She came through the port of St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada in October 1906 and crossed into the United States at St. Albans, Vermont with a ticket to Boston and then on to her father in Philadelphia. She was listed as a 19 year old schoolteacher who had previously lived in Kharpert (now Elazig) in Turkey (though a woman also listed as being from Kharpert was a native of Arapkir Turkey, as it is believed Mariam's family was as well, so perhaps Kharpert was listed as being the largest town in the region). Mariam was noted as having a scar under her left eye.
Died at her home at 232 N. 11th Street at 7:30 am of a gunshot to the heart. Her husband of about one year Krikor Atmekjian was found at the home and was taken into custody while declaring his innocence. The Atmekjians were well-known in the Philadelphia Armenian community. Marion (also called Mary in newspaper articles) was a violinist of extraordinary ability. Two years prior to her death she played before violin virtuoso Jan Kubelik during his visit to Philadelphia. Mrs. Atmekjian's friends said that Kubelik advised her to go on tour, but that idea displeased her future husband who she was engaged to at the time. The desire to go on tour returned to her after her marriage, and police wondered if jealous on her husband's part was a motive if she was murdered. Her husband expected his wife's obiedience, as was culturally traditional in an Armenian marriage, and even refused her to mingle in the company of musicians if a man was present. The Inquirer reports that she gave up the violin in the last months of her life out of devotion to him, who was not only not musical but also detested the instrument's sound. The story was publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers as a "tragic story of an artist's sacrifice of ambition for love". The tale became all the more sensational because she had been found dead adorned by her valuable jewels worth thousands of dollars. The investigation was reported from June 7 until June 12 when the husband was set free and the death ruled a suicide with no evidence that the husband had fired the shot. She was buried under her married name Marion Atmekjian, but her family engraved her birth name Mariam Hovsepian on the stone.
"Did She Commit Suicide?" from the Olean Evening Times, June 7, 1909:
"Philadelphia, June 6- Dressed in rich silks and wearing valuable jewels, Mrs. Mary Atmekjian, who before her marriage a month ago was noted for her ability as a violinist, was found in her home with a bullet in her heart. Her husband, Krikor A. Atmekjian, a prosperous Armenian, who was in the house at the time the shooting occurred, is being held. The dead woman was the daughter of Sahag Hovsepian, a wealthy rug importer."
Died at her home at 232 N. 11th Street at 7:30 am of a gunshot to the heart. Her husband of about one year Krikor Atmekjian was found at the home and was taken into custody while declaring his innocence. The Atmekjians were well-known in the Philadelphia Armenian community. Marion (also called Mary in newspaper articles) was a violinist of extraordinary ability. Two years prior to her death she played before violin virtuoso Jan Kubelik during his visit to Philadelphia. Mrs. Atmekjian's friends said that Kubelik advised her to go on tour, but that idea displeased her future husband who she was engaged to at the time. The desire to go on tour returned to her after her marriage, and police wondered if jealous on her husband's part was a motive if she was murdered. Her husband expected his wife's obiedience, as was culturally traditional in an Armenian marriage, and even refused her to mingle in the company of musicians if a man was present. The Inquirer reports that she gave up the violin in the last months of her life out of devotion to him, who was not only not musical but also detested the instrument's sound. The story was publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers as a "tragic story of an artist's sacrifice of ambition for love". The tale became all the more sensational because she had been found dead adorned by her valuable jewels worth thousands of dollars. The investigation was reported from June 7 until June 12 when the husband was set free and the death ruled a suicide with no evidence that the husband had fired the shot. She was buried under her married name Marion Atmekjian, but her family engraved her birth name Mariam Hovsepian on the stone.
"Did She Commit Suicide?" from the Olean Evening Times, June 7, 1909:
"Philadelphia, June 6- Dressed in rich silks and wearing valuable jewels, Mrs. Mary Atmekjian, who before her marriage a month ago was noted for her ability as a violinist, was found in her home with a bullet in her heart. Her husband, Krikor A. Atmekjian, a prosperous Armenian, who was in the house at the time the shooting occurred, is being held. The dead woman was the daughter of Sahag Hovsepian, a wealthy rug importer."
