The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-10-30
CRIME HAS CREATED
, QUITE A SENSATION
President Armenian Revolu
tionary Society Murdered.
AssAssiNATEp IN LONDON, ENG

Four Shots In Quick Succession, One
Penetrating Region of Heart.
London, Oct. 27.-Sagatel Sagouni
president of the Armenian revolution
ary society in London, was murde1d
in the suburb of Nunhead late yester
day evening.
The crime has created q sensation
as itShas every appearance of being
OF political character and has beer
preceded by the assassinations Of Other
officials Of branches of the same SO
ciety on the continent.
Sagouni, who returned to England
only yesterday, after settling up the
affairs of an associate in Switzerland
who was recently assassinated by stab
bing, was entering his residence when
a man rushed across the road all,
fired four shots at Sagouni in quicH
succession, the last bullet entering
the region of the heart.
The murderer, who appeared to be
a foreigner, fed.
The only clews to the man, in po
session of the authorities, are fell
hat and a slver-plated revolver, botE
made in New York, which he dropped
in his flight.
The murdered man, who was min
ing engineer, became wealthy in the
Caucasus and devoted his money tc
the Armenian cause. His society wat
entirely passive and opposed to VIC
lence, and it is thought this attitude
inspired the advanced section of the
Armenians with the desire of ven
geance, the latter claiming that Sa
COUNTS society devoted funds to char
ity which would have been better ap
piled to violent remedies for the Ar
menian grievances.
Sagouni is said to have moved tc
England from New York early in 1902
1t is stated that Sagouni's life had
been threatened on account of his par
ticipation in the exposure, by the ed
itor of a Boston newspaper, Young Ar
menia, after the msappropriation oi
funds by a faction Of the Armenian
revolutionists. These men are alleged
to have collected $4,000 in Amerfca
in 1902, and to have put the money
In their own pockets, instead Of push
ing the propaganda for the emancipa
ton Of the Armenians, for which the
money was subscribed
Sagouni had frequently spoken Of
determination of the advanced Arme
nian revolutionists cXterminating the
leaders. of the passive party and fol-
that reason he always carried a revol
yer and dagger in self defense
The murdcrcr's shots last night were
so rapid that Sagouni was only able
to draw his revolver after the murderer
had fired three times, and as he turned
to face his assailant, Sagouni was shot
near the heart and fell.
When at Dieppe, France, yesterday
on his way to England, Sagouni
thought that he was being shadowed
by man whose description somewhat
tallies with the appearance Of the muir
derer who is described as being :
feet, inches In height, about 80 years
old, having very long black hair, and
a back moUstache with long. droopinu
ends. A man was arrested neat
Kings CROSSROADS, railroad station
on suspicion of being the assassin
but was later released
A convention OF the Armenian pas
sivcists has heen in session here. and
1t is suggested that the oDpGrtunity
was chosen by one vicious faction os
favorable one for disposing of the
principal leaders.
The murderer was noticed waitina
hours for the arrival of Sagouni, and
the former was apparently supplied
with information concerning the lat
ter's movements by two accomplices.
Before hts death Sagcuni told 8
friend that he did not know his assail.
ant but said he had been followed fo,
longtime.
Sagouni's friends attribute the mur
der to the Alfarists OF the Hentichakisi
society," This section, he added, by
man named Altar, was expelled
from the society after split in 1885
when it is alleged the Alfarists were
paid spies Of the sultan OF Turkey.
There was some attempt in 1902 to
patch up the difficulties between the
sections OF the Hentichakist society.
but the majority concluded that the
Ajfarlsts only wanted to get control
OF the society's newspaper, The Hent:
chak, with the object of suppressing
it,
The fend became more acute and
an attack on the editor of the Bostoli
edition og the Hentchak followed. A
former editor of the Hentchak, Nazer.
back, was stabbed last week at I,au.
same. Switzerland by an Alfarist. II
Is said here. howeyer, that .NazerbacI
is net dead, though he was reported
earlier in the day to have been killed.
The local Hentehakists say New
York is the headquarters OF the NJ