“He Accuses Mr. Warzarviak.” New York Times, April 25, 1893, p. 9.
HE ACCUSES MR. WARZARVIAK
MARX SITH SWEARS THAT THE CONVERT ROBBED MRS. SITH.
The Theft, According to Sith, Was Committed in Hamburg, After Warzarviak Had Induced Him to Come to America — The Missionary Declares that There Is Not a Grain of Truth in the Charges — Says Mr. Benjamin Is an Atheist — A Voice from Boston — Russia's Harsh Law.
Serious charges have been preferred by Marx Sith against the Rev. Hermann Warzarviak to the Rev. Dr. A. F. Schauffler, the Vice President and General Manager of the New-York City Mission and Tract Society.
Sith, who gives his residence as 126 Goerck Street, has embodied his charges in the shape of an affidavit, sworn to on April 22 before Adolph Winkopf, a notary public, and the affidavit is now in the possession of Mr. A. Benjamin, an agent of the United Hebrew Charities.
The New-York City Mission and Tract Society has for its object the evangelization of the city, and Mr. Warzarviak [a word may be missing—there is a gap in the line—JMH ed.] a converted Jewish missionary, conspicuous for his proselyting work among the Jews. He is stationed at the De Witt Memorial Church, in Rivington Street.
Sith, in his affidavit, a copy of which was furnished for publication by Mr. Benjamin, says that he was born in Warsaw in 1863, and in the month of June, 1889, with his wife and child, reached Hamburg on his way to New-York. At Hamburg Sith says he met Warzarviak, whom he declares he has known since childhood. Owing to the illness of the child in Berlin Sith reached Hamburg financially embarrassed. Warzarviak proposed to Sith, the latter alleges, that he go on to America alone and leave his wife and child in the care of Warzarviak. Having known Warzarviak for a long time Sith consented. Sith pawned some of his clothing for 40 marks, which sum Warzarviak borrowed from him, promising to pay it to Mrs. Sith.
Sith came to America by way of Canada. In the first letter which he received from his wife she told him she had been robbed of her jewelry by Warzarviak.
The day after Sith's departure Mrs. Sith wrote, as alleged that Warzarviak called on her, bringing lunch with him. While they were eating he asked her to go for beer. In her absence, it is declared, Warzarviak took from her bureau her earrings, watch, bracelet, and three rings. When she came back with the beer Mrs. Sith asked Warzarviak for the return of the 40 marks. He said he would bring them the next morning. Not putting in an appearance the next day, Mrs. Sith prepared to call upon him, and discovered the loss of her jewelry when she went to dress.
Mrs. Sith, as alleged, searched for Warzarviak at his lodging with a Mrs. Humpka, and was told by the latter that Warzarviak had robbed her of several hundred marks and had decamped. On going to the police they informed Mrs. Sith that they were already searching for Warzarviak to answer for several other alleged crimes.
Sith, after leaving Canada, found employment, he says, in a wholesale grocery house in Rochester and sent for his wife and child. They came to New-York last June, and Mrs. Sith called on Warzarviak and received from him $10 to pay her fare to Rochester.
Three weeks ago, Sith swears, he came to New-York and called on Warzarviak at his office, 65 Avenue D. Warzarviak at first pretended not to know Sith, the latter declares, but on being reminded of what had occurred in Hamburg, asked what was wanted. Sith asked for work and Warzarviak suggested baptism, which offer was repelled. Warzarviak then agreed to pay Sith $2 per week. He paid the money for two weeks, and then wanted Sith to go back to Rochester. After more bargaining, according to Sith, the latter got mad and went away.
After his meeting with Mr. Warzarviak, Sith went to the Rev. Dr. Schauffler and related to him the story of the missionary's alleged wrongdoings in Hamburg. Dr. Schauffler promised to investigate the charges.
On last Thursday Sith received from Dr. Schauffler the following brief note:
“I have talked with Mr. Warzarviak about the matter of which you spoke yesterday, and he denies your allegations. As I do not know you and have known him for three years intimately, I cannot take your unsupported word as against his.”
