MILLIONAIRE SHOT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 14 September 1907, Page 3

MILLIONAIRE SHOT.

SECRET BOCIETY.CRIME IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. New York, July 23. An atrocious political crime, the perpetrators of which belong to the same secret society which three years ago assassinated Armenians at Peckham, and which recently caused the murder of Father Caspar, whose body was discovered in a travelling funk at New i'ork, was committed yesterday in Union square in broad daylight. The victim was Hovaimes S. Travshanjian, reputed the wealthiest Armenian in America.

He was shot dead in the presence of hundreds of spectators as he was entering his own Oriental rug store by a little lithe man who, as soon as he had fulfilled his terrible commission, donned a black skull-cap as a si»iial that justice was satisfied. 11 was only after a hot chase that he was arrested.

Giving the name of Bedros Hampartzoomian, the prisoner said that he hailed from Mczreh, near Khar-put, in Kurdistan, which is known to the authorities here as the birthplace of the leader of the secret Houtschakist organisation. Tins body demanded contributions from the millionaire rug-dealer, who refused. As a lesson they murdered a friend, but still he defied them. The prisoner, explaining that he was deputed to carry out tile death sentence, added: "I killed him to save my country. I will rather d:e than betray my associates." An extraordinary sequel to the murder of 31 Tavshanjian is the disclosure

that a secret society exists for the purpose of terrorising wealthy Armenian merchants in New Y r ork, and that the merchants hitve raised a fund of £40,000 with the object of assassinating the I leader of the society. The society, which has quarters in London and other European towns, collected money for the ostensible purpose of assisting distressed compatriots in Asia. As a matter of fact, however, the money was used for carrying on a wholesale system of blackmail. Prosperous Armenians resident in Xew York have been so terrorised that many of them are hiding. They received demands for contributions four hours after tlie~daath of M. Tvshanjian, and were threatened with his fate if

they failed to send large sums i. money.

It is believed, that the arrest or death of the leader of the society would put an end to its operations, but it is urged that it will be better that he should die. The merchants, therefore, have organised a fund in order to hire assassins to commit the murder.