The Mineral argus., 1884-12-04

Armenian Ecclesiastics Force = Girl Co
Wed Brute.

" GANALIAAACAANf WN1
Iy outrage lately perpetrated in the
name OF religion upon the person of
young girl living at Hadiin, small
town of Cilicla in Asia Minor. The
circumstances well illustrate the double
rSle under which the eastern Christians
live-that of the Turks and of their
own bishops-and shows mp in dark
colors the tyranny so often exercised
by the latter, which has done more to
swell the ranks of the Armenian Prot
estants than all the exhortations of the
American missionaries. A certain Miss
Narcis Ki~rkvacharin, belonging to a
well-known family of Hadpir, was at
famed at a very tender age, according
to the barbarous custom of the countsN,
to q son of a neighbor. From the ago
e six she was placed at the mission
school, where her great Intelligence
and beauty made her a ~favorlte, ana
she became a most ACCOMPLISHED YounG
lady.
Naturally enough she learned to de-
spise tho i6noranoe around her and to
form other ideas of marriage from what
she saw among her teachers, and when
on leaving school, at the beginning OF
the present summer, she found her
hand claimed by a loutish individual
with the manner of a pig she strongly
objected to ratify the promise made for
her by her parents when she was only
5 years old. Her tears and suppllca-
tions prevailed, and, the first engage
ment having been broken off. later on a
second was formed with a young fellow
living at Adana, and they were about to
be married. The family priest, how
ever, made his appearance one day, de-
claring that he could not marry them,
that the first betrothal held good, and
that the young girl had better make
| her peace with her discarded fance,
as the "Tchorhaiees, (the elders of the
community were determined that she
should take him for \ husband and no
, other. In vain the father besought
these people not to interfere. The
father then telegraphed to the Cath
olicos of Sis, the great Armenian prelate
who YIELDS papal auth 1rlty over
+ half the Armenians of Asia Minor.
This enlightened ecclesiastic, when
= he made his appearance, not only sided
q with the tchorhajees, but arranged
with them a plan for carrying out the
marriage and concentrating 1t In the
n teeth of all opposition. Pending the
o negotiations the poor girl had fled for
n refuge to the house of the Missionary,
n trusting in the protection of the foreign
flag. The Turkish authorities of whom
she was demanded by the bishop and
y his vile crew in the nan of the com
10 munity, refusing to take steps in the
l. matter, a lot OF rufians were hired tC
az attack the place n carry ner OH bJ
10 force. Immured in a convent cell, she
Il was submitted to the most rigorous
n. treatment, with the hope OF overcoming
D. her resistance. She continued, now
ever. to manifest her repugnance to the
IA union, declaring that she would rathel
die than marry the brute who was tn
cause of such persecution. Spurred OF
bv the evil counsels of the tchorbaleei
and the desire to strike a blow at thu
influence of the American missionaries
the bishop finally decided to conduc
~ the marriage Ceremony by force. Pro
,st ceeding to her prison cell with all tn
necessaries. accompanied by the animal
burning with his vile desire to posses
10 her, and the tchorbajees bought wit
IS his gold, this ignoble prelat
he commenced to read the service
M At sight OF Jne leeIluS SAO"
!, the poor girl tainted. Brought t
again, she fell at the knees of the bisf
mp op and, with tears, implored him to d
~. sist. In vain she struggled to escap
m Held fast by two of the rufians as 81
Law upon the floor, for she could not
'M kept upon her feet, the horrid sacrllee
er. was completed by the nuptial benedl
OTIS ton being pronounced, while she loud
100 protested against it. The matter ct
not end here. The so-called husba
RS, left with the young girl, in order tn
me- by the consummation of the marriat
hin all OPPOSITION might cease, found I'll
me strength of the unwilling bride t.
"a much for him, and so the tchorbale
,es had to come to his assistance. SoI
of six hours afterward the poor Yictil
IN more lead than alive, was carried
to her brutal masters residence. Be
hon ing the stir the matter has created
aIlv it has now reached the foreign embas
the British and French consuls
ma Adana have sent reports on the subs
tbe TO C~onstantinople confirming all Il
has lust been related. The fathers l
mrs has even been threatened, as well
hat that OF the girl, if an end be not put
,aoe once to the measures that are beng q
en- TO bring about an official lnqul
no and Mr.. Ki~rkyscharian has Thought
sole necessary to fly to Adana. The key
the the conduct of the bishop Is no dol
was to be found in the jealousy with VII
.ncb the progress made by the Ameri'
missionaries in that part of Asia NH