She came through the port of St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada in October 1906 and crossed into the United States at St. Albans, Vermont with a ticket to Boston and then on to her father in Philadelphia. She was listed as a 19 year old schoolteacher who had previously lived in Kharpert (now Elazig) in Turkey (though a woman also listed as being from Kharpert was a native of Arapkir Turkey, as it is believed Mariam's family was as well, so perhaps Kharpert was listed as being the largest town in the region). Mariam was noted as having a scar under her left eye.
Died at her home at 232 N. 11th Street at 7:30 am of a gunshot to the heart. Her husband of about one year Krikor Atmekjian was found at the home and was taken into custody while declaring his innocence. The Atmekjians were well-known in the Philadelphia Armenian community. Marion (also called Mary in newspaper articles) was a violinist of extraordinary ability. Two years prior to her death she played before violin virtuoso Jan Kubelik during his visit to Philadelphia. Mrs. Atmekjian's friends said that Kubelik advised her to go on tour, but that idea displeased her future husband who she was engaged to at the time. The desire to go on tour returned to her after her marriage, and police wondered if jealous on her husband's part was a motive if she was murdered. Her husband expected his wife's obiedience, as was culturally traditional in an Armenian marriage, and even refused her to mingle in the company of musicians if a man was present. The Inquirer reports that she gave up the violin in the last months of her life out of devotion to him, who was not only not musical but also detested the instrument's sound. The story was publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers as a "tragic story of an artist's sacrifice of ambition for love". The tale became all the more sensational because she had been found dead adorned by her valuable jewels worth thousands of dollars. The investigation was reported from June 7 until June 12 when the husband was set free and the death ruled a suicide with no evidence that the husband had fired the shot. She was buried under her married name Marion Atmekjian, but her family engraved her birth name Mariam Hovsepian on the stone.
"Did She Commit Suicide?" from the Olean Evening Times, June 7, 1909:
"Philadelphia, June 6- Dressed in rich silks and wearing valuable jewels, Mrs. Mary Atmekjian, who before her marriage a month ago was noted for her ability as a violinist, was found in her home with a bullet in her heart. Her husband, Krikor A. Atmekjian, a prosperous Armenian, who was in the house at the time the shooting occurred, is being held. The dead woman was the daughter of Sahag Hovsepian, a wealthy rug importer."
Died at her home at 232 N. 11th Street at 7:30 am of a gunshot to the heart. Her husband of about one year Krikor Atmekjian was found at the home and was taken into custody while declaring his innocence. The Atmekjians were well-known in the Philadelphia Armenian community. Marion (also called Mary in newspaper articles) was a violinist of extraordinary ability. Two years prior to her death she played before violin virtuoso Jan Kubelik during his visit to Philadelphia. Mrs. Atmekjian's friends said that Kubelik advised her to go on tour, but that idea displeased her future husband who she was engaged to at the time. The desire to go on tour returned to her after her marriage, and police wondered if jealous on her husband's part was a motive if she was murdered. Her husband expected his wife's obiedience, as was culturally traditional in an Armenian marriage, and even refused her to mingle in the company of musicians if a man was present. The Inquirer reports that she gave up the violin in the last months of her life out of devotion to him, who was not only not musical but also detested the instrument's sound. The story was publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers as a "tragic story of an artist's sacrifice of ambition for love". The tale became all the more sensational because she had been found dead adorned by her valuable jewels worth thousands of dollars. The investigation was reported from June 7 until June 12 when the husband was set free and the death ruled a suicide with no evidence that the husband had fired the shot. She was buried under her married name Marion Atmekjian, but her family engraved her birth name Mariam Hovsepian on the stone.
"Did She Commit Suicide?" from the Olean Evening Times, June 7, 1909:
"Philadelphia, June 6- Dressed in rich silks and wearing valuable jewels, Mrs. Mary Atmekjian, who before her marriage a month ago was noted for her ability as a violinist, was found in her home with a bullet in her heart. Her husband, Krikor A. Atmekjian, a prosperous Armenian, who was in the house at the time the shooting occurred, is being held. The dead woman was the daughter of Sahag Hovsepian, a wealthy rug importer."
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