The evening world., 1915-03-13
PRIEST SLAIN BY
GANG THAT TRIED
TOBLACKMA|L HIM
New Britain Chief of Police
Says Wilmington Arrest
Clears Mystery.


Anarchists and radical Socialists. be-
lieved to have their headquarters IN
Now York. killed the Rev. Joseph
Zebris. pastor o; the lithuanian
Church Of st. Andrew. In Now
Britain. Conn.,. and his housekseper.
Iva r. Gilmanaitis. who were found
slain In the parish house on Feb. .
last.
This was learned to-day AZ the re-
suit Of evidence gathered py Chief Of
Police william J. Rawlings Of New
Britain and q confession made BY
one Of two prisoners who are being
held in Wilmington. Del. This pris-
oner, Bernard Montvid. was arrested
with Peter Melba, who was known In
New Britain a. John Kelly. for tho
murder In Wilmington last saturday
Of Policeman Francis x. Tlerney and
the serious wounding Of several other
persons.
Father zsbrls was killed. partly
because OF hatred for his religious
teachings and partly because he
ignored . blackmailing note demand
ing $4,000" Chief Rawlings told The
Evening World over the long distance
telephone to-day. "It IL my belief
that q band Of Anarchists and So
cialists who are a menace to the peace
Of the entire country figure In this
tragedy.
"One Of the men arrested in Will
mington, Melba, was tho editor OF q
socialist paper In Worcester, Mass.
He also was Interested in anarchistic
organizations In Worcester. Tho other
prisoner made his headquarters In
Waterbury. Both OF them came here
to New Britain for the purpose OF
killing the priest, and I believe they
did It under orders.
II am not at liberty to divulgs all Of
the evidence We have on hand. but !
will say that tho band to which these
men belonged had headquarters In
Now York. They are q discontented
lot OF social agitators. blackmaileri
and mon who refuse to earn q living
by honest work."
As far back az April, 1913. Father
Zebris had begun to receive black
mailing letters signed Anarchists ant
1 demanding $4,000. He paid no attain
ton to them. but after the murde'
these letters loomsd up ~ an I'M
portant clew. for Melba carried Q port
able typewriter which he used In Nov
Britain and which was found In hi
possession when he was arrested II
Wilmington. The type of this machin
corresponded In every detail. sccordlni
to Rawlings. to the type used In witt
ing the blackmailing lettsrA
After Father Zsbris mad been sho
and stransied and his housekeepe
slain. the murderers separated. &C
cording to Rawlings. and Montyi
went to Waterbury. thence to Worces
ter and finally to Boston. There b
the men had started out on . caree
Of pillaging and that they nnail
reached Wilmington with . lars
amount Of loot.
They were trying to sell this In
pawnshop when Policeman Tierns
came upon them and Meiba, IL
charged. killed HIM. After they ha
been gruelled by tho Wilmington ps
lice, with NJ. r. Aalinowsky, an IL
vestigator for the Attorney Oener,
OF Connecticut. and Sergt. Bamfort
, OF New Britain, Montvid broke dow
and confessed.
He said Melba, another man an
himself planned to kill Father Zebri
and that he stood outside to xiv
warning while the other two entt,re
the place and committed the murtie
Detective Bamforth recognized hi
worn by Neiba a. one which q slays
, of the priest used. Another clue wa
the finding In notebook In Aelba
/ pocket Of the name and address d,
: Father Zebris.
Chief Rawlings said to-day that I
was making every effort to set at u
/. headquarters OF tho anarchist =,
.. . cialist band to which the mon b,
longsd and satisfy himself ~
whether the murder Of the priest vi
) ordered by q ring" Of men. He b,
! lievas Melba and Aontvid were on
tools In q gigantic blackmailing pl,
which was proceeding under Il
guise Of an anarchist-socialist propi
ganda.