New Britain Herald Newspaper, February 10, 1915, Page 1

Rev. Lucyan Bojnowski Say Killed Priest il MERALD BEST OF ALL ‘| LOCAL NEWSPAPERS NEW BRITAI | A PRICE THREE CENTS. NEW BRITAIN CONNECTICUT,WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 191 O - TWELYE PAGES. Robbers S and His Housekeeper. “As an incentive to urge even great- er efforts in locating and bringing murderers of Rev. to Father \\‘uslice the + ¥ebris and his housekeeper, Miss Eva Gilmanaitis, Holcomb has sent forth a fng that he will author of the state the offering of a reward . Governor L notice stat- Marcus on the part ‘of $1,000 for the apprehension of the In this city a similar pro- eriminals. position is being suggested among the Ljithuanians and today 'y the John Skritul- one of the foremost members of dead p riest church, McMahon, the theater magnate, B sig- and nified a willingness to contribute $100 “apiece should a from this city. Quigley Offers $1.000 for City. Mayor George o’clock this afternoon offered A Quigley reward be offered at 3 $1,000 Yeward for the arrest and conviction murdere: of the murderer This action as a Chairman E. result or of B a was taken by his honor conference Alling of the of public safety, Commissioner with board B . Healey and Corporation Counsel J. E. Cooper. These four met this noon and decided to offer the reward. 4The common council tonight will be asked to endorse the action of the mayor and the measure will probably be unanimously adopted as a number of prominent citizens have expres a the opinion that a reward should be offered. . “Something must be Xiayor Quigley this afternoon. act of the government which will lend | impetus to the search !"derers will probably receive public ap- | a for said “Any done,’” * the .mur- proval and we fecl that there is a real demand for action 1 his nature. There has been too much of this work in New Britain and it must stop. Fir W& had the Bosworth murder which was never solved. desecration that outrage to cap the clima killing of Wather Ze¢ keeper. he spared to run down the Nc President Chamber of Commerce vor at the double tragedy. Tather Zebris to the city and described the priest and sociable a “fine, pleasant of the were X » pains E. W. death Th church Sacred Heart and the perpetrators of | never caught. And we or en no m Christ pressed hor- ! said ¢ 3 ex was a great los had the of the we >w have the »bris and his house- should oney slayers. of the He 18 man."” Several members of the charter vision committee wore of the opinion ~that it would be an for the rity to engage tectives obtainable and hire them ¢ once before the trail became *‘cold.” afternoon seemed as far from solving the baf- fling myster: Late this A clue that at first gave promise of | bearing fruit, % worthles: this noon when four men arrested excellent. s vesterd but v wa came New Haven vesterday and robbing Meriden in bonds of the superior that charge. of as Joseph James are Mac membe Giov loonkeep 500 Rocco, uri of « aim s of a nn er, for of Albany. ., Michael Ferino of Springfield, and Carlo Sta The police « ga th Ay 5 1a fro for i and the next court to They gave their Al of Wilkesbarre, that the ng mova e hest de- the police ter regarded m Meriden in - holding up Papallo, a are held termm answer to names N, X . any, Mass., Pa. prisoners which has been operating from New Haven. Imasmuch they were ar the same night 1 hi local * much are houseke police credi the gui Priest’s The body in state in 3 s the at we not o re t Ity parti of St o’clock tomorrow 10 o'clock Friday morning, offense ested was committed on for which Father Zebris and re inclined to y to the theory that they es Funeral Father Andrews’ m Zebri aft funeral will take place. TFather Ambot of Hartford was structed by Bishop s make all arrangemen mass will be celebrated, probably by Re Mass. Nilan, Tl who Rev. ‘Waterbury, ford, many othe Father Jak will Vincent IFather Ambot r cities Massachusetts and The funeral of Eva Gilmanaites, the housekeeper, o'clock i d wili tomorrow fAmbot officiating. “the priest and his hou fve interred in the new Catholic \cmc-it\c« ipherable ssited Kuarkau Murray of nd in Ne be N held morning, The b J. sekeeper nurdered the giv day. will lie church from ernoon when the in- lan to Solemn high Worcester, Bishop of Hart- from Connecticut, York by priests at 10 Father odies of will i candle ter; Father Ambot said that the 1\111)~] lished statement that two men had been to see him in Hartford and had