The San Francisco call., 1896-06-07
Their Bodies Found in a Vine
yard on the Outskirts
of the City.
SUSPICION POINTS TO
RUSSIAN COLONISTs.
Believed to Have Sought Revenge for
Insults to Their Wives
and Daughters.

FRESNO, CAL, June Gone OF the
most atrocious crimes ever com mitted in
Fresno County was perpetrated one mile
south of this city last night. The victims
were three, all of one family-father,
daughter and son-Stepheu Shahamirian,
aged about 55; Queen Shahamirian, about
% years old, and Ben ShRhamirian, aged
Is, all Of Armenian birth.
The triple murder occurred in the vine
yard of Dr. Meux on Cherry avenue in
Fresno Colony. The crime is as mysteri-
Gus as it was sanguinary, and the identity
of the ferocious assassin has not been es-
tablishedi but evidence evolved at the in
guest tonight gives the authorities
tangible clew upon which to work
This evidence supplies almost conclu-
sive proof that the Shahamirian family
was destroyed by the father or brother of
a Russian matron or maid, who had been
subjected to gross indignities by the
younger Shahamirian. Possibly the cssas-
sin was assisted by others OF his country
men, and it is likely that the intention at
first was not to slay either of the trio, but
to punish the young man at the whipping
post
Having taken him from home by force,
his father and sister may have followed,
and in an ensuing struggle all were killed.
Daniel Schermerian, nephew of Sha-
hamirian, was arrested to-day on suspi-
cion, but was released late tonight, after
it was learned from the testimony of a
Russian woman at the inquest that her
coRntrymen had met the night before and
resolved TO take the law into their own
hands to avenge the repeated insults to
their " yes and Iauetters- .s-.--~,.,
The -srmenians were last seen alive at
o'clock Friday evening, when they were
at their home in the southern outskirts of
this city. They were then performing
customary duties ABOUT their little domes-
tic establishment, having devoted the day
to the cultivation of their vineyard, and
appeared to be in the best of spirits.
How they came to meet their horrible
death in DR.. Meux's vineyard, a mile from
home, is one of the many strange feat
ures over which the officers have been puz-
zling ali day. Lying almost in a group,
with pistol wounds in the head of each,
they undoubtedly must have met death at
the same time.
The bodies were not discovered until
this morning about o'clock, when K.
Bagdoin, laborer employed by K. NJ.
Nishkian, who leases the Meux vineyard,
was engaged in -cultiYating the soil be-
tween rows of vines. His horse was step
ping rapidly along, and Bagdoin was
sturdily striding on after the cultivator.
As he approached the center of the vine
yard the animal stopped abruptly and dis
= !
to the horses head to calm the frightened
animal, and as he did so his eyes fell upon
the bodies of Stephen Shahamirian and
his daughter, Queen.
The old mans body was distorted, and
his eyes were gazing blankly into the
heavens, as if his last conscious glance
had been one of supplication to his Maker
The young woman lay near by, prone upon
the clods.
The laborer first called to Shahamirian,
thinking that the old man was asleep.
Not until he approached nearer to the
body did he see that the old man was
dead. 1t was then that he saw the body
OF the murdered daughter. Bagdoin ran
back to the Nishklan residence with all
possible speed. He and Nishkian re-
turned to the scene, and then they found
the body of the son, lying ABOUT twenty
five feet distant from the others.
Nishkian came to town and notified the
authorities. Sheriff Scott and Deputy
Cash Thomas quickly responded, as did
Coroner Long. When the officers arrived
they found a large number of neighbors
about the bodies, and tracks leading away
from the place, which might have been of
great assistance in ferreting out the MUIR
derer, had all been obliterated. The
tracks between the bodies had been care
fully preserved, however.
Coroner Long immedia tely brought the
bodies to this city and placed them in the
Morgue. A large crowd quickly gathered
about, and the Coroner ordered that the
doors be closed.
The news of the murder quickly spread
about town, and not since the time of Son.
tag and Evans has there been so much ex-
ctement here. Notwithstanding the fact
that the doors were closed a large crowd
stood about the undertaking establishment
during the entire day and policemen were
required to keep the street clear.
Within horrible sight presented itself.
Stretched out on improvised slabs lay the
three bodies-father, son and daughter
side by side. On the uneven surface OF the
ground the bodies had become rigid and
contorted. Just to the right of the right
eye of the father was a large clot of blood,
marking the entrance of the missile of de-
struction. Powder burns formed circle
about the wound two inches in diameter.
The sons face was covered with blood. A
bullet hole was found in the back of his
head and there wer4 signs of powder
burns. He had fallen partly on one side
and the blood had trickled down on his
face. The daughter was shot in the right
temple, and in her case there were no
signs of powder burns.
The bullet which killed the SON first