The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-25
GREEK BR|GAHD KILLED
In New York by One of a
Gang of His Own Kind. 4.
HE CAME AS A FUGITIVE
From Greece, and Was a Ter
ror to His Courtrymen.
1E CAME AS A FUGITIVE

/ " ~ NV ~
New York, Feb. 28-The Journal says
/ One Of the most startling murders tina
ever occurred in this city was COMMITTEES
yesterday afternoon.
From the first the developments in tn
case were singular and after several hour
! Of patient investigation on the part o
Police Captain Price, of the West Thirtietl
street station, it was found to be the re
suit Of. first a counterfeiters' plot of still
unknown dimensions, and. secondly, of
racial conspiracy, also of unknown di
mansions.
Three men are already under arrest fol
the murder, one being the man who frec
the fatal shot and the other two are .er
who he declared induced him to So it
None arrests will probably follow, and
dozen locked up as witnesses.
1t was a Greek killed by a Greek The
actual murderer, John Zeguras is known
and has confessed. The two who he de-
clares got him 10 commit the murder are
also Greeks, and one, although but twenty
eight years of age, is a man Of wealth and
Importance among the Greeks of the city.
His name is John Nicholas. he is not
only the proprietor of the flower DEPART
nent in one of the big Sixth avenue de-
partment stores, but employees manv
flower dealers and street sellers through
out the city.
Nicholas, his face ashen and drawn, and
his fingers nervously twitching, was ina
state of great excitement when the man
who fired the shot told his tale, through
an Interpreter, in his presence.
Ask him to tell whether 1 told him to
kill or just TO hurt the man." he cried. in
Greek, and then his face grew more ashen
as the interpreter translated the question
to Inspector Thompson and Captain Price
Here is the statement Of Zeguras, writ
ten out in his presence. translated back
20 him in Greek and then sworn 70:
John Zeguras states, through an in
terpreter. that Peter Minacukis gave me
S13 with which to buy a revolver, and told
me that when Tistopoulas should come
into the room to shoot and xii him.
THE next day I again met Minacuks
and talked the matter over, and when
met Nicholas alone, and Nicholas told me
he knew that Minacukis had given me
money to buy the pistol and to go ahead
and shoot him.
"Minacukis told me he would get a law
yer to defend me and nothing more would
be heard about It.
Both Nicholas and Minaculzis knew the
killing was to take place and aided me by
advancing the money.
Personally, I never had any trouble with
the man I killed, nor any cause to injure
him. I did it to Please AIinacukis and
Nicholas"
Before debating this formal statement
the murderer said it was Nicholas who had
promised to get a lawyer for him. The
words were hardly out of his mouth when
there was a knock at the door Of Captain
Prices room and message sent in that
Lawyer George R. Simpson, from the Of
flee Of Abraha Levy. had just arrived to
see John Zeguras, having been retained for
the purpose by John Nicholas. Zeguras is
one of the many employees Of Nicholas.
The dead man, known as Michael K.
TistOpoulOs, or Celinus Ferrandos, lived
in rear tenement at No. 139 East Thir-
teenth street, and was picturesque char
acter. That he was tall and handsome,
about thirty years Of age, INSCRIPTIONS
and daring, was admitted by friends and
enemies alike.
But it is also said that he Is a famous
Greek brigand. who had terrorized all
Greece by his holiness and atrocities.
Many of the Greeks OF tie city believe
him to be the very brigand who was fmpli-
Gated in a plot to kill Prince George Just
before the outbreak of the Turkish war.
and that big price was upon his head.
sometimes ne denied these reports. More
often he admitted that they were true.
And whether true or false. his strength.
courage and unscrupulousness made him
widely feared by his countrymen through
out the citv
He was frequently engaged in fights and
cutting ARRAYS His friends admitted that
he was highway robber. He has recently
served short terms for assault. one attack
being upon a policeman and one on A
cousin Of the man who shot him ysster-
day.
While in prison. last month. Ferrandos
as he was most generally known. sent
letter to the United States Secret Service
officials, saying that there was wide
spread counterfeiters conspiracy among
the Greeks of the city. and that he could
give valuable information in regard to II
At the Secret Service Bureau. in the
Fost Ofice building. it was admitted YES
terday' that Ferrandos had made such an
offer. but it was also stated that on inves-
isation his stories had been found 10 ba
without foundation.
He also tried to secure free tranSno~.a-
ton to Philadelphia to carry out his lines
of detective work. but the officials re-
fused it TO him. Nothing daunted. ne de-
termined to carry out his plans on his
own account trusting TO his success -
secure financial reward
He engaged as an assistant young
Frenchman. Emil De Varney. who tool,
Up his quarters with him in his dingv lit
tie room. He sent Varney t. the Secret
Service detectives on Tuesday asst % leave
word that he would either have valuable