The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-29
ARMENIAN BI OOD-FFlJD
RECALLS THE VFNDFTTAS
Details of the Extraordinary Assassinations Committed in
Satisfaction of the Afasts' Hatred of the Hentchakls s
Special Foreign Service.

Special Foreign Service.
n ONDON, Nov. 23-The more one
considers all the details of the eX-
traordinary assassinations of Arme-
mans which have just Mortified London, the
more remarkable it seems that they could
have happened in the twentieth century
and in the heart of an Unconditional Anglo
Saxon city. The grim story of how the
Alfarists' vendetta against their former
allies, the Hentchakists, has been carried
out here so relentlessly that In less than
q fortnight four men lie dead as a re-
suit is one that might be associated read
lily enough with Corsica or Old World
Italy-but not with Peckham Rye, the
normally quiet suburb in whose principal
street, in broad daylight and with half a
dozen frightened people looking on, the
second of these astounding political muir
ders was committed.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing
about the whole affair is the fact that
the assassin from America for whom the
London police have been searching night
and day since he succeeded in shooting
Sagouni, his first victim, had lain hidden
almost under their noseS-for the double
murder committed by him last Tuesday,
before he put revolver to his own head,
was carried out not a quarter of mile
from the scene of his first crime.
1t is safe to say that up to fortnight
ago few people in London were aware that
an Armenian revolutionary club had it's
headquarters in Peckham, or dreamed of
the existence of the Hentchakists and
the Alfarists, between whom there is SO
terrible a feud. But then came the sem
sational murder of Sagatiel Sagouni who
was shot down from behind at his own
doorstep, and it became known how the
deadly vendetta conceived in Europe and
fostered in the United States had come
to throw its baneful shadow over this
commonplace home of London's working
classes.
OF course no one needs to be told the
story of how there came to be bad blood
between the AlfariStS and the Hentcha-
kists. 1t will be remembered that they
are rival factions of the Armenian rev.
] olutionary party Up to 1887 there was
but one organization, but then came the
/. split, the founding of the Alfarist and
Hentchakist societies, and the almost i'm
mediate breeding of animosity between
them. The AlfariSts were accused by
their rivals of being secretly In league
with the sultan, while the former made
counter charge of treachery against the
Hentchakists.. Open trouble did not break
out, however, until early this year, when
two Alfarists were killed who were visit
ing Russia. Their comrades assert that
they were murdered by the Hentchakists
and, although the latter deny this their
accusers Immediately declared a VEN
delta. An Alfarist journal In the United
States cried out for revenge, and short
ly afterward began the series of attacks
on leading members of the Hentchakists,
both in Europe and America, which have
eliminated with the murders of Sagatiel
Sagouni the Armenian leader In Lon
don, and the two delegates who were
slain in Peckham High street last We'd
nesday.
One of the earliest of these attacks was.
of course, the shooting of Sabahqulian,
the editor of Young Armenia. in Bos-
ton, and 1t was followed. about a month
ago, by an attack on NJ. Nazarbek. the
original organizer of the Armenian par
ty, who was stabbed In the back with a
dagger while walking in one of the public
streets of Lausanne, Switzerland Sa-
gouni, the leader of the Hentchakists in
London, who was shot last week was in
innate with Nazarbek, and, shortly after
the former was wounded, made a trip
to Switzerland to see him, and had been
back in London only few days when he
too, was, attacked, and with fatal re-
suits.
1t is many years since so cold blooded
murder has taken place in London
chakist leader had been attending an.
evening meeting Of the society at it's
headquarters in Peckham Rye and as
stated already. when set upon. was In the
act of entering: the gate leading to the
cottage In Nunhead Grove where he
lodged. 1t is supposed that his murderer
had followed him from the club rooms
and waited for the most convenient time
to attack him. The thing happened short
ly after O'Clock and evidently Sagouni
was off his guard owing to the earliness
of the hour He had been expecting some
thing of this sort, however and, even
when shot down, was fully armed, "a re-
volver and knife being found in his
pockets after his DEATH
AS Sagouni opened the gate before No.
20 Nunhead Grove his murderer shot
him with pistol The bullet struck the
Hentchalkist in the back, he turned half
round, and the gate swung to. With utter
coolness, however the assassin changed
his weapon to his left hand, pushed the
gate open with his right so as TO get an
uninterrupted sight of Sagouni, and then
fired four more shots, two of which struck
his victim fairly. The other two bullets
respectively passed through the gate and
through the .fan-lght'' of glass over the
front door of the house. The latter part
of this tragedy was seen by a small boy
who was passing, as well as by man
inside the house. Realizing that he was
in danger while he waited the murderer
rushed off through Nunhead Grove and
up a narrow alley, his hat falling off as he
hustled along. and he himself casting
away his revolver. Meanwhile Sagouni
bleeding and half dead managed to stag
| ger up the steps Of his house, and fall
fainting into the arms Of the man who
| opened the front door. A few minutes
later he died, without being able to give
| further description of his murderer than
| to say that he was a stranger.
Then began the hue and cry after the