The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-13
TORNADO KILLS 50|k|LL PRIEST IN HOME
Rev. Father Arson Is Slain
at Newark, N. ].
RELIGIOUS PLEA is PRETEx1
Rectory Housekeeper Is Also Wounded
Fatally by Assassin Band of Three
Masked Men-Reverend Dice on
Way to Hospital.

Way to HOSPITAL.
Newark, N. j., Mar. 11.--Three as.
sassins, each armed with knives and
revolvers, shot Rev. Erasmus Arson,
curate of st. Stanislaus' Polish Catho.
/ lie church, after gaining entrance to
the parish rectory yesterday on the
plea that they wished to consult with
the priest on spiritual matters.
i The wounded priest died on the way
to. st. Barnabas hospital in an ambu.
lance
Housekeeper Fatally Wounded.
The rectory housekeeper, Miss Ton.
sta, also was fatally wounded when
she ran into the room where the three
men, with drawn revolvers, were
standing over the body of the priest.
The assassins inspected the place to
see that there were no other witnesses
to the shooting, fed from the rectory,
and escaped. The shots attracted
neighbors and police and when they
entered the rectory the priest and
housekeeper were found where they
had fallen. While surgeons, sum,
moned from the next block, gave tenn.
porary treatment, ambulances were
called. ..
Race Against Death.
Rev Mr.. Arson, who was said by
the doctors to be dying when the am
bulance arrived, was placed on q
stretcher and race against death be,
gun. When the ambulance had trav
eled several blocks the surgeon who
had been holding the wounded mans
head called through the front window
to the driver:
"We have lost. He has died."
The second ambulance bearing the
wounded housekeeper passed the first
vehicle and the woman was taken to
the hospital operating room, where
several of the best surgeons in the
city were summoned. I ts
1t was announced that she could not
live, and the policemen waited at hel
bedside in the hopes Of getting more
complete statement as to the shooting.
Crowd Cries, for Vengeance.
News that the priest had been as.
sassinated was carried through the
parish by shouting men, women and
boys, and before the last ambulance
had left the rectory a crowd Of more
than 100 had gathered Despite the
efforts of the poles the"crowd blocked
the streets, some weeping, some cry
ing for vengeance andystill others try.
ing to organize posses to begin search
for the assassins. s.1ss,
The police expressed the belief that
the slayers were anarchists and the
statement stirred the ( crowd to great
or pitch. ~
" Shout "DoWn With Reds"
Men shouted Down with the reds!"
and the cry spread Throughout the
neighborhood. Crowds Started in sew.
eral directions to find trace of the
fugitives. .satsgs
AS the search continued the crowds
got SO large and the excitement so
great that squads Of police were sent
through the streets to dispense them
1t was feared innocent men might suf
fer or that the real assassins would
find the safest refuge In the mob
One of the four men under arrest
was later partially identified by the
wounded housekeeper, who said that
he resembled very much one of the
priests assailants. He gave his name
as Alexander Souginkoski of this city
All the arrested men, the police said
are members of st. Stanislaw's church
but all denied that they knew anything
about the death Of the opriest. None
Of them was armed when searched.
Father Ansion was formerly pastor
Of st. Stephens Polish Catholic church
in Paterson.
Threatened Many Times.
The tragedy is believed to be the
elimination of series of fractional
fights which have disrupted the church
for many months. Father Ansion was
assigned to the church by Bishop
O'Connor last fall, after the former
rector had been terrified into fleeing
from the city. Strong opposition de-
veloped to Father Ansion, and he was
threatened mnay times.
The police said that Father Ansion
had been collecting funds for a new
church, and that this was the cause of
the trouble. -