The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-03
B0YAJ|AM PLEADS
JUSTIFICATION
He Ruined Three Lives; Is His One
Life Too Much Toll For Three"
Argues Nephew Slayer.

stan are investigating the movements
of Dr. G. k Boyajian. held IN the
county Jail on The charge Of killing
his nephew. Hartoon Cos. aaian.
Thch invest cations arc SAID u be
IN the die ctiur OF a Canadian I.ty
where :, q doctor is said Ia have mad
some sort OF trouble recently. The
police ere keeping mum about the MAJ
ter
Close iriends OF the doctor retuts
the runners from Boston - he effect
that III. Boyajian Is a secret agent ~
revolutionary Armenians
DR.. J. MlS,,ce Stafford. "A classmate
OF pr. hoyaiian and close friend.
pooh.poohed the suggestion. Mon6aS
Tie ovciaied that the docto' i'il Al.
mena on account OF fear for his safety,
after an outbreak in college among
Armenians. which resulted in "A Turk
massacre.
DIT. Stafford will probably be a wit
ness in the doctors case. TO prove the
friendliness between Mrs Boyajian
and Gostanian. during the absence OF
the husband. On Monday. April 10.
she telephoned 10 Dr. Stafford. mem
Der OF the faculty OF the Detroit Col
lege of Medicine. and asked whether
Gostanian might stay away from mis-
classes without missing an eyamina-
ton. She said he was not feeling we'll
DR.. Stafford, who was Gostanian's in
structor. told her that the young man
need not come to school. He thought
nothing of the occurrence at the time.
but after the shooting, he told DIR. Boy
allan of il
That was one OF the days that
was away" said the doctor. See.
Hartoon was with her. He stayed
away from school
DR. Boyajian. during his lectures on
Armenian customs, always included
a representation OF the wedding cere-
mony in his native land. He would
take members OF the audience. and
after throwing over them the gaudy
trappings OF an Armenian bridal party.
he would pose as the priest. and go
through the form of the marriage GER
emony with them.
Ii is said that he paid Hartoon sl75
a month TO act as his manager and as
sistant during his lecture tours, for the
first three years that Gostanian was
with him. after being brought here
from Lynn by the physician.
One of the few visitors whom DR..
Boyajian would consent To receive in
his cell in the county Jail. Sunday, was
r. w. Reading. a neighbor of the doc
tor The two are well acquainted and
TO Mr.. Reading the physician talked
freely of the case
I'm sure I've done right in killing
my nephew" he said He did worse
than murder three people. He blighted
and blasted my life. He has ruined
NY wife's happiness and peace OF mind
she can't stay in Detroit after the
revelations that have been made.
neither dare she go TO her parents
home. for everyone knows her in the
district. But worst OF all. the man
has ruined the life OF my little girl"
and at the thought of mis- ,hild the
father burst into tears.
"Por little girl" he mIrmured over
and over again Presently his mind
reverted 10 his line OF ;easoning in
justification Of killing his nephew
and he continued:
He murdered three PEOPLE, why
should I suffer for killing q murderer?
The punishment prescribed by the law
for my nephew's awful crime is only
three years; do you, then. blame me
for taking the law into my own hands
Is one life too much toll for three!
Mr.. Reading says the doctor bears
an excellent reputation in the neigh
borhood of his home. In III plans for
securing improvements he always had
a prominent part, and seemed to de-
light in making himself useful and
agre ee BILE to his neighbors.
Hagop Gostanian, father of DR..
Boyajian's victim, arrived In Detroit
Sunday morning from Lynn. Mass.
his home. He went to the Jail and
asked to see Boyajian, but permission
was refused by Sheriff CASTOR be-
cause the doctor had said he desired
TO he left alone Later, Gostanian Wis.
tied the county morgue and gave way
To violent grief as he viewed the body
of his slain son. The man is almost
beside himself as a result OF the trag
edy. He starts back home with the
body at o'clock Monday afternoon
Services in charge OF Harloon Costa
mans fellow medical students. were
held nj 2.3O in the undertaking rooms
of V. Geist & Son, No. 220 Randolph
81 to which the remains had been re-
moved
Gostanian expressed no resentment
against his sons slayer. saying the
doctor no doubt did what he believed
to be right.