Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-08-08
GRAVE CHARGES
Against a Priest of Being Leader
In Murder Plots
IN CITY OF new YORK.

Threatening Letters Been Revealed
Four Indictments Against the Ar
menian, Who Is Central Figure 7,
Rug Merchant Murder Case-Sev
eral Other Crimes Are BEING
Shown TIP.
In New York four indictments now
lie against Father Martoogessian. tbs
Armenian, who, il is alleged. snme
times lays aside his priestly 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 it's
OBJECT the robbery of wealthy Armen.
lans and led to the murder of the
rug merchant, Tavshanjian, and 9th.
ers, who refused to be fiuauciaJIv
bleL
From the slayer of Tavshaniian
Bedros Hampartzoomian, as he Is
known In New York, the police hone
to secure a confession establishing
that the youth unwittingiy was the
agent of blackmailing terrorists. A
trunk which Hampartzoomain had In
Lowell, Mass, has been brought 10
New York and its contents may throw
light on the investigation.
or the three additional indict-
ments against Martoogessian brought
In by the grand jury, two charge at
tempted robbery as did the original
Indictment and one alleges extortion.
The latter charges that the priest
was responsible for at least one of
II m, oil IN l1ft II IT..
ly followed the death of the rug mer-
chant. The letter was mailed i'm New
York on the afternoon of July 22. the
day that Tavshanjian was shot. 1t
was written in red ink in the Armen-
ian language, and was signed by the
symbol OF the terrorists, three hands
with daggers uplifted, poised above
red heart. The letter Is as fol-
lows:
"Gulabi Gulbenklan & Co.,
Brunswick Bid, New York.
Death Warrant
The executives of the CONSTANT
nople Armenian revolutionary terror
lists organization condemn to death
Haroutian Gulbenkian, Gulahi Gull
benkian and Patrick Gulbenkian, the
three brothers who, entirely, have
deaf ears to all appeals for national
freedom. Our executive board, hav-
ing given its decision to Haroutian
and. Gulabi Gulkenkian, in America,
gives them twenty-four hours time
10 decide between their duty and
death.
"Constantinople Armenian Revolu-
tionary Terrorists' Organization"
The letter Is dated Constantinople,
June 81. 1907.
Following the letter is a postscript,
also in red ink, which reads as fol-
lows:
Although neither poison nor
hanging can prevent us from fulfill
ing our duty to the end, 1t is neces-
sary that you should know. II you
betray this letter or cause harm to
one hair OH the heads of one of us
against that consider your whole fam
lily WHIPPED out
Before this letter came Haroutian
Gulbenkian, who is the accusing wit
ness against the priest, had received
a blackmaling letter demanding $685.
900, but had not complied with the
demand.
The sense of the indictment Is that
the priest either sent the quoted let
ter or caused 1t to be sent. Also, IL
is alleged that in September, 1905
Father Martoogessian threatened to
kill or cause to be killed. Bedros
Hanzanjian, a merchant of 20 Union
square, unless the latter gave uI
SIS, 900 to the Armenian revolution-
lists.
Further. II is charged that Father
Martoogessian represented, or caused
to be represented. to Miriam G.. Kara
gensian. an Armenian, that he would
meet death unless he gave 100000
to the Armenian revolutionary fund
| Karagensian, Ii is said, received thi.
communication in the form of let
ter on August 20, 1905. The letter
| added:
THE list is not finally closed yet
There may he several others and yol
may be next"
| The late afternoon develope~ al
important witness, when Magdericl
Lustrian. a blacksmith, was examin
ed by Assistant District Attorne!
Manley. According to information
later given out at the assistant dis
trict attorneys office. the witness saic
that he had often attended meeting
of the Hunchakist, at which Mart
oogessian presided. Continuing, h,
Is alleged to have stated, that h.
knew of FIVE different cases, wher
men had been sent from this countr.
to Europe at the instigation of a maj
named to murder persons. On tw'
Occasions. Lustrian said, he had beel
chosen to do murder. but managed ii
various ways to shift the responsi
bility.
Some time ago he was told that h
would have to kill Nikolat Milack be
cause at that time Ii was believe,
that Milack was Turkish spy. AC
cording to Mr.. Manley, the black
smith made further startling admis
sions and furnished corroborativ
evidence of great Importance agains
the prisoner, who is declared b
other Armenians to have been tn
moving spirit in the blackmailin
band.