New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-07
THE MURDERED MISSIONARY.


TURKEY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF TIL
MURDER AND TRIAL
10 the Ed it0r Of The Tribune
SIR: The recent murder in Turkey of the Rev
Mr.. Parsons. the American missionary. merits
special attention in its relation to interests dear t.
large number of your readers rs well as to those
of the United States Government.
The story is briefly this Mr.. Parsons has fol
twenty five years lived in the Armenian village OF
Baghcheuk on the hills that border the Gulf OF
Nicomcdia, IN Asia Minor. While travelling on
July 2S he was oyertaken by night when still fif-
teen miles from home. According TO the custom OF
the country he encamped for the night by the road
side with his native companion. The place chosen
Tor this purpose among the mountains about
half way between the city Of Nicomedia ana the
site of The ancient city of Nice While the two
asleep some nomad Turcomsns, or Yourouks. as the
Turks call them, CHANGED to pass that way and.
after some hesitation decided to kill and rob the
sleepeIs. The TurcOmans. as Mahometans, share
in the common Moslem belief that the assassina-
ton of Christian involves little more moral re-
sponsb ity than the butchery of a sheep. So these
men shot Mr.. Parsons and his companion as they
lay. stripped the bodies and went about their busi-
ness with unruiled conscienceS. They never even
thought of hiding the evidences of their guilt. 1t
Is true that when arrested the men expressed Their
regret at having killed two men for only five dollars
and few threadbare garments. One of them also
said that he sorry to kill the old man with the
gray beard. but had to do it TO keep him from re-
porting the robbery.
But on the whole the Turcomans ssem to have
given no thought to the matter after they had di-
vided the spoils and they never dreamed that the
murder would be inquired into. Strange a. il NAV
seem, the Turkish court at Nicomeda appears to
have taken the same careless view Of the matter
Although the murderers have confessed to the deed
tendency showed itself III court. after the prelim
mary examination to find them guilty only Of a
misdeneanor
In addition to these facts il may be remarked that
for twenty years Mr.. Parsons has hved. cut of from
society. IN this humble Armenian village, and that
be has done this in order TO be of its people.
lie found them dead to ali progress and sunk in
ignorance and filth. He left them awakened TO the
importance Of education eager 10 maintain schools
and to make progress in every direction. He found
them without IDEAS of ceanly moral living. He
left them after having been the means of drawing
large number of them to pledge themselves to living
in purity and equity, while The whole population
has been affected and elevated by what their eyes
have OF the beauty of such principles Of life.
He went 70 those people as stranger, feared and
even hated. When h. died five hundred families
were shocked and bereaved as if the disaster had
fallen upon them all. For not only here but in all
the towns and villages within radius of forty
fifty miles, the people knew the little gray haired
gentleman as a friend to the oppressed and kindly
adviser to ali in troUhle.
FACrS FoB THE UNITED STATES TO CONSIDER.
Some VII lind special interest in these circum-
stances, Bu, the United States Government
can take no corriztnce Of the sentimental
beaiircs of the case. The facts which re-
late 10 the interests of Government
are: a. That Mr.. Parsons YVES an American
citizen 10 whose manner of carrying his business
the Turkish Government has in twenty years made
no objection: ~ That he shot public high
way les than twenty-five miles from Constant
nople; 70 That tie defence of his murderers that
the murdered man was not a Mahometan; o.
That the Turkish off cials received this defence
without rcbuke. as if il was worthy of consdera-
ton and l5 that the Turkish officials have APP
peared TO take an interest in the defence of the
murdeIerS.
A prominent deduction from these points is that
there is hope Of satisfactory action in the case
from the Turkish authorities unless our Govern
ment applies to their action vigorous stimuant
Ii, already notorious that in turkey Mahome-
tan murderers of Christians are not punished with
out pressure from foreign Powers. The feelings Of
the Mahometan people toward those who not
of their religion borrowed from the Jews of old.
They are cx1 ty the feelings of the ancient Jewish
Nation toward all Grntiles. y Mahometan can
not feel II a crime to XIII Christian. and Ma
hometan court can convict of crime the MOslem
murderer OF a Christian. TO a Moslem the legal as
pect OF this case embraces simply the question of
the value of the life OF Mr.. Parsons mIsbeliever
and Therefore hated of God, as weighed against the
life Of one of the Faithful, whom Goa loves.
The folly OF expecting Turkish courts Turkish |
Pachas to execute MahometanS for the murder of
Christians is proved by volumes of examples. In |
1876 the punishment of the Moslem murderers of |
the Consuls at Salonica was secured only by a large
demonstration of brute force on the part of France
and Germany. This year the Russian Government |
had to make demand after demand upon The Porte |
for the execution of the MahOmetan murGererS of |
Colonel Comearoff and throughout the case the ati-
tude of the Porte was that of counsel for the de
fence Of the assassins. And now the case of the
murderers OF Mr.. Parsons see the same Mosem
inability to view the crime as it is. Three Turco-
mans acknowledge that they planned the murder |
went together to execute IT, and divided the pitful
spoil But, since the men confessed. Turkish OIL
Gals have interposed to save them by seeking to
make it appear that the youngest of the three alone
fred the shot which killed Mr. Parsons This young
man they next attempt to prove TO be three years
younger than he is, saying that he is but iii
teen years old. Their argument then is that since
the murderer is but mere boy he cannot he hardly
dealt with therefore there is crime in this case.
The root of the whole matter is that the murderers
are Mosems aud. TO Moslem are therefore, more
worthy to live than American citizen who was
aot Moslem
THE FARCE OF JUSTICE IN TURKEY.
The difficulty of securing justice under such cir-
Gums ances Is supplemented by the fact that courts
IN Turkey have no character for justice The judge,
without the aid Of jury, finds the verdict and he
frames il in accord with his views of expediency.
his view is influenced by money. Some
times it j. Influenced by public opinionor, what is
he same thing. by the wishes of the Government
officials. Sometimes 1t is influenced by the direct
command Of the Government. For, in important