Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-08-10


they had a native pastor and a regular
church of their own--the latter having been
built chiefly by their own contributions
! Of Mdt Protestant community ehieh fort
night ago ,eos .fW Of spiritual tite t,co
men no,c lire TO teRhe tale Of their hatchery,
whilst of their 1000 Greek fellow Christ
ians bit hirty-ttree men hare surcived, and
the fate of their wives and children is worse
than uncertain. The village was attacked
by an overwhelming body of Druscs on
Saturday, the ID ult. The Christians
armed to repel them, and for two days held
their own, ard on the third driving back
the enemy. Hitherto the commander of the
Turkish troops had stood aloof, although
as was the case at Sidon, at Deir-el- krmar,
and at Rasbeiye-he had traops enough at
: his command TO repel and defeat the Druses,
had he SO wished. When he saw that the
Chrirtstans were gaining the day, he called
them back, and in the name Of the Sultan
ordered them to retire within the seraglio,
"a large building covering nearly an acre
of ground, and containing the residence of
the commander, as well as the barrack,)
and to give up their arms, as he, the local
representative Of the government, would
conduct them all safe to Damascus, where
they would be better eff than in Hasbeiya
whilst the civel war lasted. The Christians
obeyed him returned, gave up their arms,
which were immediatly packed up and sent
towards Damascus, but with SO absurdly
small an escort that the Druses took pos
session of both the muskets and the mules
that carried them within an hour Of their
leaving the place. The Christians asked
again and again to be sent with their fami-
lies, as promised, to Damascus. For nearly
a week they were put off with some pre-
text or other until, on the sixth day after
their being disarped, during which time
the Turkish soldiers had prevented any of
them from leaving the precints of the Sc
raglio,) two Druse sheiks of great influence
: had arrived, and had conference of sew
5 eral hoqrs With the Turkish commander of
r the troops.
No sooner was this conference ended
/ than the Christians observed that the ha-
rem wives, women and children,) as well
e as the property of the commander, was re-
t moved from the seraglio and that the Turk
S ish soldiers also removed their baggage out
S side. Suspecting treachery many of the
d Christians tried to escape from the place
b but were prevented by the the bayonets oi
e the troops, whilst their women and children
q were ordered and compelled to remove to
e the large upper chambers of the buildings,
: the men being forced to remain below. By
: this time it was known that many hundreds
2 of armed Druses were close to the town.
e The troops had hardly made the aforesaid
arrangements when the Druses were ad-
< mitted into the seraglio, and rushed like
hungry tigers upon the unarmed mob in
e the court yard. No man was spared. In
ten minutes the very stones were an inch
] deep in human blood. No butchery ever
known in history equalled this in ferocity
). and cowardice. In half an hour upwards
e of thousand strong men were hacked to
. death. Some few tried to escape, but we're
! driven back by the bayonets of the Turk
S ish soldiers (regular troops, not Bashi Ba-
t zouks,) and the Druses had their revel of
t blood undisturbed: mothers, wives, daugh-
] tiers, and young children witnessing from
:, above the massacre of their relatives. ]
: could enter into more details, but sicken at
g the task. Would TO heaven that it were o
!. fable or dreaml In the slaughter some
/. few hid in out-of-the-way chambers; others
9 escaped notice from being heaped over by
!. the dead, and these by Gods mercy man
t aged in the night TO escape, wandered
e down the coast, where one Ali Bey. Met
8 uali chief, protected them, and so to Tyre,
where they took ship TO Beyrout, and ar
rived here on Saturday evening, the 10th
: inst OF the fate of the women and chill
! dren nothing is yet certain, but from what
7 is known of the Turkish soldiers il is feared
that the fate of the former will be one
It worse than death. OF the Protestant
: community not man escaped, but more
than one Of the Greek Christian refugees
e bears witness how they met their fate, ex-
). horting others TO turn to the Savior and
pray to Him."
: Mr.. Jessup, an American missionary at
Beirut, writes 1.-THE massacre of Christ
ians by the Druses at Sidon, was of the
same character as that at Cawnpore and
Delhi, during the Indian Eeyolt." He al
so asserts that majority of the attacking
party were Moslems, and fully implicates
tie Turkish soldiers in the tragic occur
rences. He thinks that the French and
, Russians win now interfere in the affairs
of the country, and says that important po-
) litical changes may sooon be announced,
. The Sweeper Of Dunluce.
On the northern coast of Antrim, about
! midway between rortrush and the Giants
o ~ Il l. ii.