New-York tribune., 1907-05-28
CHICAGO ARREST FALSE
TRUNK MURDER MYSTERY
Nan Taken Here Also Knozrs Moth
ing of Priests Death.

yesterday afternoon which said that John Moor
adian' one OF the four men for whom the police
are searching in the belief that any of the
quartet can shed some light on the mystery OF
the murder of Father Kaspar vartarian was
arrested In that city late yesterday afternoon
Later. by long distance telephone Police Head
quarters here learned that the man arrested
had proved a complete alibi and was not Moor
adian.
About o'clock last evening an undersized
Armenian. loaded down with dress suit case
and a pile of bundles. dragged protesting
into the Detective Bureau at Headquarters by
Lieutenants McClusky and McCurdy. attached
to the Detective Bureau In Brooklyn The
sleuths explained to Captain McCarerty that
after tour of the Armenian quarter in that
borough they had become suspicious of the Ar
menian. who said he was John Guelian gar
dener. of No. 225 Adelphi street. where the de-
tectives had pounced on him A hurry call was
sent Immediately to the West 37th street sta
ton. and detective dispatched to escort
Mrs. Scherrer to headquarters When she ar
rived there she declared positively that she had
never seen Gueliam before and that he bore no
resemblance to the man who brought the trunk
to her house last Wednesday afternoon Mrs
Scherrer is positive that she can identify i'm
mediately any OF the four men for whom the
police are hunting
ERMOYIAN MOST WANTED
OF these four men the police are particularly
desirous OF getting Sarkis Ermoyian to whom
the trunk belonged and who was often seen in
the company of the murdered priest Mrs
Charles Holopigian. who IS an Irish woman
though she is the wffc of the keeper of the res
taurant at No. 457 West 4Oth street. with whom
Ermoyian was in partnership for several weeks
after his arrival IN this city from Chicago. said
afr tha- 4,+r,
the restaurant last Friday afternoon He seemed
to be in good spirits and in reply to Mrs. Holo-
pigian's queries said he had O fine position with
good pay and easy hours. in paper factory at
37th street and Tenth avenue. When she asked
him how he happened to fall into such easy
going Ermoyian replied. according to Mrs. Holo-
pigian. that a German lady had obtained the
position for him. That the last seen OF tho
missing Armenian IN the restaurant
From the statements OF the Holopigfans and
others of the Armenian colony. Ermoyian was
a who not passionately enamored of
hard work For the short time he was in the
restaurant business with the Holopigians most
OF his time employed in quarrelling with
the patrons OF the restaurant Finally. fearing
that he would lose all his customers, Holo-
pigian invited Ermoyian TO sell his inter-
est This he finally did but shortly after the
Holopgisns discovered that their former asso-
tation meal tickets and had succeeded in dis
posing OF about fifty Of them at So apiece. All
Abrehen. Turk. who was in the restaurant
yesterday afternoon. declared that Ermoyian
had told him only a short time ago that he
would fix Charlie (neaning his former part
ner) for life"
Ermoyian's trunk disappeared from the little
three room tenement of Simeon Perkirian. a
nephew of Charles Holopigian. some time during
In a wire factory at No. 55T Tenth avenue and
is absent from in the morning until o'clock
in the evening When Ermoyian fell behind in
his rent 500 Perkirian informed him Monday
morning that he would have to go elsewhere
Ernoyian said be would take furnished room
somewhere else. When Perkirian got back in
the evening he noticed that the trunk had dis
appeared. but did not ask Ermoyian about il
when he returned later IN the evening The next
morning. however. before he started for work
he demanded and obtained from his lodger the
key TO the tenement Ermoyian went out with
him and did not return again.
BODY POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.
The body of the murdered man was positively
identified yesterday that of the itinerant Ar
menian priest by man named Hagopian. the
editor OF an Armenian paper. who lives at No.
1877 East 25th street Moses Harooturunan. OF
No lS5 East 9th street and Zahron Sartossiou.
OF No I37 East 26th street. also said that there
was no doubt of the body being that OF Father
Vartarian tangle was given TO the rnys-
terry by Sartossions statement TO Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Robert E 0lanley that he is posi-
tive he conversed with Father Vartarian in his
(Sartossion's) restaurant. last Wednesday fore
noon The Armenian editor and Bishop Hoosup
Sar1in. of the Armenian church in West Ho-
boken will be interrogated by Mr. Manley to-
day.
1t is hoped that they may be able throw
some light the motive for the murder
Mr. Manley and the police who are working on
the case are inclined to think that the crime was
committed for robbery and nothing else. If that
be the case. il must have been committed by
some one who needed money badly for those
who knew the dead priest we'll say that he never
was in af1uent circumstances. Mrs. Holopigian
declared yesterday that Ermoyian. who was
often seen with the priest. had told her that
through the death of a brother in Chicago some
time ago Father Vartarian had come into pos
session of several thousand dollars. If that Is
so, the priest gave few outward evidences of an,
increase in material prosperity and never con-
fded in any one, except Errloyian. about his
legacy.
FEUD STORY RIDICULED.
Bishop Sarjin and DR., John Ergarian presi-
dent of the Armenian Society. characterized the
story circulated yesterday that Father vartarian
was member OF a secret society and that his
death the result OF feud In the society as
too silly for consideration Bishop Sarjin said
the priest was OF such simple nature that he
would be the last in the world to be mixed
up in political societies socialistic organiza-
tions
The body Of the priest is held at the nnorgus
awaiting orders from Coroner AcriteIli The