uestioned him regarding Father Zeb- | ris was untrue. He said he had no | theory to offer regarding the murder | and knew of no dangerous enmitiesf incurred by the priest. ! Special Meeting. Today a notice was posted on St. Andrews’ church stating that a spe- - cial meeting will be held tonight to hear a few words from Rev, Father Ambot, of Hartford, who has been sent to care for the local parish. It is possible that some other action will also be taken, More Clues Are Discovered. Today a few more clues, which, while they may not be of any value, 80 to snow that Father Zebris had been har! ed of late, were found. Aviator Nel Nelson stated that on Monday he saw the priest and some unknown stranger in a heated argu- ment. Edward McAloon, delivery man, also comes a new story. He ¥s Monday evening he was front of St. Peter's church Frank- | lin square by two strangers, who anxiously asked him if that was toe ! Polish church. He replied in the negative, but did not direct them. Vengeance, Says Chief Rawling: While he admits that there have been no startling developments dur- ing the past twenty-four hours whica can be made public, Chief William J. Rawlings insists that, in vengeance was the sole the crime of Monday night. To bear out this opinion is the fact that two watches were found on the dead priest’s body and that several gold sitcks and several small coins were left lying about the house. the well known forth with that early accosted in on his opinion, | motive for until | both | According to his opinion the mur- derers were admittec to the parish | house through the front door and then, after completing their terrible work, Jeft hy means of the rear door. This theory is strengthencd by the fact that the key was found in the front door but key can be found for the rear door, which was locked. Another peculiar thing is that the | bunch of keys to the church, | carried Father Zeb: also m 1g Chief Rawlings that the house overturned as s not the had anybody they would thing upside confined their where money kept. It w overdone, spea houseiceeper thinks tha attic stairs and no usually on s person, are the fact completely ignificant that robbery motive. He thinks that looking for money not have turned down, but would have cnergies to places would likely have been done as a blind and was is the chief’s view. ng of the manner in whicn met her death the she rushed up the held the door behind her. As the assassins chased her up they twisted at the key and finally pried open the door and followed her to the top of the stairs where they strangled her. The wourd on her arm he believes, was made with the knife used to cut the clothesline and was inflicted during her fight for life. Follow Various Clues. Although the combined efforts of the local police, the state police and numerous officials connected with the Lithuanian societies of the city working without let up and are trac- ing numerous clues which may shed some light the perpetrators of the crime of night before last, when Rev. Father Joseph Zebris, pas- {tor of St. Andrew’s Lithuanian® Cath- ! olic church and his housekecper, M Eva I5. Gilmanaitis were sent to theiv{ death in the most cold hlooded fashion | by unknown No informa- [tion of any value has vet come 1to official The police dc | partment evervthing in its !power to get some tangible piece of evidence for a starting point in working up their case, but all ef- | forts are proving unavailing State Police at Work, Members of the state police and ! local detectives, aided hy Interpreter Malinowski interviewed, this morn- ing several cousins of the deceased housekeeper in an effort {o find | whether any friction between {he i latter and any peirson or ex- listed These interviews, zether | | with talks with church officials proved to of little or value. | Evidence friction, which Dy existed in large a parish and clues P e are conspicuous by their motive of the crime points was to s0 been every In | the chief are on horrible a Assin great notice. is doing persons te he no prob: Lic murderer bsence. ill un- of S0 is ing to « jing 50 | { murder and | Work on are | down | traceable | this | from | brother is, however, now thought to have been revenge or the work of some fanatic or mad man. A common burglar would hardly have gone so far in committing murder as those who were in the parish house did. The father's gold watch, and valuables #&vere still on his person and other valuables were in the house. The theory that the