The herald., 1894-12-04
Bloodcurdling Accounts of the
Outrages by Eye
Witnesses.
THE STORIES OF REFUGEES.
Te nder Girls and Women Brutally Out
rsged-Msn Cruelty Tortured
and Slain -Innocent Babes
Slang htered.


Associated Press. 1.-The Associated
Press exclusively hes been able to give
to the world the facts of the terrible
atrocities perpetrated upon Armenian
Christians in Asia Minor, and today q
representative of the Associated Press
succeeded in securing additional infor-
nation confirming the previous state.
ments made. The representative today
met 20 Armenian refugees who arrived
here from Armenia after journey full
OF hardships and suffering. Securing
the services OF frst-class interpreter, be
gathered the Armsnians together at a
convenient place. and having relieved
their pressing necessities, the interprs-
ter questioned the refugees concerning
the terrible events of which they had,
in q numbe OF cases, been eye wit.
nesees.
This party of Armsnians 10 the first
that has escaped from the districts
where the maseacres occurred. and it is
believed that even woree remains to be
told. as the horrors described are under.
stood to have lasted for long while
after this party left. Most OF the per-
sons who told their stories today escaped
from Moosh. Bitias aud Sassoun, taking
with them what little they could carry
and making their way with the greatest
difficulty to the Russo-Turkish frontier
and going to Erivan and E,chmiadzin.
Several Armenian women escaped
from the Villages with the party, but
when near Erzeroum they died from the
effects of sabre wounds inflicted upon
them before their escape.
For about 18 months, the Armenians
say, the province of Sassoun has been
surrounded by Turkish troops. Nobody
has been allowed to outer or leave.
About four months ago the Turkish au-
thorities learned that the inhabitants of
Verte mis-, q village outs1de the frontier
OF Ssssoun. were sending for the neces.
ssries of life to the village OF Dalvorig
Such communication between the two
villages being prohibited. the Turks
massacred nearly all the inhabitants OF
Vartemis. This was the second massa-
ere to occur. The first took place about
year ago.
One of the refugees, q man named
Khadjik, states that his uncle and aunt
were both killed, the latter had been
violated previous to being put to death.
An Armenian priest named Kevont was
killed for refusing to celebrate Turkish
rites in his church at Vsrtenais. The
village contained 1926 Armenian houses
before the Turks attacked it, but when
the fugitives left only 25 houses re-
msined standing. Dalvorig, II appears,
is the largest village in the province Of
Sassoun, and it's inhabitants. when they
learned of the horrors perpetrsted by
the Turks at Vartemis. attacked the
Turks on the frontier.
The Turkish commander eventually
sent J2 soldiers into Dalvorig to learn
what had occurred. The Armenians.
filled with indignation at the atrocities
committed by the Turks at Vartemis,
attacked this detachment OF Turkish
soldiers and put them all to death.
When the Turkish commander heard
of tho death of his soldiers, hs deter
mined on q vengeance in the most
bloody manner possible. A strong force
of Turkish troops was cent to the village
with artillery, and the massacre began.
Guns kept up continuous fire upon
Dalvorig until practically not one stone
was left standing upon another.
Selo, the hey OF Initzoun, Kurd,
with q detachment of Kurdish cavalry,
went with the Turkish soldiers to the
village of Semal and foroibiy took the
Armenian priest from his church, after
disgustingly defiling the sacred vessels
and tho priests hands. They then
bound him on q donkey, which they
drove a distance of few yards. The
soldiers then fred at the priest and
killed him and the beast he was
bound to.
In the same village the Turkish SOL
diers entered an Armenian house and
violated woman and her daughter, the
latter being IA years OF age. From this
village Selo forcibly took eight Ameri-
can girls and sent them to his harem at
! Initzoun.
Further atrocities were committed by
| the Turks at the village OF Veliehusen.
| Before dawn this place was surrounded
by soldiers, and while the inhabitants
were still asleep 1t was set on fire. The
brutal soldiers entered the residence OF a
man named Araket, who was asleep
| with his wife, and tortured them both
|, in horrible manner with red hot irons.
| At this village the soldiers killed the
Armenian priest. MorgoHa, with the 20
other inmates Of house. They were
burned to death. the soldiers preventing
any body from escaping from the burn
ing building.
The CHIEF Of the village Of Chenee was
captured by the soldiera and bound to