The Washington herald., 1907-05-27

New York. May 26-Henry Scherrer. a
German householder. living on the third
floor Of a tenement at 323 West 37th street.
thought there was dead cat IN the room
OF two Greek or Armenian dodgers who
had suddenly jumped their board bin on
Wednesday last He investigated, and IN
a trunk which they had left behind them
he found the dead body Of man with
priestly garments piled over it.
Tonight John Karanfalian. an Arme-
nian. who is trustee Of the Holy Cross
Apostolic Church I'm West Hoboken. iden-
tilted the body Of the man as that IF
Father HOran Caspdr. an itinerant priest
Of the Armenian branch Of the Orthodox
Greek Church. who is well known in the
Armenian quarter Of West Hoboken.
After investigation. the police say that
the priest was put in the trunk stiU alive.
after being drugged. s0me time last
wednesday. They are holding one maa
for investigation. and they said tonight
that they We're on the track of two more
believed 10 be implicated in the murder
When the German householder made his
CHASTITY find he raced down 70 the West
37th street station and notified the police
that murder had been done I'm his fat.
Detectives were sent 10 the scene. ard
later Coroner AeritelH and Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Manley arrived to take
charge of the investigation.
The officers found. doubled into the
narrow space Of cheap old trunk, the
body Of a man Of about sixty years sof
age. scantily dressed in underclothes only.
The body was bent over SO that the bald
head of the man was tucked dowii be
tween the knees. and the arms were
Ioored about the legs.
Piled over the corpse were three coats
of clerical cut. two pairs Of cheap shoes.
a clerical collar. and a round. soft hat.
such as priests Of the Catholic and
Greek commu1ion wear About one
wrist there hung a celluloid cum. as If
left there IN a hurried stripping Of the
body.
When the body was lifted from the
trunk there was disclosed underneath il
an empty silk money bag designed 10 be
worn on cord about the neck. Those
who knew the priest told the detectives
tonight that the dead man was in the
habit Of carrying his money about him
in this pouch. and that as late as two
weeks ago a contribution Of considerable
proportions was given him by a West
Hobolen parish. In the absence Of other
apparent motives the police Immediately
interpreted the presence Of this money
bag to Indicate that the man had been
murdered for his money.
Father CasPar Frequent Visitor.
Scherrer rents six rooms ogzthe third
floor Of the tenement az 223 Next door 70
his house I'm the Criterion Club Cafe.
negro girl was murdered and robbed four
years ago. Right down the street a few
doors. at 3I7. Fred Jones was shot and
killed only Saturday night Hells Kitchen
calls this row Of tenements murderers'
block
In the SCheTrer nat there are six rooms
It was three weeks ago last Wednesday
that Scherrer let the front room on the
east side to two men. Greeks or Arme-
mans. he did not know which nationality.
One Of these dodgers said that he was
Paul Saracas. and that he was Joint evner.
I'm restaurant somewhere on West
Fortieth street. The other man went by
the name Of John. his name being
too long for the German to attempt to
remember The two new l0dEers paid
their s. a week in advance for their room.
and came and went each morning and
evening without exciting comment among
b f..-s.- ~-f-A
room of the two men vas Father Caspar.
so said the two Scherrers to-day, and
other lodgers in the same tenement said
that they also had seen the gray-bearded
priest passing in and out Of the house
several times Both men in the front
room seemed to be devout Christians. and
the visits OF the priest there were taken
by the ungodly community % mean that
they were church workers.
Heavy Trunk Arrives.
As far as the police information carried
tonight. Father Caspar was a priest
without n parish who fulfilled a wander
ng mission in New York Hoboken. and
leighboring Jersey cities. baptizing and
marrying and going wherever his serv-
ces were needed. The last time the priest
vas seen in the company Of either of the
TWO men was on Wednesday morning
about O'Clock. when he entered the
house with Sarscas. Shortly after that
line a man who keeps a shop across the
street saw the priest and Saracss leave
he house together.
That was the last time that Father
-aspar was seen alive. Some time that
afternoon Mrs. Scherrer saw Saracas and
4 stranger carrying a heavy trunk up-
stairs She did not know whether the
runk had been brought in a delivery
wagon The trunk was carried into the
-Oom of the two dodgers and placed
against an unused door leading into a
Landlord Holds Corpse for Rent.
About o'clock the same evening. Sara
as and Garnonion. which IS the name of
he other lodger. came home to their
-oom. Paul Saracas went into the Scher-
-er kitchen and asked If he might sit at
he table to write a letter. While he was
here Mrs. Scherrer made mention of the
IrrivaI of the trunk.
"Oh, that was the wrong trunk we
,rought this afternoon" said the man;
we will have to take it back
Mrs. Scherrer demurred against the re-
noral Of the trunk. saying that the two
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