Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-04
Two Poles, Make lnsinuations as to
PRIESTS Moral Character, File $685.
600 Damage Suit and Then Offer to
Settle for $s,ooo-Most Sensational
Conspiracy in chieaso's History.

Catholic church, Belden ana Southport
avenues, a member of Archbishop
Quigley's council, who has been fore
most in the Polish national movement.
The men accused of attempted black
mailing by Father Lange, who were
arrested yesterday, are Daniel Damb-
ski, 80 Noble street, and S. J. Rokosz,
who ran saloon at West Superior and
Noble streets until Monday. when
Mayor Dunno revoked his license.
While they are the only ones who have
been arrested up to the present time,
they are believed to be only the tools
of others who occupy higher stations
in life.
1t is claimed that the two men We're
instigated to make their demands upon
Father LANCE by socialist and anar-
chist agitators who desiredsto discredit
him. In this connection has been
brought into the case the name of a
lawyer of we'll known socialist ten-
denotes with offices in the Ashland
! block. 1t is this lawyer, according to
statements made by one of the con-
spirators, who urged them on and was
behind the efforts which led to their
arrest.
Warrants Sworn to BY Lawyer.
The warrants for the arrest of
Dambski and Rokosz were sworn out
yesterday afternoon in Justice Coch-
rane's court by Attorney p. j. o'Keefe.
who is Father Lange's representative.
ft1o
OF Constable Thomas j. Walsh.
& Expect Developments at Hearing.
The two men who were arrested last
night are to be given q hearing before
Justice Cochrane at 10 o'clock next
Wednesday morning. At this hearing
it is promised the inside facts concern
ing the alleged conspiracy will be re-
yealed and the motives shown.
At the hearing 1t is believed will be
shown the reasons which led to the nj
ing in the circuit court on August ID
OF the present year the suit for $4,000
damages brought by Dambski against
Father LANCE 1t is this suit which is
! the immediate cause Of the arrest OF
Dambski ana Rokosz, altho the efforts
to obtain proof against the two men
have been in progress for over a year.
In the damage case brought by
Dambski, who accuses Father LANCE
OF improper relations with his wife, the
precipe alone has, been filed. Altho
d month and half has passed since
the suit was started, no declaration has
been made, The case has also been
allowed to go over to the October term
of court, altho under ordinary lcircum-
stances 1t would come up il the Sep
TENDER term.
Attempts to Settle Are Made.
It is claimed by Father Lange's
friends that the neglected. file the dec
laration and the delay in calling up the
case was due to desire to extort mon
ey from the priest. After the filing OF
the suit, it is charged, attempts We're
made to settle the case, the figure of
$4,000 being named as the one which
would be satisfactory to Dambski, who
is plaintiff in the suit. All of these
offers to settle out of court and all de-
1nands upon him for money We're
promptly refused by Father Lange. He
has all along taken the position that he
would not pay one centSof tribute to
the alleged blackmailers and would
fight them to the last.
1t is over a year, according to Fa-
Their Lange and his friends, since the
efforts to extert money from him be-
gan. Originally, it is alleged, Damb-
ski alone figured in the plot. Dambski
at the time the plot started was par
ishioner OF Father Lange's, who has
been for years at the head of ST. jos
saphat's church and has been one of
the most prominent Polish Catholic
priests of the city. Dambski. it is
claimed made his first demands upon
the priest by letter. He based them,
it is charged, on the fictitious grounds
that he had seen his wife leaving Fa-
Their Lange's home at "a late hour in
the evening. He offered to prove his
charges both in his own testimony, and
by that of his wife, who appears to be
in the plot with him.
Circulated Defamatory Reports.
To Dambskis demand for money
Father Lange made no reply at the
time Then, it is claimed, Danbsh
began spreading reports among Father
L.ange's parishioners concerning him.
Most of these reports were yelled in
situations, no definite charge being
made, except that Father LANCE was
unfit to occupy the position he did.
When the written demands and his
insinuations alike failed to have the
desired effect Dambski tried personal
visits to the priests house. Playing
the role of the injured husband, he
made oral demands upon Father Lange
for money. All these demands met
with fiat refusals. Dambski was per-
sistent, however, and Father Lange
finally decided to place the matter in
the hands Of an attorney. He called in
p. J. O'Keefe and told him of the eff
forts to extort money from him. Mr..
O'Keefe Immediately served notice
upon Dambski that his efforts to ex-
tract tribute from the priest must
cease or he would be prosecuted in the
criminal courts. This threat appar-
emily had its effect. For nearly a year
Father LANCE heard no more of
Dambski, who appeared to have aban-
doned hopes of obtaining money.
In the meantime, 1t is claimed, DAM
bski became acquainted with Rokosz,
the saloon keeper who ran a disrepu-
table resort at West Superior and No
BILE streets. which was closed by the
police no later than Monday of the
present week. Rokosz has been promi-