Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-30

SAID that many Russian women were de-
tained, as she had been. in the harems
OF Asiatic Turkey, and that she had
come into contact with several of these
unfortunates. The Russian police are
now investigating, with a view of secur-
ing the release of the captves. So fur
they have met with little success owing
10 the secrecy which,
LIKE AN ALMOST IMPESETRABLE WALL,
surrounds the domestic life OF women in
Turkey.
As recent dispatches have shown, the
troubles in Armenia are largely stt!ibut-
able 10 the recruiting of Turkish house
holds from u Christian population. The
Armenian women are more beautiful,
according to the Western idea at least,
than those of the Caucasus. They have
email hands and feet, regular features,
clear compilations and heads of the finest
European type, for they are closely akin
to the superior races OF Europe. This
does not apply TO all Armeuians, there
being two distinct elements in that
country, one known by term
Simplifying 1.-the COARSE and the
other 1.-The pure or unmiXed. The
pure Armenian answer the description
gwen above and il is upon these that the
-! urk ash and Kurdish raiders are contin-
ually preying, the Kurds being merely
robbers for the Turkish market. But
few days ago the cable mentioned that
an American bride aud the bridesmaids
had been carried off from their wedding
feast by kurds. Such outragps are of
frequent occurrence in ARMENIA, and
there is no instance of the abducted
female ever being heard of again. The
tragedy of Ariish is fresh in the minds of
European readers. Arjish is q small viii
lnge on the shore of Lake Van. An Ar
menlau wedding took place there in
June, the bridegroom being young mer-
chant named Batsmu, well situated in
life, and the BRIDE the daughter of a
neiEhboring farmer. After the cere-
mony at the church the party all ad-
joucued to the residence of the BRIDE
groom for the usual wedding banquet.
The newly married couple had many
friends, and it was almost gala day in
the little town. The feastlng went mer-
rily on until late in the evening, when
the stars began to shine over the charm
ing expause OF Lake Van. Suddenly
THE HOUSE WAS SURROUNDED
by band of mara uders who had steal
thily approached from the direction of
the hills. They dashed in on the merry
makers. The men, taken by surprise,
resisted bravery. but while part OF the
banditti fought the men, the Others bore
away half score OF the shrieking, faint
ing women, including the bride. Then
all the kurds-for the outlaws belonged
to this tribe-mounted their horses aud
were away in a twinkling toward their
native businesses. The bridegroom,
though nearly insane, retained enough
self possession to organize party of
pursuers with the best horses that coul d
be procured in aud near the village. The
chase continued all night, when about
the gray of the morning, the kurds, who
had been somewhat delayed by their
human burdens, were overtaksn in the
mountainous district of Alsdagh. The
hurds did not avoid an encounter with
foe whom they had been accustomed TO
dispise. The fight did not last long.
Batamu was shot dead, almost
at the first FIRE. and five of his
companions also fell victims to the
prscticed aim of the mountaneers.
what the thoughts of the bride could
have been, as she lay bound, perhaps
unable to see, but certainly able to hear
the struggle, may be imagined. The
surviving ArDenians were compelled to
retire, the kurds making no attempt to
prevent them from carrying evay the