Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13
TURKISH ATROCITIES,
The Sale of Slave Girls, Though Con-
Quoted Secretly, Has the Pro-
lection of the Law.
ABDUCTIONS In BROAD DAYLIGHT.
Christians Murdered That Their Blood May
be Used in the Religious Rites
of a Fanatic Sect
ABDUCTIONS In BROAD DAYLIGHT.
A BOY BLED TO DEATH AT DAMASCUS.
The truth Of the Reports Verified by Dr.. Thomas
White, Of AcKeesport
,conprsrnrnrncr or rur p1srArcH.l )

OONSTANTlNOFLntC uhS "a SOyOhih
of two weeks at the Turkish capital, during
which time was making some investiga-
tions OF a special nature, has put me in pos
session, through my intercourse with per-
sons of prominence and position, OF certain
facts tending to show what manner Of men
these Turks are and as illustrating the true
condition Of affairs in this far Eastern Em-
pire Shortly before leaving America, 1
read in a leading daily what purported to
be letter written from this city over the
full signature of the writer, stating that
Circassian girls were weekly sold openly as
slaves here. The writer went on to describe
with great minuteness all the details Of the
traffic He located the open slave market
in Scutari and, according to him, Wednes-
day was the market day.
The letter interested me, as it doubtless
did many Others, and l determined to In
vestivate the matter on my forthcoming
visit here. This l did thoroughly, being
aided by missionaries, physicians, professors
and persons in official position here not
Turks, and can say that the letter must have
been written on erroneous Information re-.
ceived. or was pure fiction. There II no
open slave market in seutari, or any part Of
C6hstahtinpple. Hut I have found also
that slavery does exist here, aud to-day In
Blamboul there arc n number o places
where Armenian, Creassion aud Turkish
girls may be purchased outright and legal
bill Of sale given which binds the sellers 10
refund pRymenl the person seid IL not
found hs represented
PROTECTED ny THE LAW.
II could make q satisfactory bargain
with the father | might come into
h. H..
,woman In the land. bhe would have
lno voice In The matter, and II would be u
Hsgul, binding transaction, There are
men regularly engaged la this business
here, ana the business ~ thus carried on Ia
almost entirely IN females, and they are
bought Tor the most part l0r no good pur-
pose The writer oi The letter was wrong
only In Que particular. lt were better,
perhaps, he were right, The open market
could be- moro easily controlled than the
secret slave mArtH oI stamboul.
The market NJ present Tor . female slave
II 1900 " 81 900, according 10 capacity aud
beauty. In Home instances the slaves thus
bought are taken 10 wife and we'll treated
BY the purchaser, but Ia the larger number
Of cases thev are wOFAe, ApF0pOa OF this
subject a handsome Jewess was Yesterday
abducted by civilians In broad daylight at
Has Kari, one OF the suburbs and the mat
Ter occasions but little comment. am as
Eured that such occurrences are lreauept
here. The HbduetoH will be we'll paid 10
keep silent, and the poor girls chances Of
escape or discovery are very limited This
vile % an attache Of the Russian legation
was assaulted by Turkish soldiers q lew
days ago while on a pleasure excursion to
Caramel. Though II has not occurred vet
the offenders Ia this case fortunately will
most likely meet with summary punish
ment.
INTERNATIONAL TROUBLES MAY RESULT.
This outrage, taken In connection with
the arrearHges Of the war indemnity now a
year or more overdue, and about which
Russia is clanoring, might be construed as
'casus belli." As further showing the
character Of the Turkish soldier a number
OF them recently made a German soldier
drunk and maltreate6 him. The matter was
brought to the knowledge OF the German
Minister. He demanded the punishment
OF the offenders but the Turkish Minister
of Justice showed such an unwillIngness to
do anything in the matter and desire TO
shield the soldiers that finally he threatened
to publish the details OF the shocking affair
in every paper In Germany.
Last week the surprise in diplomatic cir
cles were the resignation of the Minister of
Justice, change in the Goveruorship OF
ConstantinOple. and Black Bey, formerly
Ambassador to Washington, and late
Mayor OF Pera, was sent as Minister to
Roumania, step backward for the said
Bey. Those who ought to know, look upon
the grand change as the. final denouemeut of
the affair of the German sailor, yet the
actual offenders are unpunished.
One of the greatest needs OF the American
colony here is that of better postal arrange
ment>. The Government exercises a strict |
censorship over the mails. Letters, | am |
informed, are frequently suppressed, and |
some newspapers not allowed circulation in |
the country at all and others are mutiIated, |
England, France, Russia, Austria and Ger |
many each have their own postoffice and |
postal service, receiving, distributing and |
collecting the mail of the residents and |
officials OF the respective countries living |
here for the reasons mentioned. 1t is true |
the number of Americans here would hardly |
Justly the establishment of a separate |
American postoffice, but some ARRANGEMENT |
could easily, and should, by all means, be |
made with some of the Governments which |
have already established local Offices look
ing TO the proper and decent accom- moda-
tion of Americans as regards their mail
service.
DONE IN THE NAME OF RELIGION.
Another Of those shocking tragedies
which from time TO time have startled the
Christian world has occurred at Damascus
] re er 10 the shedding OF blood by certain
religious enthusiasts, that the same may be
used by them in their religious rites. A lew
years back sdch m outrage was perpetfated
at AletaGdtiai later on al Damascus the
Jesuit missionary, Father Thomas, was
murdered iof the same end. In this instance
barber who had done the actual killing nj
house 10 which tho priest had been eBtioed
Tot The purpose, confessed, and between the
laws hFshgiHg hand aud the fire Of the pop
hlhes ovei BO lives we're 0flaited ~ eGpia.
tlon of the crime, Only nve or tlk Years ago
NJ town in HUNGARY u Young Dhfltllan
Hlrl wah similarly lm'nolated, 4 remember
reading ~ the occurrence, but do Hot recall
that anyone was punished lof the crime.
bueh mfHisfy seemH always IN surround
these rasrh, " Ia With ihs greatest dlfieHlty
We RelhaI ehlbflis can be RppfeheHded,
Aha hvN comes THIS ease Ht Damascus,
about the Hhih ol which ! have what Abs
peafs W We the nest satisfactory aud reliable |
iHfeTmHtlpH, The theory upnn wbieb tbsss +
beHlgbtrd Pn7blH ACT ia these niufderous
eHtbfeaks ~ religious laaatiaism il. that ii
Christ was Tue true Messiah they will be |
saved bt atihiAg VI the blood of Chris.
tlahs, o. those who 10 believe Ia Him, This
they do, u these allegations aFe tTus NV
mixing The blood with the bread ussd Ia |
their sacrifice ! do not profess Ia saw az
know whether the charges are true ar false
but relate the following incident in nv ea.
paeity ~ correspondent aud as bearing
upon the case in general,
THE FACTS IN THE CASE.
My informant 10 pro eshor 10 the Medical
College here, He 10 q Syrian by birth. and /
q friend of the mother OF the alleged victim
OF the present outrage. Only the dav beIore .
my introduction he had received a Iettsr !
from her imploTing his aid In having the |