robbers may have been frightened after the before they discovered the valuables hardly holds water. It tcok some time to accomplis the double murder. The fact that a cord was about the father’s neck, evi- dently placed there after he was shot, appears to lend color to the theory that the murder was premeditated and that the cord had been placed there to carry out some threats pre- viously made. There is little ben- efit in throttling a dead man. Cold blooded, carefully executed and diz bolically perpetrated murder is the verdict those who consider the facts. “We police, and of it,” say the there is no doubt but what they are. They are working at a great disadvantage is not know- ing the language of the dead man’s parishioner although a detective who speaks the Lithuanian language was today obtained Theories, all the police have to the stories, disconnected, told by neighbors and friends. The black hand letter re- ceived two years ago is receiving its share of attention. Iather Bojnow- ski may be able help in running this clue, as he has received supposed to. be in the same writing threatening him with if he did not comply with re- of the writers. The strange whom much is said are un- so little can be done connection. Other clues appear time to time and are traced rejected according to their value. Theor advanced thi morning concerning the business affairs of the dead priest particular one in re- sards to his part ownership of a bokery near Waterbury, have been found to be of no importance. Interview Relatives. are up against Practically of course, to letters hand death quests men of or es nieces and a nephew of Mis the housekeeper, were in- by the police today. The nephew, Joseph Barvida, and his sis- ter, Frances, are employed on a to- bac plantation at Broadbrook and arrived in this city today. Another niece, Annie Barvida, lives at Church street. They asked the po- lice for permission to remove the ef- fects of the housekeeper, but this was not grante.d. They were Two Gilmanait terviewed o 358 unable to throw light on the case. John Chussna, in-law of the dead keeper, lives in Burlington. The police also interviewed Anna Gutauskas, of 237 Whiting street, the teacher in the adjoining school who discovered the body of the priest in the house and raised the alarm, and Miss Anna Nevulis, of Yale street, an- other teacher in the school who was at the scene of the murder after- ward. any a house- Locate Bullet. A steel bullet 10:30 o’clock body of Father after an autopsy that was beguu la night and resumed again at 9 o’clock this morning. The bullet was from an automatic revolver, a detail con- firmed by the finding of four shells near the body of the priest when the police entered the house yester- day. The Tody wa this Zebris byl located at morning in the Dr. Bunce about bullet found had entered the in the chest and had passcd through the lungs, being found lodged just underneath the skin the right shoulder blade. cursory ex amination of the skin night did not reveal any trace of the bullet, but this morning a little blue mark indicated the presence of a foreign body underneath the skin. Four Bullet Holes. Four bullet holes were found on the body. Ome v right over the heart, the bullet having taken a side course and had entered the liver. An- other had entered the side, just under- neath the arm, and had lodged itself somewhere in the lungs Another bullet had entered the back, and the bullet which was found had entered through the che Dr. Bunce garded the wound in the sternum just opposite the fifth rib as the cen- fral one, this being the one which had lodged in the liver The sixth rib on the right hand was found broken over AS re- side Ba wounds makes Zebris was Shot in the The location of the it apparent that Father shot from the side, perhaps as he was turning around to greet his visi- | . It is possible the one which hit him in the back was shot before | he turned around, the one in the side | came next, the one in the sternum ' third, and the fourth in the chest. | No burns were found around any of the wounds. This fact indicates | that the gun was held more than twelve inches away. Strangled Before Death. The slip noose was of heavy bind- | ing twine and had been drawn tight_ | 1y around the neck. It was the opin- | ion of Dr. Bunce that Father Zebris was strangled after he was shot, but before he had died. Medical E: aminer Wright was present during the u_\utcps}'. Cut Bullet. The examination of Mrs. Gilman revealed