The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-27
Body Of Father Kaspar
Left in Trunk as Pledge
for Lodging Debt.
sSUFFOCATED AND
HIS NECK BROKEN
Head Bound Against Knee Will
Heavy Strap and Man Thrown
Into Trunk to Smother to
Observation-Disclosures
After a Long
Search.

T < ! ia4 5 i
NEW YORK. May 2s.-Rcv. Father
kaspar, Of the Armenian Apostolic
Church. OF Hoboken, N. T.. was mur-
dcrcd In this city Some time last week,
The body was found to-day IN u trunk.
which had been left as security for
their room rent by two Greeks, who
three weeks ago engaged furnished
room OF Mrs. Henry Shcrer. who occu-
pied the third floor Of n tenement ut
No. 333 West Thirty-scventh Street
Removed TO the morgue, tho body
was identified as that of the priest.
lie has lived ut 608 Monastery Street,
West Hoboken, and frequently made
trips to this city, soliciting funds for
his church.
Father kaspcr. carrying small bag.
In which his collections were placed
came to be a familiar sight in Greek
and Armenian circles here and 1T Is
believed that he was murdered for the
money he carried.
May Have Been DruEged.
The autopsy showed that the priest
may have been. drugged and placed
In the trunk while alive. to suffocatc
His neck and one arm were broken,
but 1t Is not believed these were tho
causes of death Thrown on the body
so as to fill the trunk to Burocution
were the priests clothing. The
coroner believes the priest had
been dead six or seven days. The
stomach will be annlyzed for traces OF
poison.
The police have sent out general
alarm for Sarkis Ehmajian, Sarki
Barmeryion and Paul Sarsatan.
Simon Pashakaran, of No. SOC Tenth
Avenue. tonight identified the trunk
us belonging to Sarki Ermajian. who.
he said, roomcd with him for four
months, until last Monday.
The body was in a kneeiing posture:
with the head bound against the knees
by n heavy strap that passed over the the
back. OF the neck and was sbuckled ul uh-
der the shins
The murdered man must have been
about SIXTY years of age. he weighed
probably leo pounds. ana ;sas about
i've feet four inches II height.
flowing beard twelve inches lohg wao
ttreakcd with gray, but the long and
bushy hair was black. A: sundcrshirt
OF balbriggan and cuff on the right
wrist were all the body Ware but on
,op OF 1t had been thrown thr.c or four
scoats or clerical cut, white laundercd
shirt, two pairs of black iacad shoes, a
soft felt hat two Roman collars and 4
detached cuff.
Followed Chicago Clue.
The police thought at first that
81 The body was shipped here by express
from Chicago, and the authorities o.
that city were asked to follow one
clue based on maal ticket, also
found in the trunk This ticket was
issued by restaurant at No. 1922
Halstcad Street, West Pullman, Chi
cugo. and written in ink across it was
the firm name. IS Ermoylan Brothers.
Through the word brothers several
red ink lines had been drawn.
Because of the condition of the body
the manner OF death was not immedl-
ately apparent Following an au-
topsy at the morgue two men We're ar
rested on suspicion.
Visitor Wore Clerical Curb.
Mrs shercr told the coroner that
when the two men engaged the room
at her home they described themselves
us John and Paul sarkis. each about
thirty-ive years of age. John was
dark and smooth shavcn, and the wo.
man understood that he conducted {
restaurant In tho Tenderloin, The 9th
or rcsemblcd his brother, but wore {
mustache. The men had been yisitet
e. she said, by man wearing q clericn
III garb who looked not unlike tho mur
dcred man. She thought that this mar
called at s o'clock last Wednesda,
morning. No one in the tenement tina
day heard any unusual noises.
Gave Trunk for Rent.
ss Late Wednesday afternoon an ex
press wagon brought to tin house th
trunk, which later was found to con
tain the body. One of the dodgers
with the aid of young man who droV,
the express. carried the trunk Will
considerable difficulty, to the room.
nj trh nclx xoI 1o
roolners for the rent due. They point
cd to tho trunk and said it3would b
found to contain ample security TO
what they had. Later the men sal,
the trunk delivered to them was no
theirs, and that a mistake had bee
made. 3s
Roomcra Left the body.
The next morning the roomers lef
before Mrs. sherer was up TIL
next day unpleasant odors We're de
tected from the room, and to-day Mr.:
sH ehercr appealed to the police, and tn
trunk was forced open. The body wa
removed to the morgue and the polio
began minute examination of it
hiding place, 1t was cheaply-bull
usage. Inside the cover was printe
. name that looked like Giuseppe Sar
kis. On the outside OF the chest wa
the name ovian."
Neck and Arm Broken.
The autopsy developed that the noe
and. an arm had been broken. Coro
ner's Physician Leblanc declared, how
ever, that death was due to suffoca
Aion.
Tho internal organs We're congeste
and DIR. Leblanc gave 1t as his opinio
that the man was thrust into the trun
while alive, and the cover Of the ali
tight trunk held down until death el
Egued. The condition of the orgal
N wore found to be similar to those
cases Of asphyxiaton.
# On the left wrist, the date 1894 w,