All night they were carrying the dead away to burial in order that they might cover up the deed as far as possible.  The Municipal Judge made out a case that the Protestants had fired on the Catholics.  He pronounced nineteen as being implicated.  Several escaped, six were finally brought to trial.  Dr. Entzminger in Pernambuco sent lawyers and gave such assistance as he could.  After about two years, Missionary Ginsburg having come also to help in the meantime, the men on trial were set free.  Fonseca lost all he had in this law suit, he being one of those arrested.  He was in jail four months.  He has been deserted by his family.  When the disturbance occurred he was Marshal of his town.  Today he lives in Nazareth, poor, deserted, faithful.  But what cares he for this suffering, poverty and desertion as he contemplates the fact that he has set a torch of eternal light in his community.  The church which he finally established will bear faithful witness in spite of hardships long after all persecution has ceased, and he, himself, has gone home to God.

It was our good fortune to visit the little town of Cabo (which means Cape), two hours’ ride from Pernambuco, where we have a small church, organized about two years ago.  We were entertained in the home of a mechanic who superintends the bridge construction along the railroad which passes through the town.  He takes his Bible with him when he goes to work, and wherever he is he preaches the gospel.  He told us of two station agents along the line who had recently accepted Christ through his personal efforts.

We had a delightful service that night in the church, a great throng of people being present, six of whom made public profession of their faith in Jesus.  After we had returned from the church we sat in the little dining room in the rear part of this man’s house until a late hour.  Some of those who had suffered for the cause of the gospel came in to see us, and as we sat there in the dim light of the flickering candle, they told us of some of their sufferings for the gospel’s sake.  The scene reminded me of what must have taken place often in many a dark room in the early centuries when the Christians gathered together for the sake of comforting each other in their trials.

Amongst those who were present in this little room was brother Honofre, through whose efforts the church at Cabo had been founded.  Several years ago he began to read a Bible which had been presented to him by a man who was not interested in it.  He became converted along with his household.  There was a Catholic family living opposite to him which he determined to reach with the gospel.  After awhile this family accepted Christ and the two families began to hold worship in their homes.  Soon they rented a hall, with the aid of a few others, and sent to Pernambuco for a missionary to come and organize them into a church.  This man has endured cruel hardships.  He had to abandon his business as a street merchant because the people boycotted him.  He rented a house, built an oven and began to bake bread.  Not long after that he was put out of this house.  Again and yet again he had the same experience until recently he has rented a house from the same man who provided for our church building.  He can now make a living.