Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-26
APPEARS
Treasurer of the Society Closeted With
the District Attorney.
TERROR AMONG MERCHANTS
Many Of Them Hurriedly Leave Town
on the Receipt of Threaten
ing Letters.

| the police allege, are matchmaking rich Ar
menians. was again pursued today. when
Father Levont Martoogessian. pastor OF
the Armenian Apostolic Church. appeared
before the officials of the district attorneys
| office to tell of his connection with the So
ciety. The officials believe that treas
| urer Of the Hunchakist Society the priest
will be able to throw much light on the
inner workings of the society. which is
believed by the police to have caused the
death of II. s. Tavshanjian, the wealthy
rug merchant. because he would not submit
to their demands for money.
Assistant District Attorney Manley who
is conducting the investigation. has in his
possession many letters received by prom
inent Armenians telling of the exactons of
the Hunchakists and the efforts they have
made to extort money Some of the let
ters it is said. were not written in the
name of Hunchakists, but signed ''Revolu-
tionary Committee of Terrorists" Several
well-known Armenans have left the city,
fearing to remain because of the threaten
Ing letters they have received since Mr..
Tavshanjian was shot down in the street.
Victims May Turn
The first concerted action on the party of
the wealthy Armenians to rid themselves
and the community of the Matchmaking
Hutchagists was taken last night. when a
meeting was held at the Everett House to
discuss ways and means. Though law
abiding and peacefully inclined. those who
attended the meeting Will not hesitate to
fight fire with fire, and If the :uthorties
should fail to capture the rea! leaders tn )se
that can afford to will not hesitate to sub
scribe a large sum of money and hire their
own assassins to kill the men who do not
stop at murder if their demands are re-
fused.
meeting for tomorrow night at the Murray
Hill Lyceum. At the meeting free express
sion will be given to indignation and SYM
pathy felt for the entire Armenian colony
because of the murder of HOvhanneS s.
TavshanjIan last Monday afternoon. The
attendance is not to be limited to Arme
mans alone. but al. citizens invited to
be present. Archbishop Sarjian of Hobo
ken is expected to preside. while we'll
known men will make addresses
Armenian Priest Subpoenaed.
The district attorneys office is still work.
ing on the theory that there are a number
of accomplices in the. murder and a SUBJ
pocna was issued for Father Levont Mar
touguessian, pastor of the Armenian Apos-
tolic Church. which meets in ST. Chrysos
TOMS Protestant Episcopal Church at 7th
avenue and Both street. After a great deal
of difficulty County Detective Brennan sue
ceeded in serving the priest with the process
requiring his appearance al the district at
tOrney'S Office at 10 o'clock this morning.
When Brennan told him of his errand the
priest, who accepted service without pro-
test, said: Il have nothing to fear by APP
ring before the district attorney | will
be there at the hour he appoints. It's all
right"
Before going to the room whe- e Brennan
found him the priest had visited the restau-
rant frequented by Armenians in the vi
cinity of Sd avenue and 9th street. The
other place where the subpoena was served
is also restaurant. though no sign appears
on the building as an indication of It,
There is a club.Oom above the first floor
and in one of these rooms the priest was
talking with an acquaintance.
At the district attorneys office it was
said that unless the priest could explain
certain letters bearing his signature.
we'll as his actions and whereabouts for
some time past. he would be detained for
torneyS Smyth and Manley were busy all
day examining witnesses in an effort to get
to the bottom of the plot that resulted
in the death of the rug merchant. Most
of those examined were men who had re-
ceived Matchmaking letters demanding
money and threatening them with death
II they refused. Every one OF the men eX-
amined had to be assured that his name
would not be used. do not let it be known
that I was here" said one Armenian. Il
am not coward. but do not like to feel
that some one Is sneaking around and
lurking in the dark to shoot me or to stick
knife in me- 1 have family. and 1
must think of them
Armen p Aeon of No 9O7 broadway
saw the district attorney yesterday, and
then he announced he was going out of
town for some time for fear he might be
the next to die. How deep the fear Of
these men Is was shown yesterday when
it became known that of them for
more than year has been followed around
by man hired to watch out for possible
assassins. No attempt was made on his
life during that time. but the minute he
heard of TavShanjian's murder. and few
hours later received another threat. he left
the city and has not been seen since. Even
whereabouts
Woman Examined by Manley.
One of the witnesses before Mr.. Manley
yesterday was Mrs. Movradan of No. 155
East 22d street, who went to the district
attorneys Office with her two children She
was examined at considerable length. 1t
was alleged some one had said she had seen
the murderer and Father Martouguessan
together shortly before the crime was COM
mltted Another witness was George B.
Mniassian of No. 225 4th avenue. What
he told Mr.. Manley was not disclosed. He
Is the young man who on the day of the
murder begged the police to allow him
half hour alone with the murderer In a
cellar and he would make him talk. Mr..
Miniassian has been active in the efforts
to run down the plotters ever since. and
has been threatened daily. He has fully
made up his mind that he Is the next to be
put out of the way. He received letter
Yesterday asking him to please call for
an important conference with a group Of
patriots at a house in East 39th street, be-
tween 1st and I'd avenues He did not
GO Last night he said: I'VE cannot go
back to Armenia: we have made our homes
here and we have made a success of our
lives in America, and here we will rem.-in.
To protect ourselves and those depending
upon us we will fight this cowardly foe in
any way that may be necessary for our
common welfare.
Just as one OF the threatened men came
| out of Mr.. Manley's office last evening he
stepped a parlor match. 1t went off
| with a bang and the man jumped as If it
had been a firecracker 1t took him seY-
| eral minutes to recover his composure
A story published that they were being
threatened over the telephone was denied
| by al prominent Armenians yesterday.