Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-28
REV. k|RREH IN JAIL
Has Great Time Until Thirst
Proves Downfall.
ENDORSED BY FORAKER
American Friend of Lepers Once 0p-
Grated in Washington.
CONDUCTED LITERARY BUREAU
Persistent Double" Has Pursued
Him From Jerusalem Through
Many Countries.
CONDUCTED LITERARY BUREAU

Justin Shilia Said Kirreh, 'LLD., mao
been able to keep away from strong wa
tiers he might yet be riding around Port
Chester in the automobile of N. F. Pal
mer of the Quintard iron works, deliver
ing lectures in the North Baptist Church
of that town and collecting subscriptions
to support a lepers' hospital in far-off
Noblaus Palestine.
For the REV. Dr. etc, Kirreh was
equipped with a supply Of letters of rec
ommendation that would be worth for
tune to any confidence man who could
keep his head and stay sober.
But Of course 1t is enough to arouse
suspicious for a pious man who has de-
voted his life to the service Of lepers
to be seen with one foot on the rail and
an elbow crooked in a saloon frequented
by the lowbrows of Port Chester, and
later on to be buying drinks for all COM
ers in the back room.
Police Grow Suspicious.
Less suspicious persons than Chief Nc
Cullough and Capt. Donovan of the Port
Chester police would me apt to investi-
gate when such tip was passed around
the square until it reached the police
station.
So it happened that last Friday night
the Rev Dr. Justin Shilia Said Kirreh,
LID" was gathered in and locked up
along with couple of tramps and a
violator Of the excise law who had not
been able to get bail. There he has been
ever since, save for short time yester-
day when he was brought out for hear
ing. only to be remanded for further ex-
animation tomorrow.
The friend of the lepers first projected
himself upon Port Chester about July 10.
He had plenty of baggage and a large
collection of Endorsements
In the police station there is now repOs-
ing a bag full of letters, including one
written in 1897 by United States Senator
Foraker recommending kirreh to Presi-
dent Mckinley for the post of United
States consul at Erzerum, Armenia, and
one from Senator Dick to the Treasury
Department, recommending him for any
Job that might be kicking around loose.
Get Letters From Mayors.
Mayors of cities by the score are in
cluded in the collection. clergymen also,
and there are some letters that passed
between Kirreh and Bishop Cotton Of the
Catholic diocese Of Buffalo which could
easily be made to show the appearance
of a warm and intimate acquaintance
kirreh first made himself known in
Port Chester to the Rev. G. NJ. Evans OF
the North Baptist Church. The bagful
OF letters made their desired impression
and the distinguished" Armenian was
scheduled forthwith to make an address
in the North Baptist Church in the inter-
est OF the lepers' hospital the following
Sunday morning.
In the intervening days Kirreh took
care to put couple of interviews and a
historical sketch Of himself in the local
papers, so that he had large and re-
sponsfve audience. when Sunday morning
came.
The address went off fine SO did the
collection, and after service: through the
kindness of Mr. Evans, Kirreh made the
acquaintance of many prominent residents
who expressed great interest in his plans
Among them was Mr.. Palmer a particu-
larly desirable friend, because he owned
an automobile, which he generally placed
at the disposal Of the Armenian from time
to time to facilitate his visits to the
home of the Port Chester summer colony
along several miles of shore.
All was going well until the informa-
ton reached Chief Mccullough and Capt.
Donovan that Kirreh was having an
illumination scene in Shea's saloon, with
himself as the main pyrotechnic display.
That settled the case, for although the
bagfui of letters staggered the police
officials for a while, they declined to let
go their prisoner until they were sure
about him.
A Fragment Of Evidence.
Finally in picking over his effects they
came across written manuscript of
some testimony apparently taken during
the trial of one Justin Kirreh at Dover,
England, in the middle nineties on a
charge or obtaining money under false
pretenses. Capt. Donovan communicated
with persons in this city who make q
business OF keeping records Of charity
swlndiers, and the result was the un-
FOLDING In part of one of the most re-
markable careers that have come to light
In recent police annals.
klrreh, who is now about forty wears
0Iu. came from the vicinity of Jerusalem.
Whlie ne was quite young man he SUI
fered the misfortune Of having a name
sake pass some bad checks on imaginary
banks In this city. This other Justin s
.; kirreh In face and form resembled the
vlctlm or the recent Port Chester mis-
fortune so closely that no one was able
TO tell the two young men apart. and ar
cordingly the innocent Mr. Kirreh having
Deen moved by his innate goodness and
the dragoman of the American consulate
-. -, make good on one Of the checks. found
Their fortune eeA LUZ
ne dr1fted into Pennsylvania. and then
INTO virginia. where he became arnuaint-
W. W. win the Rev. James H. Williams Of
an attrs Htf,nss. Young Mr.. Kirreh was
10 receive the education Of a clergyman
SO that he might go back and nreach
the gospel to his benighted countrvmen
:, quo ~ happened that the Rev. Mr. Will
ilalns ADOPTED him and sent him to Ken
yon College, at Gambler, Ohio. There
hlrreh met some more Ill luck
Has Persistent Double.
AT Kenyon. as in Jerusalem, there was
another Kirreh about his time who got
gloriously drunk and otherwise comport.
ed himself in ways unseemly for a min
ister The college authorities, unable to
distinguish between the two. made things
SO disagreeable that the innocent Kirreb
again struck out for pastures new.
How he spent the next six or eight
years the record does not show but in
1896 he was in England. There he mar
r1ed woman Of some means who is no1,
living In Warwickshire. Kirreh lectured
In the interes, of various phila nthronic
enterprises Of his native country. and M
doubt would have opened up a life Of
great usefulness had not the pestiferons
double again crossed his path. suffered
arrest for obtaining money under false
pretenses. and obtained a sentence of a
year In prison at Dover
About the time that the double got out
OF prison. Kirreh proper appeared again
In this country and started a public ca
reer that promised brightly for a time
between 1897 and 1899 he conducted a
literary bureau" in Washington which
attracted the attention of the repuhlicon
national committee and also n, o51 -