THE DISCOVERY

“An Armenian Geronimo”

After a week long deep dive into the Christian Holocaust of WW1, convinced that a hero, “an Armenian Geronimo” must exist, Michael, a TV Editor turned independent journalist had his Eureka moment. There it was, plain as day, on Wikipedia of all places. Soghomon Tehlirian had brought justice for a genocide, and to top it off, he was acquitted of all charges. He walked away a free man: a perfect Hollywood ending.

Hungry for more info he Googled “Armenian bookstores in Glendale (CA)” an American city boasting the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia. There were three hits. He visited the first one, “Berj”, near St. Mary’s on Central. He made 3 quick purchases:

1. “The Armenian Genocide, News Accounts from the American Press: 1915-1922” by Richard D. Kloian.

2. “A Shameful Act” by Taner Akçam

3. “The Case of Soghomon Tehlirian” 1921 trial transcript, translated by Vartkes Yeghiayan.

It was this third volume that changed the course of Michael’s life forever. Among a number of admitted (later) false statements made on the witness stand, Soghomon uttered 3 words that jumped from the pages. When asked by the judge why Soghomon killed this man, his reply began:

“My mother’s ghost…”

To be continued…

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