The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-08-01
OF Evidence Points to
Priest as BIaCkmaiIer.
NEW INDICTMENTS
face The Alleged Leader of an Ar
menian Society Accused Of PraC-
tiCing txtOrtiOn and Murder.

New York Aug. -Four indict.
ments now lie against Father Martoo'
gessian, the Armenian who, it is al.
legged. sometimes laid aside his priest.
ly robes to practice eXtortion and
blackmail. The priest is just now
the central figure in the conspiracy
which the district attorney seeks to
prove had for its object the robbery
Of wealthy Armenians and led to the
murder of the rug merchant, Tayshan.
jan, and others who refused to be
financially bled.
From the slayer OF Tavshanjian,
Bedros Hanfpartzoomian as he is
known here, the police hope to secure
a confession establishing that the
youth unwittingly was the agent OF
blackmailing Terrorists. A trunk
which Hampartzcoman had in Low
ell, Mass, has been brought here
and its contents may throw light on
the investigation.
or the three additional indictments
against Martoogessian brought in by
the grand jury Wednesday two charge
attempted robbery, as did the original
Indictment, and one alleges eXtortion.
The latter charges that the priest was
responsible for at least one of the
blackmailing letters which followed
the death of the rug merchant
The letter was mailed in New York
on July %, the day that Tayshaniian
was shot It was written in the Ar.
menian language, in red ink, and was
signed by the symbol of the Terror
lists, three hands with daggers uplift-
ed, poised above red heart. The let.
ter was sent to Gulabi Gubenkian G
Co. OF this city, and was as follows:
Death Warrant,-The executives
of the Constantinople Armenian revo-
lutionary Terrorists organization con-
hemn to death Haroutian Gulbenkian,
Gulabi Gulbenkian and Patrick Gull
benkian, the three brothers who have
deaf ears to all appeals for national
freedom. Our executive board, hav-
ing given its decision to Haroutian
and Gulabi Gubenkian, in America,
gives them "a hours to decide be-
tween duty and death.
"Constantinople Armenian revolu-
tionary Terrorists organization"
Before this letter came Haroutian
Gulbenkian who is the accusing wit
ness against the priest, had received
a blackmailing letter demanding $685.
900, but had not complied with the de.
mand.
The sense OF the Indictment Is that
the priest either sent the quoted let.
ter or caused it to be sent
Also it is alleged that in September,
1908 Martoogessian threatened TO kill
or cause to be killed Bedros Hazan.
jian, a merchant of 20 Union square,
unless the latter gave $4,000 to the
Armenian revolutionists.
Further, 1t Is charged that Martoo.
gessian represented or caused to be
represented to Miriam G. Karagensian,
an Armenian, that he would meet
death unless he gave 100000 to the
Armenian revolutionary fund.
The afternoon developed an impor.
tant witness when Magderlch Lustri.
an, blacksmith, was examined. Ac.
cording to information given out at
the district attorneys office, the wit
ness said he had often attended meet
ings OF the Hunchakst society. at
which MartoOgessian presided He Is
alleged TO have stated that he knew
OF hve different cases where men had
been sent from this country to Europe
at the instigation of a man named to
murder persons.
On two occasions Lustrian said he
had been chosen to do murder, but
managed to shift the responsibility.
Some time ago he was told that he
would have to kill Nikolat Milack, be-
cause at that time IL was believed
that Milack was Turkish spy. 1t is
said the blacksmith made further
startling admissions and furnished
evidence Of great Importance against
the priest.