The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
MURDERER'S PATH RETRACED
TASHJIAN SHOWS POLICE WHERE
HE CARRIED BROTHERS HEAD.
New Theory offered Is That = Revolutionary
Society OF ArmenIans Were the Real
E~xecutIOners and That the Prisoner
Is Merely Masking Their Escape.

EANNNuttUHtNTb atu hh@N bhO
Is Merely Masking Their Escape.
Aram Tashjian, the Armenian who has
confessed to butchering his brother Markar,
was finally committed to the Tombs yes
terday by Coroner Acritelli, but the Coroner
told Inspector Mclaughlin he might use
Tashjian as a guide to go over the route
the murderer says he travelled on Sunday
morning when be disposed OF his brothers
head, which is very much needed il a con-
viction is to be obtained.
While waiting in the Coroners' office
the prisoner became quite laxative when
A.. G. Asdikian, a fellow countryman, in
troduced himself. Tashjian has been sullen
10 the point Of stupidity and acted like one
demented. He frightened up now and
began to tell how mean his brother was
the only reason so far given for killing him.
He asked that several friends be sent for
that they might corroborate his story Of
the mean ways of his brother. To humor
him Mr.. Asdikian took the names of the
friends. Then no asked Tashjian IL be did
NOT want something to read in prison. The
prisoner asked for an Armenian magazine
published in Venice, the name Of which
might be translated -Manv Topics This
magazine is said to be- radical to the point
of revolution. He also asked for a revolu-
tionary magazine printed in Armenian in
Boston.
When asked what books he wanted he
surprised everybody by asking for trans
htiOns Of Dickens, Hugo and Balzao and for
works in his own language that rank al high.
Then he was taken over the route which
he says he used on the morning he started
out to dispose of the head Of his brother.
Inspector Mclaughlin had taken the pre-
caution 10 post twenty policemen at the
Eleventh avenue house and their presence
at once attracted a crowd Of a thousand
persons, which when the murderer arrived
grew to five times that number. The crowd
was angry when il saw the man and began to
threaten him. He started with his police
escort down Eleventh avenue to Thirty-fifth
street and then walked east TO Tenth avenue
and down to Thirty-second street. Several
thousand persons we're at his heels by this
time shouting at and cursing him. He walked
through T~hiTty-second street to the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad pier and showed a spot
which he said he thought was the place
where he had thrown the head into the
river. The police, fearing a riot, hurried
him back to the TombS.
Mr.. Asdikian, the prisoners fellow coun-
tryman, suggested an entirely new theory
to the police about the murder. He
does not believe Aram killed his brother
at all. He says he is convinced that both
men were members Of a revolutionary
Armenian society. and hat for reasons
knOWn W IAAN NONNCNy ~ wan AOuAlu ucCSb-
sary to kill Markar-prObably to get the
$500 the brother had for the revolutions
funds. lie says Aram is far from the fool
he is acting and thinks that he really is,
under bis stupid 'front.' clever fellow who
has agreed to take the blame OF numbering
his brother on his wi shoulders until the
real culpritS are far from the clutches OF
the New York police.
Asdikian called the attention Of the police
10 the prisoners request for the two revo-
Irti.nary mn paZlnaa and said hR got nfhar
clues from his conversation with the man
tina convinced him he had the right theory.
He said lie believed If he could get per-
mission to converse with the prisoners
nine-year-old brother in the lads native
tongue he could get the little fellow to
admit that there were more persons than
the three brothers in the Tashjian fiat at
the time of the quarrel which resulted In
murder. He thinks that the cutting up
of the body was the work Of more than one
man and believes il to have been impossible
for one man TO have disposed OF it in the
hour or more which it Is now known was
used TO hat purpose.
The police do not seem impressed by
this new theory and are content to let the
case rest as It il on the confession of Aram
that he killed his brother because he was
so stingy. During his talk yesterday the
prisoner repeated several times one incl
dent to show what a mean brother he had.
Il was poor and friendless and lost my
Job he said. ~Markar not only hughed
at me and called me stupid, but told me l
had to find work or get out OF the house.
asked him to help me and he tried to beat
me. l had To walk the streets for days
hunting work when he could have got me
a job at good wages in his own shop by
simply speaking to his boss. I am glad
l killed him. He was the meanest man
in all the world"
The prisoner is a v~iolinist and says he
was a singer in the missionary choir in his
native village in Asiatic Turkey. He says
that he and his brother formerly played
IN concerts together until the latter grsw
% hateful that they could no longer agree.