July 15: The Crime of Knowing Latin

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is July 15th, and our story is The Crime of Knowing Latin. John Urie may have been a Catholic priest, or he may have been nothing more than a schoolteacher, but he taught Latin, and in 1741 New York, that was enough to send him to the gallows.

The man himself is clouded in mystery, with little known about Uri before the spring of 1741. That's when he moved to New York, supposedly from New Jersey, and took a job as a private tutor instructing children in Latin and Greek. Unfortunately for Uri, he arrived in the city just as rumors of a possible slave rebellion started circulating. When a series of fires broke out, frightened New Yorkers believed rumor had become fact and began rounding up suspects. By early summer, more than half the city's slave population was in jail.

A fair number of poor whites were with them. The suspects multiplied by the day as the accused indicted others, hoping to better their position, and as neighbors turned in neighbors, seeking revenge for small spites. The situation had escalated beyond all reason when the lead investigator, Daniel Horsemanden, learned that a Catholic priest might be in town. That priest was, or maybe wasn't, Uri.

Convinced that no slave could have concocted such a grand plot, Horsemanden decided that if a priest resided in New York, a priest must be responsible. He had no evidence, but that didn't stop him from arresting Uri in mid-June.

Uri's trial began a month later, on July 15, 1741. With anti-Catholic sentiment in New York at fever pitch, no attorney would defend Uri. So, he defended himself. Although Uri never admitted to being a priest, he never denied it either. He did deny, however, that he had any knowledge of or involvement in fomenting rebellion.

His testimony was credible. The testimony of the other witnesses, who were paid to speak against him, was riddled with contradiction and error. The only thing no one disputed, including Uri, was his knowledge of Latin. Nevertheless, that proved sufficient. He swung on August 29, 1741.

John Urey's tragic fate in 1741 demonstrates the dangers of prejudice and false assumptions. His story reminds us that fidelity to truth often entails courage, especially when society is swayed by fear and misinformation. Integrity may carry risks, but moral courage honors God and conscience above popular opinion. Reflect on a principle you hold that may be challenged today, and commit to uphold it with integrity. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, July 16th, for another story of faith and courage in America.