The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-28
MURDERER LAY LONG IN WAIT
FIRED FOUR SHOTS AT HIS VIC
TIM AND THEN FLED.
Assassin Supposed TO Have Lived in
United States, and Was n Member
of the AIfarist Section.

little suburb OF London, late yesterday
evening. The murder presumably was
committed by a fellow-Armenian recently
from the United States. The assassination
had political motive and was character
lied by a boldness to which London has
seldom been treated. 1t created an unusual
sensation here since it appears to have been
only an incident In a long and bitter VEN
delta between two factions ofArmenian rev.
olutionists. The attempted murder OF
kuregian. in Boston. the recent killing in
Switzerland and the assassination of the
most prominent Armenian in London are
so far achievements credited TO the Armen-
ian Radicals here. Ii is said that two men,
bers of the opposing party have already
been killed in Russia, though the London
Armenian revolution committee denies both
knowledge and responsibility for the crime.
1t is generally expected that Sagounis
death is only the prelude to the other chap
tiers in the story of bitter feud. The muir
derer, who has not yet been apprehended,
left in the hands of the police two clews-a
soft felt hat bearing the name of an Amer
lean clothing firm and an automatic pistol
OF recent American make. Members OF
the Armenian committee here express them
selves as certain that the murder is the
NOIh Ol Ill AiIdTlSt irlefIDeT OL Tie NAUTICAL
minority. The police are following up all
clews suggested by Sagonis associates
What may be possible coincidence Is sug-
gested by. the fact that the Alfarist head
quar- .erS In London were recently closed,
the 1emberS scattering to Egypt, Smyrna
and the United States. The Macedonian
committee attempted TO cooperate with the
Armenian committee in the anti-Turkish
revolution in 1885, but subsequently with
drew because OF the internecine strife OF the
Armenians.
HAD BEEN THREATENED.
1t is stated that Sagounis life had
been threatened on account of his partici-
patton in the exposure, by the editor of a
Boston newspaper. Young Armenia, of the
incorporation OF funds by faction OF
the Armenian revoiutionists. These men
are alleged TO have collected $4,000 in Amer
lea in 1902. and to have put the money in
their own pockets. instead of pushing the
propaganda for the emancipation of the
Armenians, for which the money was SUBJ
scribed.
Sagouni, who returned to London only
yesterday after settling mp the affairs of
an associate in Switzerland, who was as
sassinated by stabbing, was entering his
residence, when a man rushed across the
road and fired four shots at Sagouni in
quick 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 the possession of the
both made in New York, which he dropped
in his flight.
The murdered man. who was mining
engineer, became wealthy in the Caucasus
and devoted his money to the Armenian
cause. His society was entirely passive and
opposed to violence and 1t is thought this
the Armenians with the desire for VEN
geance. the latter claiming that Sagouni's
society devoted funds to charity which
would have been better applied to violent
q grievances.
Sagouni Is said to have moved to England
from New York early In 1902.
Sagouni had frequently spoken of the de-
termination of the advanced Armenian
revolutionists to exterminate the leaders
of the passive party, and for that reason
he always carried a revolver and a dagger
In self-defense. The murderers's shots were
so rapid that Sagouni was only able to
draw his revolver after the murderer had
shot 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 he was being Swallowed by man
the appearance of the murderer, who is
described as being five feet three inches
In height about thirty years OF age, having
very long, black hair, and a black mus
tache. with long dropping ends. A man
has been arrested near Kings Cross rail-
road station on suspicion of being the as
sassin of Sagouni. but he hardly answers
the description.
WAITED FOR HOURS.
A convention of the Armenian passivists
has been in session here and it is suggested
that the opportunity was chosen by the vio-
lent faction as favorable one for dispos-
ing of the principal leaders. The murderer
was noticed waiting hours for the arrival of
Sagouni, and the former was apparently
supplied with information concerning the
latter's movements by two accomplices. Be-
fore his death Sagouni told a friend that he
did not know his assailant, but he said
enemies had been following him for a long
time.
Sagounis friends attribute the murder to
the Alfarist section of the Bentchakist So
ciety. This section. headed by man named
Altar. was expelled from the society after
the split in 1875, when. it is alleged, the AL
farists were paid spies of the Sultan of
Turkey. There was some attempt i'm 1902
TO patch up the differences between the
sections of the Hentchakist Society, but
the majority concluded that the Alfarists
only wanted to get control OF the society
newspaper. the Hentchak. with the object
OF suppressing 1t. The feud became more
acute and an attack upon the editor of the
Boston edition OF the Hentchak followed.
A former editor of the Hentchak. Nazar-
Switzerland. by an Alfarist. IL Is said that
Nazarbeck is not dead. though he re-
ported earlier to have been killed: The To-
cal Hentchakists say New York is the
headquarters of the Alfarists.
y man arrested near Kings Cross station
on suspicion or being the murderer of Sa-
gouni has been released from custody. The
police of the opinion that the assailant
of Nazarbeck at Lausanne and the MUIR
derer of Sagouni are identical
The hat left by Sagounis assassin is N
black derby with the name of the vendors
stamped inside. showing il 70 have been
sold by the BELL Clothing Company ls2
Columbus avenue and n TO IS Terrynack
street" The name of the town Is partly
erased. The murderers pistol is an auto
matte weapon. The police say that two
men were with the assassin at the time of
the shooting and that they appeared to
nj, i,a Iot To