan; a
sister. Miss Frances Riordan; a
brother. Henry S. Riordan, U. S.
Army Air Fore- in England; two
aunts, and a number of nieces and
nephews.
WILLIAM S. CHAIM'S
DIES IN AUGUSTA
AUGUSTA. Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for William Samuel Crapps
a life-long resident of Augusta,
who died on Anril 3, were held
from St. Mary’s - on - The - llill
Church, the Very Rev. Thomas A.
Brennan officiating:
Mr. Clapps, for many years a
popular barber in the downtown
section of Augusta, served v ith
tiie Richmond Hussars on the
Mexican border in 1010. and later
served with lhal outfit'when it was
converted into a signal corps unit
during the first World War. At
one lime lie served as a switch
board operator in Paris. Ho was a
member of the Last Man’s Club,
1 He Richmond Hussars, and tlie
American Legion.
ANTONIO .1. l*OMAlt
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga- — Antonio J.
Poniar, for 2;i years proprietor of
the Poniar Printing Shop, died on
April 1. funeral services being
held from tlie Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist.
He is survived by a daughter,
Miss Josephine Poniar; lliree sis
ters, Miss Lena Pomar. Mrs. A. T.
Derry and Miss Alary Whitney, all
of St. Augustine.
ARTHUR J. CISA
DIES IN CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, S. C.—Funeral
services for Arthur .1. Cisa, who
died April 1, were held from St-
Joseph’s Church, Hie Rev. J.
Alexis Westbury officiating. Mr.
Cisa is Survived by four sons; two
brothers and a sister, alt of Char
leston.
Speaks in Atlanta
Lt. Kenneth Williams, of Charlotte,
Held Prisoner of War in Germany
MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN
Throughout the week of April 17,
e Rigid Rev. Monsignor Joseph
O’Brien, S. T. D.. LL.D., Super
intendent of Schools for the Dio
cese of Charleston; founder and
rector of Bishop England High
School, and pastor of St. Patrick's
Church, Charleston, S. C-, spoke to
Hie officers and enlisted personnel
ol the Naval and Air bases in At
lanta, on a series of programs spon
sored by the National Conference
of Christian and Jews.
Speaking witli Monsignor
O'Brien on tlie program at the
Naval Air Stations and to the
Naval Training Units at Georgia
Tech and Emory University, are
(lie Rev. Theodore Cuyler Speers,
pastor of the Central Presbyterian
Church, New York City, and Rabbi
llynian Schachtel, of Congregation
Belli Israel, Houston, Texas.
TWO MORE PRIESTS ol the
Diocese of St. Augustine have
been honored by Ilis Holiness
Pope Plus XU by being named Do
mestic Prelates with tlie title of
Rigid Reverend Monsignor. They
are the Rev. James F. Enright,
pastor of St. Paul’s Church, St.
Petersburg, and tlie Rev. John G.
Bishop, pastor of St. James
Church, Orlando, now serving as
an‘Army chaplain.
Bombardier of “M u r d e r
Inc.”, Plane Was Threaten
ed With Trial as a “War
Criminal” by Nazis
(Special (o The Bulletin)
CHARLOTTE, N. C.—1st Lieut.
Kenneth D. Williams, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Robert E. L. Williams
ot Charlotte, who was a mem
ber of the crew of the U. S. Army
Air Force bomber, ‘Murder, Inc”
which was shot down over Ger
many on November 26, 1943, escap
ed uninjured and is being held
as a prisoner of war by the Nazis.
Lieutenant Williams had the dis-
tinction of being typical from
the Nazi viewpoint of the ‘brutal
American bomber pilots” who are
blasting German cultural monu
ments, according to tlie Berlin
press with all its humanilarism
and vitrtue.
Details of the attempt to de
laine the character of Lieutenant
Williams by distressed German
propagandists came soon after it
was reported by the War Depart
ment that “Murder, Inc.”, on which
he was tlie bombardier, had been
brought down by enemy fire and
that he bad parachuted to safety.
