The Washington herald., 1907-07-23

this country and a leader among bis
people here, was slain as he turned to
enter his place Of business at 80 Union
Square, shortly after / o'clock this aft
ernoon. He had lunched at the Everett
House. and was returning TO his rug
establishment on the third floor of the
Century Building, in the center of the
block on Seventeenth street. between
Fourth and Broadway facing Union
Square.
Tavshanjlan had hardly left the Ever
ett House when a little. dark man was
seen TO scurry across from the north side
Of the park just as the rug merchant
got within three feet Of the door leading
to his place Of business the little man
was right behind him. A shot cracked
out and Tavshanjian halted and put his
hand to his breast The little man ran
back three feet. laughed shriekingly, and
then fred again. This shot brought the
rug merchant down, and he rolled heav-
fy on the sidewalk
A woman grabbed at the arm Of the
assassin as he ran eastward. a crowd
quickly gathered and pressed the muir
derer. He fired third shot. II went
Wild the crowd scattered. and the little
man dashed for Fourth avenue. Before
he could gain the corner. the crowd was
again pressing him and he fired again
lie had shot his man This was evident.
FOR the next two shots were plainly aimed
at the sidewalk. with the intention OF
frightening away the crowd and en-
abling him to escape. However Robert
Brown. p young clerk, happened TO be
very near the man, and the shots were
intercepted on their way to the sidewalk
by Browns right leg. The bullets struck
the feshy part Of the clerks leg, and he
was not seriously hurt
Assassin Is Arrested.
The police then arrested the assassin,
who had TO be dragged through a bowling
mob to the station house. An ambulance
surgeon had TO fight his way through a
host of several thousand, to find that
death had been practically instantaneous
with the rug merchant. whose body lay
'On the sidewalk, with women shrieking
and fainting on all sides and a MOB of
curious, gaping workers. free for the noon
hour, eursirg and tearing at each other
to get a close view. Brown was placed
in the ambulance and removed to the
hospital. The body Of Tavshanjian was
taken TO the station house
Arraigned at the desk in the police
station. the murderer hung his head
An Interpreter IN the person Of George
MinasSIan, manager Of the rug importing
firm. arrived and got from the prisoner
his name. II is Bedr0s Hampartzoomian.
twenty-four years old. He said he lived
at Il Archer street, Chicago. but there Is
no such street. Archer avenue. Chicago.
has no No Al
Minassian asked why he had killed
Tavshanjian. The prisoner was sullen
He said he had come here from Chicago
only last night
The question as TO why he had slain
the rug merchant was put to Hampart-
zoomian time and again, but his only
answer was a smile and the hanging OF
his head. Finally he shrieked: Il did It
to save my country. You can kill me,
but I will not tell anything"
He BIames Dead Man.
Later on Hampartzoomian was ques-
toned at great length by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hanley, and his statements
were taken down. He said:
Il love my country My society say
thai this man Tayshanjian is a friend of
the Turks. My father is killed, my mother
stolen from me, and they take my sister"
AT this juncture Hampartzoomian broke
down and wept Ike a child
Between sobs he told with great hesi-
fancy of the outrageous treatment of his
sister He admitted that the persecution
of his family had driven him 10 a mad
house when but a boy. and that he had
sworn to avenge these wrongs He said
that he came to this country about four
years ago, worked for a time here in
New York. went to live with a cousin
in Chelsea, Mass, had Tavshanjian pointed
out to him in Boston two years ago, and
went TO Chicago seventeen months ago.
He said that the only time he had ever
seen the rug merchant before was in Bos-
ton, and that he had remembered his
face.
Where do you come from?" asked the
interpreter
'Mazrah." replied the prisoner.
That's enough" said Minassian with
a significant gesture. Asked to explain.
the interpreter stated that Mazrah was a
village in the province of Harpoot. from
which had come the man who was the
head of an orginazition. the Hunchakist.
Tool of BIackmaiIers,
This is a blackmailing organization"
said Minassian. 1T claims to be D pa
triotie organization, formed for the pur-
pose of freeing Armenia from Turkish
oppression. This is a powerful clique.
They are everywhere, with branches in
all our cities here and in Europe This
man has probably suffered, and has been
picked out for this reason to do this
Through this little prisoner the police
and the District Attorneys Office hope to
clean up all the Armenian cases. incIud-
ing that of Father Vartarian, that have
so far remained unsolved The name
"Hunchakist seemed to strike terror to
the Armenian merchants when asked
about it to-day. One of the most promi-
nent Armenian business men in the city
told a reporter that he and many others
had received letters during the last year
and half demanding Sle0. and that they
were told that they would be killed II