no other marks of violence except the marks left by the strands | of cord around the neck, the wound:- in the arm and a slight discoloratian of the eve. Two larger strands and one smaller were found about her neck. The wound in the arm was just below the right elbow on the thumb side of the arm and was a triangular cut three-quarters by one-half inch. A confirmatory autopsy was made of the body to determine whether any internal in- juries had been received. The finding of the steel bullet made unnecessary any further examination | of the remains or a detailed exami- | nation of the organs. Not Mysterlous Stranger on Star St. Bruno Wasowitz, a Star street Lith- uanian, attaches great significance to a visit paid him early Monday morn- ing by a mysterious stranger who in- | sisted on him leaving the house and | coming out on the sidewalk to talk. | The stranger appeared at the Was- | owitz home about 2 o'clock in the morning and announced that he want- ed to speak to Wasowitz. The latter | stood at the head of a flight of stairs leading to his tenement and started | tc question his visitor, who had his | coat collar up and his hat pulled down | over his eyes. Wasowitz could get no | satisfaction from the stranger and told him to go away if he did not care to make rand. known the nature of his er- | The unknown departed. Bojnowski Interviewed. Father Lucyan Bojnowski, the Polish Catholic church been the scene of so many in the past, was inter- viewed this morning and asked whether or not he had received any more threatening letters of late. He laughed and replied that the last threat he received came a year ago | this time after his church had been secrated and he had flayed the cul- prits from his pulpit, In his speech to his congregation Father Bojnowski at this time scored the rabid socialists, the and the I. W. W. and he believes it was from some one affiliated with them that his threats came. Priest Recelves Letter, But before this time, the priest ex- plained, he received a letter from some one interested in organizing the Independent church. -Accompanyi the letter was a circular stating that a mass meeting was to be held for the purpose of organizing an indepen- dent church and the writer concluded | by saying: *T beg you to be present at this meeting.” Of course Father Bojnowski did not attend the | meeting and a short time af- | terwards he received the threat | against his life. He compared | the penmanship on his first letter | with the one on the threat and found | them to be identical, proving that the ! same man wrote both letters An- | other letter received by the clergy- | man was addressed by evident | Polish man but the text was written | in Engli giving the priest the | suspicion that the Polish Tndependent | who has been writing the threats, had | enlisted the aid of an KEnglishman or a better educated foreigner Asked if he feared the people so mysterfously leagued against him, | Father Bojnowski laughed “Abso- | lutely, no.” *“I am not afraid of them and I say so publicly from my pulpit. When a man is afraid of an- | other it gives his enemy more power over him but I am not afraid of them,” he said. At the time the ccived by the Poli Eleventh Rev. pastor of that has disturbances anarchists | an letters h priest were he re- took (Continued on Page.) S SRR IO | WEATH! . Hartford, Feb, 10.—Iair to- night, Thursday fair, warmer. e e BENNETT CONFIRMED High Officials Offer Big Rewards for Arrest of Priest’s Assassins ITotal Amount of Cash on Midnight Murderers’ Heads Now Amounts to $2,000---Police Lost in Maze of Theories | confirmed | heard | of samuel | N | that | ticular | of persons | German FOR HICHWAY OFFICE Gov. Ho!snmli’s]dmialinu of Com- missioner Accepted by Senate. | | ‘ \ on | | Sched- | New Haven Republican Caucus County Commissionership uled for Tomorrow Postponed Until | | Tuesday. Hartford, Feb. 10.