Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-27
CHASTITY FIND.
Trunk Containing Body Of
Murdered Man.
Left With New York LandIady TO
Pay For Lodging.
Remains Identified As Those Of
An Armenian Priest.

New j r!. Nay 2G-Ecv. Father
I[aspar - t,la Armenian APOSTLE
church NJ I1ntn. "a. y. g., was muir
drrtd i'll tniS t;t,- S"llG time last week. |
The body Was found today III Il tr"n!7
which had been left as cturlty Tor
their room rent hy two Greeks who
three weeks ago engaged furnished
ru"5l of Mrs. Henry Shcrrcr, who oc-
cUpies the third floor Of tenement
at 333 West 3Ith street.
The trunk WAS brought to the house
on last Wednesday. That night Mrs.
Sherror demanded the rent due. The
dodgers assured her that the trunk was
goDi security and disappeared. Tn
pleasant Odors lead to calling the police
ana opening the trunk where the body.
nearly nude and doubled up, was
found.
The body was removed to the NOR
que at midnight tonight and was idcH-
titled as that "l the priest. it is DC
lievcd that he was murdered for the
money he carried.
The autopsy revealed that the priest
had probably been druGgcd and placed
while still alive, in the trunk, there to
be suffocatcd to death. The neck and
orc arm had been broken, but appar-
entity these injuries had not been the
clause OF death. The corOncr's physician
saii that he had probably been dead
six or seven days. The contents of the
stomach will be examined to deter
mine whether Knockout drops or some
other drug was used. The police have
scnt out general alarm for Sarkis
TCrmaiian, Sarki Barmorvian and Paul
Sarsat2n.
Simon Pashakarian of 10th avcnucI
tonight identified the trunk as beNng
ing to Sarkis Ermajian, an Armenian
who, ne said, roomed with him for four
months. and up to last Monday night,
when he quit the house.
The police theory is that the priest
was murdered in the 10th avenue
house They believe that the priest was
lurcd to this room, there drugGed and
robbed ana the trunk later sent to the
West 31th street address
The identification Of the body wasj
| made by John Narafiian. a trustee of
| the Armenian church of HobOken.
New York, May 26.-Three weeks ago
! Mrs. Annie Shcr2r rented enc of her
six rooms in a west 9th street tene-
nent to two strangers. When last
| Wednesday the rent was not forthcom-
| ing, hor lodgcrs two Greeks, told her
that shc was amply secured by their
Wcll-tillCd trunk. The following morn
| ing the men disappeared and today the
trunk was broken open. Inside was the
| dccomposcd body of a man believed to-
| have been priest OF the Greek church.
| The body was in 4 kneeling posture,
with the head bound against the knees
| by a Eeavy strap that passed over the
| back of tho neck and was buckled I'M
der the shins. Tho murdered man must
| have been about GO years Of age. He
weighed probably 100 pounds and was
about feet 4 inches in height. A flow
| ing beard II inches long, was strcaked
with gray. but tho long and buShy hairl
WAS black. A balbrigGan undcrShrt and
4 cuff on the right wrist were all the
! clothing on the body, but on top of it
! had been thrown three coats Of clerical
Cut, q white Hundred shirt two pair
| Of black lace shoes 4 soft felt hat. two
Roman collars ana q detached cuff
The police think it possible that the
body was shipped here by express from
Chicago and the authorities of that city
have hc@n asked to follow one clue. 4 !
meal ticket, also found in the trunk |
This ticket was issued by a restaurant
at loo HastCad strccta. West Pullman
Chicago, and written in ink across il |
was tho firm nam" :. ErmOyian Broth |
crs. Through the word brothers several !
r@1 ink lines had boon drawn. Because
If the condition Of the body the manner
Of death was not Immediately apparent. |
foiloWlng an autopsy at the mOrgue, |
two men were arrested on suspicion.
Mrs. Shcrnr told the coroner that |
when the two men engaged the room
on the third floor of her tenement at 333
West @1th street they described them |
selves as John and Paul Sarkis. each !
about - years Of age. John was dark !
and smooth shaver and the woman I'M !
dcrstncd that he conducted a rcstau-
rant in the TendcrlOin. The other re-
somhlcd Ills brother but wore NOUS |
tache. The mon had been visited, she |
said. by man wearing a clerical garb, |
who looked not unlike the murdered
man. She thought that this man called |
at O'Clock last Wednesday morning. |
No one in the tenement that day heard
any unusual noises. Late Wednesday |
afternoon an express wagon brought to |
tho h"us" tho trunk which later was !
found to contain the body.
One Of the Sarkis. with the aid Of a !
young man who drove tho express |
carried the trunk with considerable |
difficulty to the dodgers r0o.n. THAT |
night Mrs. ShCrCr asked ncr roomcrs /
for the rent due. They pointed to the !
trunk and said that it would be found /
to contain ample securities for what |
they owed. Later the men said that |
the trunk delivered to them was not |