New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-20
ARMENIAN TROUBLES.
OUTRAGES OF THE KURDS-THE ERZROC1
RIOTS

smouldering annovalce. An outbi eak at Erzroum,
with bloodshed between yhe Mosems and Chris
tians, has let loose ali the latent passions of re-
lisious hate, and opened possibilities of grave
international complications.
The state of feeling among tie Armcnians OF
Turkey must lie understood before the Erzroum
affair can be weighed in all of its bearings. Ihe
history Of the doings Of the kurd MOUSSE Boy and
the abortive attempt to bring him 10 jusuce
have been noted by all the newspapers Inc
Armenians Of the region of Bitiis and MouSh
have suffered for years from the villanies OF this
man and his clan; but they have been reduced
10 the utmost depth of abject helplessness by the
| evidence that Government officials side against
| them in all suits brought for redress. AS TURK
! from that region remarked not long ago. Ihe
Armenians of Moush are cOwed to SUCH an en-
tent that when Kurdish chief comes TO village
and demands his wife, the Armenian will give
her up and then when the X rd sends her back
after three months, he will receive her ana say
nothing about it," 1t appears to be the feehnS
Of the Turks that the kurds will be useful In
the future as Basloazouls, and that their out
RACES are useful in the present sedatves to tho
Armenians. Hence the tenderness shown toward
the feelings of Moussa Bey in treating the matter
of the suits against him.
But Moussa's exploits are only part OF the
| list of grievances that have gradually alenated
| the Amenians from their historic loyalty. In
all the region of Erzroum q systematic course OF
police espionage with the opening OF letters In tho
| post, the searching Of all Armenans who travei,
! and the arrest and senseess detention OF suspects
| on the principles set forth in Mr.. Kennans studies
Of Russian police methods, has made breach OF
| suspicion where reason for suspicion exlsS.
| The Armenians are nowhere in any such NUMBER
as TO be danger to the peace of the Turks ana
| the pretcnce of their being dislOyal has only
fomerted disloyalty without proving one whit the
thesis that disloyal Armenian can hurt anybody.
Moreover the distant corners of Asiatic Turkey
witness daily the most atrocious oppression OF the
Armenans under pretence of tax-collection' III
the region of Khnous the taX-c0llect0rs haVc
fairly outdone themselves during the last year.
The stick well laid on is still the means OF col
| lection in that region, and the taX-couector,
sitting in his room and imblblng arracK oy inc
quart, every now and then calls out to his men,
! What does this silence mean? Why do nob
! hear them yell?" Then the officers proceed ID
make the wIetches corralled in some sEed yell by
administering a fresh round OF lndlscrimihaUe
blows One man l know Of, lame beggar from
| the streets was beaten last winter, ana theh
triced up by his hands and feet to the roof Of his
hut one side of his body freezing from the cola
Of the chimney hole, while the other side was
slowly roasting from the heat of the fire lie
hung in this position for nearly two hours before
the tax-qatherer was satisfied that he had been
tortured enough to extract his concealed cash IL
he had possessed any such store Another mah
after being beaten was tied hand and loot TO
post and fresh COW dung smeared all over his lace
in order to persuade him TO pay up repued arrears
~ tayes The attempt OF the Arnenlans OF
Alashgerd to enligrate in body last winter, when
was reported in all the papers, was simply the re-
suit of a long system OF terrible oppression under
which they felt that they could not bear up The
Kurds cut their green wheat Tor fodder, ana
burned their grain-stOres for malice, ana tnen IN
order further to provide against the populace be-
coming fat and wealthy, they levied contributions
from door 10 door for the benefit of a syndicate
of local chiefs All these things happening IN the
Province of Erzroum have deeply stirred inc
hearts Of the Armenians of the region Inc Guy
Of Erzroum was a magazine of suppressed en-
plosives only waiting for a match The match
was applied by one of those spies who lniest all
the cofee-shops of all the cities Of Turkey and
make a living by iniiaming the fears OF their en-
ployers.
One Of these infamous wretches sent telegram
to the Sultans palace declaring that III certain
Mace in the Armenian cathedral church of Err
roun vast store of arms was secreted, awaiting
4 favorable opportunity for a rising. The result
' General OF frzroum, who was too clear heac<d a
man 10 give heed to such stories but to the COM
mander of tho Fourth Army Corps, al Erzingan.
to search the Armenian church for arms. IhN
~ .er was carried out Oh Wednesday, the 18TH or
June by the military in the presence Oh Inc me
Governor. General and the Armenian Blsh0p Inc
church was ransacked, even the hlSh dllari anu
the holy place where the relies are kept, .pelh5
overhauei by the Moslem troops. Nothing was
found. and the great Armenian hgh-sehool was
,l.oI
| were tremendously indignant at the PROCLAMATION
of the church Their religious feelings mad already
been excited by the stupid attempt OF the 10Y
eminent censor to revise thelI ancient cnuIcn
hvmn-bcok by striking out some OF the hymns
and some words here AMI there IN others. Ihey
now took the only course possible TO people
overwhelmingly outimmhtied by pcisccutors or
nm alien faith They caused al! the Armenian
shops in the city t. be closed, and they dsihsSed
aIl their schools and sent the Key OF me sch9oi-
houses to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III loIel tn'o
they had been deprived OF their rights ana HDer-
ties. On Friday June 20, the turks, miui n
that large numbers of the AImenl2hs were cor,
orCl,ed i'm the court of the church. chose 70 REGARD
the assembly as dangerous, and sent squad OF
rooms INTO the enclosure 10 dSperse the crowd
This second invasion Of Their sacred pullulilS m"S
foo much and some hothcads in the croWd Hrei
mon the soldiers. One or two turks lell ahI
he resi- fled 4 larger force then came ana cleared
the churchyari at the point OF the Dayohe'
wounding some of the ArInenlans A., 1900,
This was bad enough, but as soon as the news
Of the skirmish spread throughout the Guy inc
| NIobn,netau rabblc undo took to set matters I'd
ri.Lts Friday hcins the Moslem Sahoat: me
etrrrts were full OF soldiers ont on leave Tor the
day. These joined the rabblc, ana soon an IN
furiatcd mob ferociolS as only MoslcIi mop can
he. fell upon the Christian quarters OF the ciy,
attacking with clubs. stones and KNIVES an VIC
Armcnians who were lucidess enough to ne ia tne
streets Men were pounded TO death WIN slonrs
or beaten until their bones were smashed Dy me
force of the blows. Houses were broken mo
and sacked, and for some hours lRe whole whole e enH
WAS a pandcmonium " last hlghI c"us anu
/ tonncd tho riot The English and French con-
sulatcs and the houses of the American mission
aries. as we'll as their boarding-school loi glis;;
had their windows broken in by the showers OF
| f,onos with which the MahOmetans bomblrded all
christian houses The neat day the GovernmenS
had things more under control but the city was III
a dreadful manic The Moslems felt tibet the tlln'
/ ia como to assert the right of the MahometanS
t dostrny all those who are not of the true fatn,
- -lristi In tcrrOr OIL o gencral