The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-28
THEFT MOTIVE FOR
 PRIESTS MURDER Father Kasper Vartians4 Said to Have Inherited
 Fortune. SUSPECTS RELEASED. Police Searching for Sarkis Ermoyian and Brother
 Simon.
SUSPECTS RELEASED.

New York, May 27.-John Ermoyian. knowing something of the murder and later released when he satisfied the po- lice that he knew nothing of the crime: the constant search by the police of New York for Sarkis Ermoyian and his brother Simon, who have been connect ed with the case through cards found in the trunk where the body was dis covered, and of a third man believed to have been connected with the case; the assertion that Father Kasper Varti- anan had, recently inherited snug for tune from a brother who died in Chi cago, and that he possessed a jewel of great value in the form of a crescent or a cross which had been handed from generation to generation of priests this money and the jewel giving the police motive for the crime; the fact that Mrs. Henry Sherrer, in whose apartments at S33 West Thirty-seventh street the trunk with it's body was found, was taken to police headquar- ters to identify man who had been arrested as the express man. who took the trunk to her home, and later announced that he was not the person who carried the trunk irl--these were the developments up to late hour to- night in what has become known as the trunk murder of New York.
 The body of the Armenian priest, Rev. Father Kasper Vartianan, which was found yesterday doubled with the head strapped to the knees, lies in the morgue positively identified, according to the police, but without clue other than those already provided in the finding of the body.
 The news from Chicago that an ar rest had been made there stirred police circles in this city, but the chief of the New York detective bureau said he had nothing in the way of definite in formation from the western city. Moor adlan. believed at first to have been taken into custody, but who later, it was found, was John Ermoyian, was formerly a dlshwasher in a restaurant lat 457 West 4Cth street, in which Sar- kis Ernioyian was part owner. Err moyian, the police said tonight failed and finally called on Mooradan and other Armenians for money, The de- Etectives placed considerable importance on this feature tonight as showing the financial condition of the men they desire to question.
 The arrest in Brooklyn tonight oi an Armenian, who answered the de. scription of one of the men under sus. pcion, led to the bringing of Mrs. Sher- rer to police headquarters but she stat. ed positively that this man had noth. ing to do with the case so far as she knew and he was released.
 In the meantime the chemical exam nation of the stomach and intestine: land other internal organs of the dead priest Is progressing and until the re- suit of this is known the police will mol say positively whether or not Father Vartianan was killed by drugs before he was placed in the trunk. That rob bery was the motive for the crime the police generally believe. The sugges- tion that the priest was killed as a re- suit of disclosures of plot to seize tho throne of Servia were not credited by the bishop in charge of the local field to-day.
 As to the fortune left Vartianan in Chicago there was little information A Mrs. Holopigian said she had heard of legacy left by, a brother in Chi cago from Sarkis Ermoyian.
 Where the murder was committed how many men were implicated, whe- ther or not secret society was in any connected with 1t, remains questions.
 A house on Tenth avenue and the room where the body was found have been under investigation and there are many circumstances which lead the de-