Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-23
NEW YORK DAYLIGHT CRIME
Prominent Rug Merchant Re-
fused to Pay BIaCkmaiI.
INNER CIRCLES DEATH DECREE
SLAYER Claims It Was Political
Crime-Incentive Really
Was Money.
INNER CIRCLES DEATH DECREE

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 23.-As the culmina-
tion Of an International secret society
matchmaking plot, Hovannes 8. Tavshan-
jian. millionaire Armenian drug importer
and favored friend Of the Sultan of Turkey
and Shah Of Persia, was shot to death In
front OF his shop. 35 Union Square north.
at noon yesterday by Beros Hanpartzon-
milan. who came on from Chicago to do the
murder.
Hanpartzonmian drew the black ball COM
handing him to slay the merchant at
meeting in Chicago Friday night Of the
inner circle Of Armenian revolutionists.
Tavshanjian had refused to reply to writ
ten demands for money to aid an attempted
overthrow Of the sultan.
While Tavshanjian was dying In the arms
Of a pretty actress. Miss Trixie Jennery.
who stopped to aid him. Hanpartzonmian
threw away hat he had been wearing,
and, as ritual signal that his duty was
done. pulled on black skull cap. Then he
shouted a defiance to the crowd which
started in pursuit and fired three shots at
his closest pursuerS.
Robert Brown. a young clerk, leading the
chase, received two of the bullets IN his
leg. This momentarly halted the race after
Hanpartzonmian, but, after another sprint
to the subway entrance at 18th street and
to the new Tenderloin station to escape a
mob aroused to lynch temper. Later he
made a complete confession.
Amazing Confession.
This statement literally astounded those
who heard it. In it the prisoner declared
and 1t was afterward proved-that Tav-
shanjian had been warned by letter at least
three times within a year: Give OF your
wealth or die" When he did not respond
to this threat revOluttonist was sent all
the way from Chicago to COnstantinople to
kill friend Of Tavshanjian as an object
lesson.
LAS was this mans fate. so will be
yours the plotters then wrote.
When the rug merchant still refused to
contribute to the secret society. the pris,
oner asserted. it was determined he should
die-not only for his own actions but as
further warning to other rich Armenian
Americans.
An equally sensational incident of the
confession was an intimation that the pr,s-
oner knows the men guilty of numbering
Father Kaspar, the Armenian priest found
dead in trunk few weeks ago. HIS
victim, Tavslianjian. gave the police lot
of valuable Information at the time of the
murder. Tavshan1ian was elder, too, in
the Hoboken Armenian Church. where kas-
par held service The prisoner knew this.
he admitted. and his revolutionary society
also knew it. But he maintained sullen
silence when asked if that fact had any
thing to do with yesterdays crime. The
police will put him under the third de-
gree until he admits this, If 1t Is the
case
Hovannes Tavshanjlan was the wealthiest
Armenian in America He represented the
Shah of Persia at the Chicago worlds fair
and has been decorated with the Sultan of
Turkeys highest orders. beautiful wife
and two young children survive him. They
are at his summer home In Deal Beach,
N. ]. The extent of Tavshanjian's finances
may be reckoned from the fact that he re-
Gently paid S7JO.OOO In cash for the Euclid
building 46th street and 9Th avenue, as an
investment. He was worth at least $1,000
Co., it is said.