—The general as- sembly only a short | Bennett in session Charles J was time today. was highway the unanimously as commissioner for four years by senate of of the committee on executive nomi- | nations. in ag- ceptance the report Governor Holcomb pointed Mr. tion to him hearing held last The New Haven judgeship contest vesterday was reported by the committee today, a resolution in favor | of Gearge E. Hall, going into the sen- | ate and being tabled for the calendar, | while in the house unfavorable reports were made on resolutions in behalf E. Hoyt and L. BErwin| The Jacobs' resolutian w: rejected while that for Mr. Hoyt was tabled by request of Representative Perry of New Haven. re-ap- and at Bennett was no the opposi- public | shown weelk Jacobs. Concur Electing Commissioners. The senate concurred with the house in electing Fred J. Brown and Charles H. Smith commissioners of New London county. In the house resolutions ing Wesley U. Pearne judge, and F. Harris Warner, associate judge at Middletown to fill vacancies were re- ceived, adopted and the resolutions sent to the senate under suspension of the rules. Other Other favorable s appoint- Resolutions. | Judgeship reports on judge- ship resolutions were in behalf of Judges Pearne and Warner for the regular term at Middletown; Butler | Merwin at New Milford; Arthur M. Brown at Griswold; Fred P. Latimer, judge and A. S. Chever deputy judge at Groton. f Announcement house that the can caucus on the county commis- sionership set for tomorrow had been postponed until Tuesday, owing to ill. ness among the county delegation. Judgeship Resolutions Adopted. FF'rom the house calendar resolutions | appointing James R Greenwich; R. C. Stoddard judge unxli S. Buckingham deputy judge Milford were adopted Friday Senator Isbell brought up the mat- ter of Friday sessions, pointing out | was made New Haven in the republi- at | | Urges Sessions. { | that business will be facilitated if an | | adaditional day be used for business. | enator Whiton feared that the atten- | dance would not be large and hoped | courtesy would prevail so that | any bill in which a senator had a par- | interest would not be rushed | through on that day. Senator ls~1 bells’ motion for a session on Friday Feb. 19, was carried. Senator Purcell introduced amendment to the majority report the substitute for the state civil ser vice law, defining the of ap- | plicants which the commiss shall | refuse to certify to, making it im- possible to remove any office holder | unless the commission approves; pro- | viding that no tests shall be required | who have been in the | civil more than months service six | and also making it sufficient cause for | removal for any mber mission of any officer the classified service for political purposes influence in favor of party. Adopts Judgeship Resolutions. The senate adopted the and Warner resolutions which sent up from the house adjourned m of the com- or employe in | to solicit funds | or to his | any political | use Pearne were | and then COPY OF MEMORANDUM | DELIVERED TO U. § | Ambassador Supplies Stato Department. With Information Re- | garding War Zone Decrec. | shington, Feb. 10, Bern- | storff. the German ambassador, de- Hvered to the state department today of the memorandum of the foreign office, amplifying the admiralty’s recent proclama- neutral ships not to war zone around Great Ireland. | Inasmuch as the German foreign office memorandum had been delay e In transmission from Ambassador Gerard, the German embassy decided tc supply the information which the American government has been await- ing before expressing itself on th proclamation itself. Fhe memorandum, man, will translated at department and compared vireless report of the German office statement, but in any will give the United States the for opening diplomatic correspon- dence which it has been anticipating. | Count a German German tion warning enter the new Britain and copy written in Ger- the with be state the foreign it | basis event | 8treet improvement fund ! Parks purchase fund fon a | from CITY HAS $136,487 TO WORRY ALONG ON | That Balance in the Funds shown by Report of Treasurer Chamberlain —Ice Fund Overdrawn. City Treasurer F. 8. Chamberlain has reported to Mavor Quigley the following balances in the eity treas- ury on February 4 General fund Water fund Sewer fund Subway fund 2,614.92 1,636.89 1,495.48 22.731.68 923.66 Park commiissioners Cemetery committee City building fund cus New school building fund Dogs . . Public amusement mission - ‘l,’(v!n, 10156 20,162.46 $156,829.50 341.69 Total 5 Ice fund overdraft $136,487.81 ANOTHER BRITISH LINER FLIES AMERICAN FLAG Stars and Stripes Hoisted | fice described sat on Orduna While Passing Through Irish Sea. New York, Feb. 10.