The San Francisco call., 1896-06-09
FRESNO SLEUTHS
ARE BAFFLED.
Fail to Trace the Slayer
of the Shahamarian
Family.
CLEWS LEAD TO NAUGHT
Russians Deny That They Passed
Upon the Fate of Young
Benjamin.
TALE OF THE BRANDENBERGs.
How Women Were Insulted and Chill.
dren Wronged by One of the
Victims.
TALE OF THE BRANDENBERGs.

FRESNO, CAL, June S.-The assassin
of Stephen Shahamarian, his son, Ben
jamin, and daughter, Queen, is still at
large. Though diligently at work, the
authorities have been able to find no clew,
save the conviction that the Armenians
were the victims of Russian rage, invoked
by the younger Shahamarian's insults to
Russian matrons and maids.
A CALL correspondent to-day visited the
home of Albert Branden berg, the Russian
German, whose wife and little daughter
had been insulted by Benjamin Shaha-
marian, and whose name has been con-
nected with the crime. Mr.. Brandenberg
lives in Russiantown, just across the road
from the home of the murdered Shaha-
marians Mrs. Brandenberg did most of
the talking to the interpreter, who accom-
panied the correspondent. Both were
eager to tell everything they knew, and
appeared as deeply mystified as any one
as to the identity of the murderer.
The Brandenbergs said they have lived
as neghbors to the Shahamarians for six or
seven years and their relations had always
been pleasant. Only few days before the
murder, Queen Shahamarian, the
daughter, came over to Mrs. Brandenberg
and asked her to assist in making dress.
Recently, however. they became un-
friendly to the Shahamarian boy. On the
night of the murder Brandenberg and his
children retired at about O'Clock. His
wife followed an hour later.
Neither Mr.. nor Mrs Brandenberg
heard any noise from the Shahamarian
cottage during the night, although it is
only eighty feet distant from their place.
On the evening before they had seen the
Shahamarian family and young Daniel
Schermerian sitting on the front porch of
the cottage,
Queen Shahamarian had been frequent
visitor at Brandenberg's house. She had
told Brandenberg that she had been en-
gaged to young Schermerian, but her
father objected on the ground of relation
ship, they being cousins. Schermerian
continued to visit his uncle's house and
the attachment between him and Queen
did not cease. The Brandenbergs say
that the Shahamarians frequently quar-
relied with each other and were mentally
unbalanced. Queen, the girl, would stand
at windows and go through strange antics.
Mrs. Branoenberg then told of the
strange actions of Benjam Shahamarlan.
His treatment of a little three-year-
girl of Brandenberg, as described by the
mother, was shocking. Mrs. Brandenberg
also told with oldcountry sim plicity of
the insults which the youth / ad offered
her on Friday afternoon. At this point
of the tale Brandenberg laughed and did
not show any evidence of the anger which
would have prompted man to murder,
for be it known that Brandenberg is under
a sort CT suspicion.
Mrs. Brandenberg had gone before
Justice Austin and swore to complaint
against Benjamin Shahamarian, but as
the only evidence against him was the
statements of two little girls, and as the
boy fatty denied nis guilt the court dis
charged him. A warrant was then issued
for his arrest on another charge. Upon
investigation by Deputy Constable Pick
ford no conclusive evidence could be OBJ
tanned, and this case was also dismissed.
Brandenberg stated that when he re-
turned home and was apprised of young
Shahamarian's crimes ne decided upon re-
newIng the case in court. 1t was the
proper manner to have the boy punished,
he said.
Mr.. and Mrs. BrandenDerg denied any
knowledge of meetings held in Russian
town to decide upon what punishment
should me meted to the youth for his con-
duct. The meeting held in the church on
Friday night, which was reported to be q
gathering of Russians to consider Ben
jamin Shahamarian's actions, was a re-
LglouS a1Ialr, accor0lng TO the statements
OF the Russians. These meetings are
sim liar to prayer-meetings and are held
almost nightly. Mr.. Brandenberg is a
teacher in the Sunday-schooI of the
church.
When asked their opinion as to the iden-
tity of the murcerer, Mr.. and Mrs. Bran
denberg shrugged their shoulders and re-
piled that they did not know. The only
enemies of the Armenian family, to their
knowledge, were two Armenians. One