Because tlie words “Murder, In
corporated”, the name which the
crew had given tlie bomber, were
printed on the coveralls of tlie
bomber’s crew for identification
purposes, they were threatened
with trial and possible execution as
war criminals, though it later de
veloped that the threats were for
propaganda purposes.
Lieutenant Williams was a mem
ber of St. Patrick’s parish in
Charlotte. After completing the
course at the O’Dorioghue School,
lie attended Central High School
in Charlotte, and was then a stu
dent at Belmont Abbey College for
two years.
He received his wings and com
mission at Midland, Texas, last
July, and left this country for
England. He Had been in com
bat service, for oiie month when
lie was shot down near Emden in
November.
Five of the members of his
ciew of ten have been heard from
and are alive. The pilot was
known to have been kilted in
Prisoner of Nazis
LIEUTENANT WILLIAMS
One of the members of the crew
of the U. S. Army Air Force bomb
er which was given the name
“Murder, Inc.,” was Lt. Kenneth
Williams, of Charlotte. He and
other members of the crew were
threatened with trial as “murder
ers” by the Germans when cap
tured.—(Photo, Courtesy of Mau
rice Gethell Studios, Augusta.)
Edelen Family of Raleigh, N. C.,
Has Five Members in Armed Forces
action, and one of the gunners was
wounded, and is in a German hos
pital. The 21-year-old bombardier
from Charlotte escaped injury.
His brother, Robert Williams,
who is a pilot in the South Pacific
area, where he lias served for two
years, was in a hosiptal in Austra
lia for some months with a broken
leg, sustained in a plane' crash.
He has another brother, Bernard,
and two sisters, Mary and Kathe
rine, who are at the family home
in Charlotte. Lieutenant Williams
is a nephew of Sister Mary Evange
list, of Mercy Hospital here-
Mrs. Williams has received a
letter from Lieutenant William’s
chaplain in England, telling that
lie had received Communion on
the morning that lie left on the
bombing mission over Germany.
Holy Trinity Church in
Kinston, North Carolina,
to Have Parochial School
la; . PHILIP EDELEN, JR.
WILLIAM A. EDELEN
(Special to The Bulletin)
KINSTON, N. C. — A parochial
school will be formally opened
here next September in a spacious
private home which lias been ac
quired lor the purpose of con
version into a grammar school
building.
A pari of tlie dwelling will be
used as a convent for tlie four
Sisters Adorers of the Most Pre-
ciosu Blood, whom the Rev. Thom
as A. Williams, oast or of Holy
Trinity Church, with the sanction
of the Most Rev. Eugene J. Mo-
Guinness, D. D., Bishop of Ral
eigh, has invited to conduct the
school.
The Reverend Mother M. Hilde-
gradc, Ad. PP S., Mother Provin
cial of this community, whose
Motherhouse is located at Colum
bia, Pennsylvania, recently visited
Kinston, and lias agreed to staff
the new school with teaching Sis
ters-
The five of Mr. and Mrs. Philip B. Edelen, members of tlie parish of the Cathedral ot tlie Sacred
Heau in Raleigh, North Carolina, have all volunteered for service with the Armed Forces of the United
States. Father Philip B. Edelen, Jr., who was ordained to the priesthood in 1940, was administrator of Hie
Blessed Saci anient Church, Burlington, when, tic -cn listed as an Army chaplain a year ago. He is at pre
sent stationed in Northern Ireland. William S. Edelen. is serving with the U. S. Navy as a chief torpedo-
man, somewhere in the Pacific. He was one of the divers who aided in the salvage at'Pearl Harbor. Ernest
J. Edelen, in the Maritime Service, is stationed at. SUeepshead Bay. N. Y. Ruey J..Edelen is first pilot on a
B-20, and is jujw an instructor at Pierre. South .Dako.ta. Neal E. Edelen is an aviation cadet stationed at
San Antonio, Texas.—(Photos—Courtesy of North Carolina Catholic Youih News). ......