The evening world., 1908-02-25
PRIEST PREACHED
MURDER, DECLARES
MARKED ARMENIAN
Rug Dealer Testifies of Dire
and Open Threats by
HunchakiSt.

Tia trial Of Father Levatd NJ. Mar
e~oogessasn. the Armenian priest ac-
unsd OF attempted extortion in writing
Shrsaten.ng letters to prominent Ar
msntan merchants OF New York, under
threats OF violence II money was not
forthcoming. began to-day in the Court
Of Special Sessions before Judge Ma
lone and a Jury. The specific charge
against the uDfrocked priest Is that In
August Ub, he demanded 800 900 from
Miriam G. Ka~ragheusian. a rug dealer In
the PaTksr Building. This antedated by
ssvsral weeks the murder Of HovhAnes
1avshantitan by Bedras Hampartzoom-
ian. the too. Of the HunohaAist. tho
terrorist society. who IS now
In the death house at Sing Sing.
Probably the most unconcerned man
u q courtroom when the taking of
testimony began to-day was the &C
S %heY griss} M-nctoossss;aa Is no a
damp black hair frames mis- pasty face
N an ebony oval that doesn't improve
his looks The priest also wears a goatee
and mustache, the former conceaIlng a
weak chin: He smiled confidently at his
lawyer. Martin T. Manton, as the Jury
hled into court
In his address to the jury Mr.. Mott
said that the prosecution could prove
that the priest was the treasurer of
the Central Committee OF the Hunoha-
oan results OF their extortion to tina
body. The same day of an atrocious
Hunchakist murder IN Constantinople
enc priest approacned a wealthy Artne-
ter he had received from the Turkish
capital.
your Nte VII be forfeit next" he
Miriam u. karagleuylan was the ArSf
witness called by Mr.. Mott His eyes
met the priests I'm a steady mutual
toogessian's dropped, but he listened In
tently while the witness described his
friendship for the murdered Tavshan-
5!an. He had known Martoogessian
years s He Was a member OF the
accused priests congregation at one
time, said the ring merchant. He sew
cred his connection with the church
when the priest began to talk OF the
Hunchakist md its dread powers.
He told me that they wanted 70 raise
money in any way-by murder II it was
not possible in any other manner l
always understood he was one OF the
leaders. He was very frank about It"
I've killed that man IN Constantino?le
you will be next he told me the day he
called. after I had read OF the assassi-
nation" declared the witness. "He re-
ferred 10 the article. We. the Huncha-
MO-. dah a. III "a sOA " l pay lilt
money we vans you'll get the same he
said. He then informed me that he
knew from C~onstantinople that | had
received "a letter demanding money on
pain OF death. from the H~unchakist
Central Central Committee"
Mr.. Mott then read from the transla-
ton OF a letter received in July, 1875.
from the Constant!nople branch OF the
Hunchak!st by the rug merchant, de-
manding coco English pounds and IN
forming him that "a personality" would
call - get the money.
on Dissemination the merchant
denied that MartoogeSsian had ever Wis
fled him socially or that there had ever
been any trouble over the affairs OF
the church.
Mr.. Manton sprang a surprise al this
point. Judge Malone wanted to know
the materially OF this line OF question
Ing.
w intend TO show" declared the at
torney. that this witness Is himself a
Hunchakist member and has contributed
various sums to its support. We will
show that on one occasion he paid two
army officers to 60 TO America and estt-
mate the cost of a revolution"