The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-08-09
GRAVE CHARGES
Against Priest of Being Leader
in Murder Plots
IN CITY OF NEW YORK.

Threatening Letters Been Revealed
-Four Indictments Against the Al,
mcnian, Who Is Central Figure II,
Rug Merchant Murder Casc-Scv
cral Other Crimes Are Being
Shown Up.
In New York four indictments now
lie against Father Martoogessian. the
armenian, who, 1T is alleged, some
times rays aside his priestly robes To
practice eXtortion and blackmail Thc
priest is Just now the central figure
IN the conspiracy which the district
attorney seeks to prove had for IFS
OBJECT the robbery OF wealthy Armen-
ians and led to the murder of tho
rug merchant, Tavshaniian, and 9th
erS who refused to be financially
blcd.
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 unwittngly was tho
agent OF blackmaiing terrorists A
trumK which llampartzoOmain had in
Lowell, Mass, has been brought to
New York and its contents may throw
| light on the investigation
or the three additional indict
mcnts 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
the matchmaking letters which quick
~ followed the death Of the rug mer~
chant. The letter was mailed in New
York on the afternoon of July %, 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 upliftcd poised above
red heart The letter is as fol
lows:
"Gulabi Gulbcnklan & Co.,
brunswick BID, New York.
Death Warrant:
THE executives Of the Constants
noplc Armenian revolutionary terror
lists organization condemn to death
llarOutian Gulbcnk ian, Gulahi Gull
benkian and Patrick Gulbcnkian, 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 Gulkcnkian, in America,
gives them twcnty-four hours time
to decide between their duty and
death.
"Constantinople Armenian Revolu-
tionary TerrOrists' Organizations
The letter is dated Constantinople,
June 27, 1907.
lfOllnwinp tha lpttnr ic n
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 ncccs-
Sary that YOU should know. If you
hctray this letter or cause harm to
one hair on the heads Of one OF us
against that consider your whole fam
lily WHIPPED out"
Before this letter came Haroutian
Gulbcnkian, who is the accusing wit
ness against the priest, mad received
Il blackmaling letter demanding $25,-
600. but had not complied with the
demand.
The sense Of the indictment is that
the priest either sent the quoted let
ter or caused il to be sent, Also, it
is alleged that in September, 1905,
Father Maroogcssian threatened to
kill or cause TO be killed, Bcdros
Iianzani iiam, Il merchant of 20 Union
square. unless the latter gave up
$4,000 to the Armenian revolution
lists.
Further, il is charged that Father
MartoOGcsSian represented, or caused
TO be represented, TO Miriam G.. Kara
gcnsian, an Armenian, that he would
meet death unless he gave $l00,0 600
to the Armenian revolutionary fund.
karaScnSian, ii is said, received this
communication in the form Of lot
ter ON August 20, 1905. The letter
added:
THO list is not finally closed yet.
There may be several others and you
may be next"
The late Afternoon develops an
important witness, when Magderick
LuStrian, Il blacksmith, was cXamin-
cd by Assistant District Attorney
Manlcy. According to information
later given out at The assistant dis
trict attorneys Office the witness said
that he had often attended meetings
OF the ilunchakist, at which Mart
oogcSsan presided. Continuing, he
is alleged to have stated. that he
knew OF FIVE different cases. where
| men had been sent from this country
TO Europe at the instigation OF 4 man
named to murder persons. On two
occasions, LuStrian said, he had been
| "hoscn 10 do murder, but managed in
various ways to SHIFT the response
! biliiy.
some time ago he was told that he
would have to kill Nikolat Milack be-
cause at that time ii was believed
That Alilack WAS Il Turkish spy Ac-
cording to Mr. Manlcy the black
smith made further startling admiS-
aionS and furnished cOrroborativc
evidence of great importance against
the prisoner, who Is declared by
other ArmcnianS 10 have been the
moving spirit in the blackmailinG
| band
|
MOTIIIR SUICIDES.