New-York tribune., 1907-07-31
BIG BAIL FOR PRIEST.
JEROME TAKES Up CASE


20 take personal charge of the case of the state
,,oi,st Father Levont Martoogessian AS a ra-
s,,l, the Grand Jury indicted the priest. and he
vas held By Judge O'Sullvan in $4,000 hail for
trial
This man" said Mr.. Jerome TO Judge O.SuI-
Ivan has been committed to the Tonlhs in de-
fs,lr of $1,000 bail by Magistrate Cornell. The
Grand Jury has indicted him on the charges Of
attempted hlackmail. extortion and atteponte1
robuery in the second degree. I respectfully ask
,-c1Ir honor fx the bail at a large sum- as the
investigation now on foot may result in our
asking that lie he held for an offence which vii
not be baiIa5o.'
Judge OSuiliyan thereupon fixed the hail at
Sa5ole In the absence Of the priests counsel
Harold Spieherg. the formal pIeadings in the
case went over until to-day. The complainant
=, the Indictment found is Roroutian CuIben-
khan. Of Nc 225 Fourth avenue. Three other
specifed charges viii he heard to-day
Grecial arrau ugements have been made that
Nsrtoogessiau and Hamportzoomian. the muir
derer Of Hoyhannes s. Tavshanjian. shall not
meel.
Arthur Woods. Fourth Deputy Police Commits
eiorer said: We have a strong case against
eu who were captured in the raid of Monday
night We know the means employed by these
alleged blackmailers in collecting funds from
merchants and others"
The five other men arrested with Father Mar
pcous persons. Immediately after the disposi-
ton Of their cases by Magistrate Cornell they
were taken 10 the grand jury room. where theh
cases We're presented. They were all held with
the exception Of Nicholas Melick. Mr. Jerome
said il grievous error 10 arrest him. but
& few hours after he had been released he was
rearrested. The charge this time was having
stolen goods in his possession
STOLEN GOODS FOUND ON MELICK
arcorrl~o voIioa obc,-+ Coan
lenses were found in his rooms when they were
searched on Monday night. These were taken
70 Police Headquarters yesterday morning. and
late in The afternoon We're identified by Otto
Goerz. Of No. % Union Square East. as his
property The latter alleges that the lenses
were stolen from him on February 20 and that
the theft |as reported 10 the police the fol-
lowing day. The detectives. after Melick had
been arrraigned and discharged, informed Mr.
Goerz. and he. the police say, identified the
lenses as belonging 20 him.
In he Office OF Inspector McCanerty, al Police
Head quarters. District Attorney Jerome late
last night put MelicH through a scathing ex-
animation II is understood that Mr.. Jerome OBJ
ained some Of the most important information
sbout the blackmailing plots but he refused to
lisucss his examination in any way.
=. A. Cambere. the confidential man Of a. s
and other prominent Armenians.
called Commissioner Bingham. Displaying
threatening letters tHeN asked permits 10 carry
-evolyers- Their requests were granted, and
they were told to use them with good effect
should they be attacked
All day yesterday Mr.. Jerome directed the
investigation of the Huntchakist case. and
when he left the Criminal Courts Building
shortly after o'clock. he said II would defeat
the ends Of justice for him TO state what had
developed. From other authoritative sources it
was learned however. that two handwriting
experts had been at work all day examining
The haudwriting Of Father MartOogessian and
they had decided that the addresses on the en-
ye1opes containing the threatening letters
which were mailed within hour after Tav-
shani.an's murder were written by the priest.
Mr.. Jerome has six Of these letters.
MANY THREATENING LETTERS.
During the last two years. according to in
formation about the District Attorneys office
many letters have been received by wealthy
Armeniaus in which various sums were de-
manded one letter stated that SloFD must De
paid and another demanded 5000. This let
ter was received by Miriam Karagdiesiesien Of
No 22l Fourth avenue. one Of the complain
aats Some Of the other letters are dated as
far back as September, 1903 one letter stated
that the death warrant would he signed i'm
Tnediately after the refusal Of $1,000. 1t "as
written in red ink.
II exrlainiue the receipt Of this. one of the
witnesses told Nr. jerome: Early in Septem-
Der. 1895. received letter asking me 10 CON
tribute $1,000 10 the Huntchaksts. ! paid no
attention 70 il and received a second commu-
nicatior. Then came the third. and the seal on
The latter was the dagger held in a clenched
fist. Less than twenty-foUr hours later Father
Marto0ressiau called on mo and asked me Tor
the amount I refused, but asked him; Ten
ne is This last letter, The one sealed with the
dagger in a clenched fist, my death warrant
The priest replied. 40 your death warrant VIII
be written in red ink. -
According 20 II. A Cambere Mr. TaFshah-
jan received his warrant just forty-elght
hours prior 10 his murder. He had refused the
demands of the blackmailcTs, ana the warning
and his death followed.
Late last night the police were inclined to be-
here that with the second raid on Nlck-
alas Miach's restaurant they opened up
new channels for investigation. Besides papers
ana other documents found, there were other
things which Interested them considerably They
fosnd trunk in which there were tapestries
and embrolderies whose value Is at least Hlopo.
A. the District Attorneys office it was said:
We expert that the prisoner will tell all he
Knows concerning the plot before many days
nave passed He has as yet implicated none
~ iEose whOm We suspect as the rinSieaders'
Dot we hope he can be persuaded to tel JusI
HEo was back OF him. The threats upon Whlch
sather Martoogessian was held were maze
crectly after the death Of OunjiaT in Constan-
'-.3Dle two years ago.
IneTe rs no reason why we should not nave
'sdf@c tic matter up at that time had IL not
- lhat iir men WhO We're threatened uIu Ho.
''aNe Tie backbone to come forward ara leii
ghat they knew then. as they are doing now
iLey have got courage at last and we shoEiu
eel 10 the bottom Of this matter in snort t!he.
he executive committee Of the society ."
america known as the Armenian EcNo'u1lo'i-
Sfy Iiuntchabist part,'' gave out a statement
.ai"ush its representative. n. Lambert oi 70
10 East 2jth street. saying that the meinoef.
= !! me party had been shocked by the murder oI
l@Fshanjlan. They repudiated entirely the Sinai
gang Of bIarkraafliDg rnrIrdercrs known Is Al