-—Passengers on the Cunard line British steamer Orduna, which arrived here today from England, said that the steamer flew the American flag for nearly twenty-four hours on January 31 while passing through the Irigh sea The Stars and Stripes, they said, were hoisted on Sunday about an hour after the Orduna left Liverpool and not hauled down until early Monday morning, The Orduna was scheduled from Liverpool on Saturday, 30, but did not depart until o'clock the next morning. Pas heard that the reason for the was that a German submarine hovering in the vicinity The Amer- ican flag was raised, they said, short- 1y after the Orduna the Mer sey. The steamship touched at Queenstown the same day and flying the Stars and Stripes when she entered and left the harbor, they said The explanation which, the sengers said, they of the Orduna’s under-officers that the American flag had raised for the purpose of prote the American citizens among the passengers aboard, H. T. Strong of this city and James to sail January 10:20 delay cleared been 2410 Mead, judge at! Ford of Lynn, Mass.,, were two of the | passengers who said they would vouch over their names that the Americ flag was flown by the ship. They sal it not until she cleared the Irish sea that it was hauled down pt. Thomas M, ylor, mander of the Orduna, refused to dis cuss the matter, saying that he was under orders from the British ac miralty not to talk. The other ficers also were silent was had com DAYLIGHT BURGLARY ON ROBERTS STREET | /" % Firty Dollars Worth of Taken From simom H. N¢ denson's Home, H street lute Burglars entered Simon Norde m's home at 283 Robert vesterday afternoon and stole jewelry vulued at about fifty dollars Mrs., Nordenson believes that the theft took place during the time that sfe was calling upon a ghbor, but a loss to explain how the thieves entrance. It is probable that had a master y and way of the rear The stolen goods Nordenson's room. bureau in his untouched Nordenson is a watch of Charles M. ne is at cffectad they entered By door were taken from but valuabl wife's bedroom M were Mr in the employ of Arc re Hultgren h street MOVING ON NU LARLEDO. rge Force of Villa Troops Now 1 Marching on That Town. Tex., Feb lLaredo. 10 Mex., Villa troops of Laredo. teports Nuev late arge force of the direction south night say a moving In that from the response to a call for reinforce- sent from Nuevo Laredo on Jan four hundred Carr diers are reported en route Neuvo Laredo, Matamoras, The Villa troops are said to outnumber nearly two to one the Carranza forces in that vi- cinity is town In ments 8, nza sol- to RS APOPLEPTIC STROKI Veley ha sUt John aged sixty-eight vears, and who been employed at the W, L twenty-three Damon Lumber company for years, suffered a stroke the was in He of apoplexy while working yard yesterday morning taken to the home of his nephew, Spe« cial Officer Hanford Dart of 53 Wal nut street he ecing attend- ed by bLr. Kelly, where is 4,308.82 | sengers | was was | received from some | was | ‘ting | Valuables | last | BATILE | WITHOUT IN WORL Germass Charge | Twenty-we T [ n Faee of GAIN HEIGHTS DRIVEN OU | Czar’s Forces G | In Poland talion of | and Paris No Impo France Ye | A battle wh history has | course of the | of the mountain | northern Hung: In a single 4 | charged twenty-t | slan position. | charges up a hill lery fire. Twice | sion of the helgh | the Russtan sta | nally driven out | German losses ai cessively heav, | tion on this ph | from German or | In the recent af | on the Warsaw | statement says, to “tens of thow Another Another Rui | have been gain Germans attacke | The Petrograd the Germans wel that one of their annihilated Quiet The official from Berlin and| | was no importal in France The Russian | lution expres rying on th Furope was | fuctory to Ru Another report, Zeppell to have during a | of 0 | It & another said 801 Sea ther American insta flag reported o arder Oy York fi ie said fag fi hile erof Rus Petrograd ) it the al \ Orduna un American enetr an of been oncentrath h tro energetic reco opened offe considerable fo tween Horzels They undertook tiv tions d | front in East B lern T ba with fre oper in alme ng one of thi cpposed 1o us. B tor cavalry direction of Sle Rypin | No Si [ “On the left | during the day no «ign “Judging froj by the | positions, they | lo=t in dead and | of thousands ol | fighting in from iine and Wola Russians our doned “In ‘e Carp | continued in thi | and Svidnik | took active op not thus contin tired, leaving In the vicinity | continued our and in one day 5,200 men | cers guns “German way over during thelr livered fewer than # tacks upon oe gion of Koziou | The Germans @ | tack several | full front line. ! Germans | “Under our Germans he | of & cortain h | 1odged by oo by our infantry, I (Contnued