The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-30
MARTOOGESSIAN A PRISONER
FIVE OTHERS TAKEN IN RAID ~
ARMENIAN NEIGHBORHOOD.
In the Arsrst 10 Found the Murder seal
Of the Blackmaiiers Under Pictures
~ Three Murdered Armenians -Ta,.
snsnJian's Murderer Telling Things.

'" wv W
~ Three Murdered Armenisns -Ta,.
shsnJisn's Murderer Telling Things.
Levont Martoogessian, the Armenian
priest who has been openly accused by
Armenians Of being the head of the black
mailing band Of Armenian patriots" was
locked up at Police Headquarters last night.
His arrest followei a conference in q
lawyers Office downtown. Acting District
Attorney smyth. Assistant District Attorney
Manley, Fourth Deputy Police Commissions
Arthur Woods and Inspector McCafferty Of
the Central Office were at this meeting with
a number OF well to do Armenian merchants
and their lawyers.
Three merchants came forward and made
specific charges that the priest had at
tempted to extort money from them by
threat. On the strength of their state
mentsthe priest was arrested for attempted
robbery" This charge 10 simply technical
When Martoogessian was arrested twenty
Central Office detectives went through the
Armenian quarter around Lexington
avenue and Twenty-seventh street. They
arrested five other men. our Of whom
were officers in the H~unchakist Revolu-
tionary Society when Martoogessian was
national treasurer. These -four were az
PEELED from the regular H~unchakist with
Msrtoogessian and others at the time that
Irregularities in the funds were alleged and
when the genuinely patriotic member found
that their organization was being used for
Matchmaking.
While making the arrests the detectives
went through various restaurants and
through Father Msrtoogessian's rooms at
$50 East Thirtieth street. A mass of papers
and revolutionary literature was carted
down to Police Headquarters. One of the
most interesting things found was a
placard in the Ararat restaurant at lN
East Twenty-seventh street. Martooges-
sian was dining in this restaurant when ar
rested. and the proprietor Is one Of the
others prisoners.
The placard bore three pictures-all
Armenian men with boards. One was
Mikho, the Boston editor of an Armenian
paper who was assassinated in 1908. Then
there was a picture Of Karekin Chitjian.
the merchant from this city who was
tracked to Odessa in January, 1908, and
killed after being tortured. II is known
that the men that killed and tortured Chit
jan followed him from this country. Chit
Jan knew he was being followed and decided
TO enter Armenia by way Of Russia. thinking
he would throw his pursuers of the trail.
The gang caught up with him in Odessa.
The third picture was that OF Hourad
S~hirsnian, who was killed In 1904.
All Of these men we're active In putting
Martoogessian and his crowd out Of the
regular Hunchakist organization. Many
murders followed this housecleaning Of
the H~unchakists and the murders were all
on one side.
The placard found in the Ararat last
night showed under these three pictures
the seal OF the reformed" Hunchakists.
This is a triple heart with three hands clasp
ing daggers and ~plunging them into the
heart. This seal has been found on the
threatening letters received by Armenian
merchants and turned over to the District
Attorney.
In holding the Ave other prisoners a.
suspicious persons the police entered on
their blotters the fact that these men were
implicated with Father M~artoogessian In
attempting to blackmajl merchants. The
entry states that Father M~artoogessian,
aided and abetted by these men. had at
tempted to blackmail business men OF sums
ranging from ST. 900 to $4,000 in July and
August. 1905.
The merchants who made the complaints
we're still sufficiently in fear Of the re
formed" Hunch8kists TO avoid coming to
the Criminal Courts Building. 50 the
conference was held in the lawyers office
downtown. That they would come forward
as compliments at all cheered up the prose-
cutting fioials
Little Bedros Hs masrtzoomian, the actual
murderer Of TavshanjiGn. has be gun to show
signs Of weakening and II is now expected
that he will make a clean breast Of the
whole affair within a few days. He admitted
yesterday for the first Tins that he had
been put up TO the deed by others. who had
old him that TavshRnjian was an Agent
OF the Turkish Government and a foe OF
Armenian freedom. He admitted that
Tavshanjian had heel pointed out TO him
and that he had received instructions to
kill him.
Late yesterday afternoon an Armenian
went to the Tombs and. according TO report
about the Criminal Courts. identified the
prisoner. IL il said that the man who
made the Identification is none other than
the son OF a man who was slain by the
blackmailing branch OF the Hunchakist.
II this mans Identification is correct
Bedros Hampartzoomian is not the assas-
sins right name. The clues furnished
by the identifer are being followed up
closely. More than fifty Armenians have
been taken TO the Tombs since the murder.
but not until yesterday was one found who
knew the murderer or where he comes
from.
Il is said that the man who made yes
terday's Identification has told OF having
seen the prisoner with certain persons and
that these persons are the very ones who
have been suspected all along as having
put Hampartzoomian up 20 the murder.
The prisoner made the admission hat he
had been coached for the crime by Hirtad
Trykian. a nephew Of Tavshan jan. This
young man went to the Tombs in mourn
ing and told the murderer what a good
man his uncle had been and how much
+. k.A In-- e. A.,u.na