The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-06-05
VICTIM In TRUNK
Turns Out to Sc an Agent OF the
Turkish Sutton.
The SLAIN PRIEST

u
Was known to BE a Politician and
Bitter Dislike Of Him Was Openly
Expressed by Greeks and Others.
He Crossed American Society III
America Which Seeks to Free Ar.
menia From Turks Control.
DilIigent effort on the part of 6
score of detectives from headquar.
ters did not make much headway ir
the solution of the problem Of how
the body of the Greek priest, Father
Casper Haran. or Vatiarian, as the
police records have it, came to be
found doubled up in trunk in va
cant room at 333 West Thirty-seven-
tn street, New York, Sunday May
26. Two men, and possibly four
whom the police believe to be lmph.
Gated in the murder have not yet
been found.
The developments have brought
forth two facts which may uncover
the motive of the murder and clear
awav to some extent the doubt con-
cerning how and when the priest met
his death. Most important Of these
discoveries is the fact that Father
Casper was a politician as well as a
cleric, and that ne had close alliance
with one Of the American secret rev.
olutionary societies in this city.
It was learned that very recently
there had been split in the ranks
Of the revolutionary workers Of the
local Armenian colony, and that
much bad blood had been engender-
ed between the two factions.
REVOLUTIONARY ORDER.
Vahram Sopossion, an Armenian,
who has restaurant at l37 East
Twenty-sixth street, and a number
Of Armenians gathered there eX-
planned to a reporter just what re
lation the affairs Of the Honchekis
or Henchagain society may be found
to bear with the murder Of Father
Casper when the hidden facts in the
case are brought to light.
Throughout all Europe and IN
America wherever there IS a suttl-
GENTLY large colony of loyal Armen-
ians branches Of the Honchekis have
been established. The order is pure
Iva revolutionary one, and the avow.
ed object is to free Armenia and
neighboring Christian countries from
the rule Of the Turks. The New York
branch of the society had been es.
tablished some time ago, said the
Armenian restaurant keeper, and hac
worked many years in harmony unit
two months ago.
Serpossian said that as member
of the new branch of the society he
could not enter into details of the
split, but feeling was high and there
was still bitter recrinination and &C,
cusation Of unfaithful passing be-
tween the two branches of the revo.
lutionary order.
SPIES HAVE BEEN SLAIN.
In Europe and in few instance:
in this country spies have been dis
covered in the ranks Of the Armen
ian society whose duty it has been tt
nip incipient revolutions in Armenia
by passing up to the Turkish author
tiles at home information of the Hon
chekis campaigns.
s'There have been spies in our owl
number" and Terpossian. The ac'
cusation Of spy has been made mem
bers of our society"
'tWas the priest a spy?''
IF he was a spy he died like 9th
ers have died before him whc have
been spies,'' was the answer the Ar
menian made.
The restaurant keeper and his com
panions were asked if Father Casper
had been a member Of the Honche
kis. They said that he had. but they
would not specify which branch o1
the recently divided society he be.
longed to.
BITTER TOWARD PRIEST.
"Father Casper had a bad reputa-
ton" continued the speaker for the
group. "He was known to be mis-.
erly and to prefer to beg his bread
and bed than work for it. We have
always known him as man who lott
cred around and did as little as pos
sible for a living. He had the repu-
tation Of being no good.
The second fact brought out in the
Investigations which forced the de-
tectives to revise their theories OF
the time and place where Father
Caspar was murdered is that he was
seen alive at II o'clock noon on We'd
nesday and in the restaurant Of the
man Serpossian, who is strong in his
condemnation of the dead priest
character.
According to this mans story, the
priest came to his place Of business
alone and carrying with him the
black hand bag which he always took
with him on his wandering through
the city. When he left the restaurant
about noon he said he was going up
town to meet some friends:
Up to the present the detectives
have not been able to trace Father
Caspar's movements after he was
seen by Mrs. Scherer, the German
woman who rented a room to the two
Arnaenianswho disappeared on We'd
nesday evening.
MYSTERY BECOMES DEEPER.
Mrs Scherer say the priest in the
company Of the two at I s o'clock in
the morning, in the hallway Of the
Scherer fiat, on the third floor Of the
tenement at 1888 West Thlrty-seven,,