The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-07
The PORTE IS alarmed
Turkey Now Eager to Explain the
Massacre of Armenians,
ANOTHER STORY RELATED
Turks Deny That Women and Children
Were Killed by Troops = Americans
Think Presidents Message Should
Have Referred to the Topic.
By the United Press.

By the United Press.
London, Dec. GA dispatch from Con-
stantlnople to the Morning Advertiser
says that the Porte denies, on the au-
thority of the commander of the Fourth
army corps, that any women or chill
dren were Killed in the Sassoun dis
trlct by regular troops. 1t Is added
that not single unarmed individual
was killed; indeed, twenty rebels who
submitted were treated with the great
est consideration and were liberated
after their evidence had been taken. 1t
was through their statements that the
place where Hamparsoun and his ac-
completes had taken refuge was re-
vealed. No other rebels submitted.
A dispatch to the Times from Vienna
says that the Echo an Armenian paper
published at Tiflis. in discussing the
fighting in the Sassoun district, states
that the governor of Moush sent troops
to aid the Kurds against the Armeni-
ans. The latter were victorious. The
governor, finding that nothing could be
attained by the use of force, offered the
Armenians peace and freedom from
taxation. This officer induced the Ar
menian chiefs to visit the governor.
Thereupon the governor seized and
executed them.
The paper mentions, without giving
the date, that there has been further
| fighting in the Moush district, and that
third encounter between the Turks
and Armenians had taken place at
Eudokia.
An odessa dispatch to the Times
records large increase in the Russian
| forces along the Turkish frontier. This
| is supposed to account for the disturbed
state of Armenia.
Boston, Dec. 6.-The Society of the
Friends of Armenia of this city today
began to circulate a petition to the
president of the United States and to
! the czar of Russia asking them to in
terfere to prevent the further slaughter
of Armenians by the Turks, and secure
just reparation for the blood already
shed. The petition to the cZar will be
carried to st. Petersburg by specialrep-
resentatives of the society.
Another Story Told.
Washington Dec. 6.-The Turkish le-
cation in this city has given out an
other statement in regard to the
butchery Of Armenfans by the soldiers
of the Sultan, as recently detailed in
the newspapers. This Is the second
statement given out in Washington on
this subject, and as 1t does not alto
gether agree with the first one, it only
furnishes additional evidence of the
fact that the Turkish government is
seeking to fool the American people.
The fact that President Cleveland
made no reference whatever to these
atrocities in his message seems to have
stirred up the people of this country
pretty generally. Members of congress
are receiving letters and resolutions
from Christian bodies all over the coun-
try urging some action to show the
sympathy of the United States with the
prosecuted Christians of Armenia.
The subject has already been brought
up in congress, and, however much Sec
retary Gresham may desire to suppress
debate on the subject he will not sue
ceed. If the American minister at Con-
stantinople, who is understood to be in
high favor with the sultan, has not
performed his duty in sending informa-
ton to the state department in regard
to these atrocities, the counry will
pretty soon find out the fact, as con-
gress has already called on the presi-
dent for the correspondence, if any, on
the subject.
The Turkish government concealed
all information on this subject for near
ly two months, or until it leaked out
through a British consul. But so far as
is known the consular officers of the
United States have not sent a word t.
our government on the subject, or II
they have their reports have been sup
pressed. When Consul Hallward's re.
ports of the massacre was sent to Sir
Philip Curry, the British minister al
Constantinople, and the minister pre-.
sented 1t to the Porte, the Turkish min.
lister of foreign affairs positively denied
the report, asserting that 1t was un.
true. Later, the Porte asserted that
Consul Hallward had encouraged the
Armenians to revolt. Then the Turkish
government issued another report II
which 1t laid the responsibility upor
the Turkish brigands. Various othel
reports have come and now the Turkish
officials in Washington give out still
another version.