THE LATE VERY REV. DR. WATTERS, S.M.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 3

THE LATE VERY REV. DR. WATTERS, S.M.

now HE MET HIS DEATH.

.In the course of a letter received' by Archbishop' Redwood from the Rev. Francis JlTicar, S.JI., Dublin, the following references are made to the dentil, of the late Very Bev. Dr. Watters, S.M., during the Sinn Eeiii trouble The insurrection was' startell on Easter Mon. day. -The awful week we lived through cannot be imagined by aijyone who was not on the spot. At the peril of our lives we priests were out iiighf: and day attending the wounded and the. <lying. Dr. AVatters did his share. By Monday, May 1, the back of the. rebellion was broken, but tlio danger '■ to life was if anything increased, owing to "sniping" •both 011 (ho part of the military and the rebels. That day we heard .of tlio death of a secular priest attached to Haddington Road' Church. About 8 p.m. Dr. Waiters made his way to the presbytery to express sympathy and to inquire about the funeral, 'I'lid last sentry allowed him through, and gave him a quarter of iiu hour to remain in tile priest's house. Ho stayed—according to himself and to the priest in chargebarely .seven minutes. He had just issued from the priest's garden when he smelt powder and felt a sling in the right groin. Jfeeliu* a second sting—the bullet was travelling—ha put his hand info his trousers pocket, and on talcing it out he saw blood, lie then made ■ for Baggot Street Hospital close by, and succeeded in reaching it. Wliw lie entered lie collapsed. It was then 9.5 p.m. We only heard the sad tidings next moruing at 5.30 a.m. After Mass, I hurried oft' prepared to give liini all the Sacraments. Arrived, I found him in a common ward ami suffering a good deal of pain. lat once administered all the Sacraments. I then asked to have him removed lip hero to St. Vincent's I tome, in Leeson Street. The doctors would not allow me for another 12 hours, At (i p.m. oil Tuesdav I .was allowed to remove him, and at 7.15 ho reached the home, %' Lower Leeson Street. Surgeon Blaney, the most eminent surgeon in town, was in attendance. At onco ho pronounced his eaue hopeless unless an operation was at onco performed*, and l.lion the chances were 1)9 against him. T called in another surgeon, who agreed, 'lliey two then announced their decision tn the poor sufferer. Without flinching, he nskod to see me. He mado lu's con< fession again to inf, and gave me all the information he could about business affairs. Father Provincial then arrived, and in our presence lie renewed his vows, (Ml the spiritual aid I could give lwhig given, the operation took place at 9 p.m., exactly :U hours after the accident. Peritonitis hat). developed to an alarming extent. He bore the operation well, :;o well, indeed, tluit the surgeons thought he had a good sporting olinnce. Ilis intestines were perforated in two places, No search was made for the bullet. Wednesday, lie was a.s well as could be ex, peeled. Thursday wo had hopes of recoven-, though Surgeon Blaney had Hardly <vn.v from the first. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday removed all hope. Tt »as a matter of time. All through these days lie was uerfcctly clear and conscious. He .-poke to me of all his desires, all his affaiis, and faced ofcatli like & HoJdiei*. Prayer was ever on liia lips, lie knew well he 'was done for,, urn!. nmdi« all possible preparation for the •nevitah'e. On Hundnj Might I told him f would liko to remain with him. He eaid no; confessed again, and after abso. lution I returned here at 11..10 p.m., to be called at 1 a.m. on Monday, May 8. When I reached his roon-. he recognised we; made a short confession, and repeated aloud all the prnyere for the dviug. He evflii answered the Litanv. He had half uttered "Pray for n;<>" when, in.a lit of retching, he breathed forth his (ioul at 1.30 a.m. Such praying, such preparation, such resignation would excite the admiration ijf saints. I have assisted at the death nf live or six. Mai wt Fathers and of others, and I can safely say the death of Dr.. Wattdrs was by far the most edifying of all. R. 1.?. There were upwards of 150 priests, at the funeral. Such a demonstratfcm of sympathy I have never witnessed. Last Sunday a public meeting was held here to inaugurate a. movement lo establish some memorial to him. A. strong committee has been formed for the work. Your Grace vrill probably hear further of this. As yet his succcssor is uot named.