On receiving this note Sith went before Notary Winkoff and made affidavit to the truth of the charge which he had preferred personally to Dr. Schauffler. In his affidavit Sith offers to bring his wife from Rochester and put her face to face with Mr. Warzarviak to corroborate the charge. Mr. Benjamin yesterday showed to a representative of THE NEW-YORK TIMES what he said was a photograph of Sith's wife. The photograph was taken in Lodz, a city of Poland.
“I have no personal acquaintance with Sith,” said Mr. Benjamin. “I met him only once, and then he exhibited excellent letters of recommendation from Jews.”
Mr. Warzarviak was asked yesterday whether there was any truth in the charges which Sith had preferred against him before Vice President Schauffler of the New-York City Mission and Tract Society.
“There is not a single grain of truth in them,” he replied. “Sith came to me the day before he made his affidavit and demanded $10, saying he would blacken my character if I did not let him have the money. He was a blackmailer and I shut the door in his face. He told me he had known me from childhood, but he lies. I did not know him. He is one of that man Benjamin's creatures.”
“Benjamin has pursued me month in and month out. He is an atheist, and pursues me not from real principle, but because he is hired to do so. He is one of the Jews who would eat me alive if they got a chance. I am used to persecution. My own father has accused me of stealing 30,000 marks, and I have been charged with murder, all because of the bitter feeling of the orthodox Jews against me.
“I never gave money or clothes to a convert before his baptism, and I know of no case, except in Brooklyn, where cake, candy, and clothing were given to the Jew children for attending the mission schools. Every Christian church pursues the same plan with regard to unconverted Christians.”
In a monograph on Warzarviak, “The Little Messianic Prophet,” published in Edinburgh, and circulated in New-York by the City Mission and Tract Society, it is stated that he was born in Warsaw, and when sixteen years old married the daughter of a rich banker in Lodz, and went there to live with his wife's parents.
The following interesting letter has been received by THE NEW-YORK TIMES from Mr. M. G. Landsberg of Boston, the editor of the Jewish Herald, and also of a “History of the Persecution of the Jews in Russia”:
To the Editor of the New-York Times:
I have read with great interest the several articles which appeared in your columns during last week touching the Jewish question.
THE NEW-YORK TIMES is the only journal in New-York which has given elaborate and detailed accounts of the persecutions of the Jews in Russia. Now, why are these people persecuted if it is not for the sake of their religion? Russia contains more than half the Jews of the world, and these people are now, in this nineteenth century, suffering untold horrors at the hands of the minions of the Czar, simply because of their desire to remain true to the religion of their forefathers. If they would but consent to join the Greek Church, would not this persecution cease? Following is the Russian law on religion as applied to Jews, which I would respectfully submit to converters of Jews in New-York City:
“A married man or woman who adopts the orthodox Christian faith must sign a declaration to the effect that he or she will endeavor to convert his wife or her husband to the same faith.
“Should either a husband or wife (but not both) adopt orthodoxy, both are prohibited residence outside the pale of Jewish settlement.
“If a Jew or Jewess converted to the Christian orthodox religion does not agree to continue his or her life with the spouse remaining in the Jewish religion, the marriage is dissolved, and the convert can marry a person of the orthodox religion.
“Jews, on reaching their fourteenth year, may be received in the Orthodox Church without permission of their parents or guardians.
“The Minister of the Interior may allow Jewish children to be converted to any of the Christian denominations that are tolerated in the empire, even without the consent of their parents.
“If either husband or wife adopts Christianity, the children under seven years of age of the same sex as the convert shall also be baptised.
“Every convert to Christianity shall receive a monetary payment of from 15 to 30 rubles, without distinction of sex, and children half that sum.”
The Jews have suffered persecutions in all countries for eighteen centuries merely because of their religion. They are fleeing for their lives from Russia to-day to escape persecution for the same cause, and seek in more enlightened countries a habitation where they are permitted to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience.
Now is it reasonable to suppose that any person who resides in this free and enlightened country, where religious freedom is tolerated, would willingly renounce his faith save for sordid motives?
Let this society produce the men whom they have converted.
It is want and necessity which prompted these men to make a business of their religion. At heart they are Jews to-day, and they should be held up to the community as
“Fixed figures for the time of scorn To point its slow and moving finger at.”
M. G. LANDSBERG.
BOSTON, April 21, 1893. |