The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-04
INTERVIEWING REFUGEES
THE FATHER OF ALL THE AR
MENIANs TELLS A SAD STORY.
In One Instance $50 of the Victims
of Kurdish Troops Were buried
Alive i'm a Shallow Pit.


investigate the stories told of Turkish
atrocities in that country, under date of
Tifiis, Russia, Jan. %. forwarded the fol-
lowing interview with the Rev. Father of
all the Armenians, Mgr. Khrimiran. After
hesitation of several days. the very
reverend father granted the request of the
correspondent for statement of the con-
dition of Armenia and the causes which led
to the Sassoun massacre. Additional weight
is given to the statements by the fact
that Mgr. Khrimiran is at the present
time preparing a memorial on the subject
to the Czar of Russia, and it may be in
fered that the substance of this statement
contained in the memorial TO the Car may
be found in this interview.
Mgr. Khrimiran's home is at Etzschmiad-
zin, in the Ararat region of Russia within
short distance of the Turkish frontier.
In an outer room of the house are the
correspondent a monk in a black habit and
at the further end of the room
dressed entirely in red, holding a long
mace. The sanguinary appearance of this
man contrasted strangely with the peace
and quiet of the house. Some times four
of these red garmented men are in at
tendance. On the occasion of the first visit
of the correspondent to the quiet house he
was introduced by eminent Armenian
SGHtleludI, GultOT Oh <AIQZlaSdIlk. On Ine
occasion of his second visit, Mgr Khrini-
ran having decided to make the statement
talked fiuently and eloquently of the wrongs
of his people. Among other things he said:
THE PRIESTS STORY
'"The massacre in the Sassoun mountains
was the result of long period of Turkish
misgovernment In the Armenian provinces
of Turkey, a policy of cruelty and oppres-
sion has continued for long time. /,
myself, have been an eye witness of all
kinds of Turkish oppression. In fact,
about fifty. years of my life have been
passed in connection with the prosecutions
in Armenia Twenty or thirty years ago
the Armenans, whose minds and conscience
were still very low and narrow, did not un-
derstand the cause of all the calamties
troubles were sent by heaven as a punish
ment. for their sins. Such Is always the
and the printing press. But later, when the
people began to think ana to understand
came change and they saw clearly the real
cause of their troubles. One reason for
sner d change was isle the & war between Russia
for the Bulgarians, who received freedom
and self-government The Armenians suf-
fered from the misgovernment of the Turks
much more than the Bulgarians, Who lived
in the neighborhood of the western Euro
pean powers, whereas he Ar1nenians were
at such a remote distance from the civil
lzed world that their cries could not be
heard.
the Armenians. encouraged by the improved
conditions of Bulgaria, demanded the same
guarantees which were given to that coun-
try. All kinds of complaints, grievances and
petitions poured into the Patriarch of Con-
stantinople. They were SO numerous that if
they had been thrown into large room
they would have filled it as full as an egg.
In the meantime, the European powers
We're compelled to sign the Berlin treaty.
At this period L sent with another dele
gate to the chief capitals of western Europe
to plead the cause OF the Armenians. vis-
lin, but my mission did not produce satis-
factory results. presented to the Berlin
Turkish atrocities in Turkish Armenia.
Moreover, there was printed in Berlin the
same time my description q fo these atrocities.
lied, as with reference to the Armenian
question the Berlin Congress adopted what
is known as the sixty-first article of the
Berlin treaty and, although the treaty was
signed, it had no influence in lessening the
persecution of the Armenians. Our hopes
were in vain. The cruelty of Turkish gov
ernment did not cease. 1t merely took
new form. But, keeping in view T. that there there
means of justifying their atrocities. What
happened? The taxes became heavier. and
the Kurds received full permission to plum
der Armenian peasants Here lies the cause.
Why should a people who have not only a
sufficient quantity of land, even too much,
and a very fertile and wel-irrigated land,
leave their native soil and emigrate to
other countries? If there was no proof of
Turkish misgoyernment in Armenia, this
circumstance alone would present suf1c1ent
evidence of those expressions which the
Armenians in Turkey are enduring. Nearly
eighty thousand Armenians seek work in
Constantinople in order that they may be
government imposes on them. In the whole
Turkish empire, including Asia, there are
also about three million Armenans.'
HORROR AT SASSOUN.
\
father said: CAS- every action brings its
result or counter-blow, the same may be
said of the oppression of the Armenians,
who understood the actions of the Turks
and began to revolt. 1t was then and only
then that the Turks understood the danger
of the position AS a result, they had re-
course to the Kurds, whose chiefs were
called to Constantinople, where they re-
ceived instructions to form regiments of
soldiers from their own tribes. This was
the beginning of what is known as the
Hamidieh Cavalry or kurdishir Regulars.
The Kurdish chiefs were loaded with favors
and invested with the right to oppress the
ArgSienians. Their troops received no pay,
ceived permission to plumber the Christians,
Unable to endure the newest form of OPP
preston and torture. some OF the Armenians
pressors, while many others sought to fly
to foreign countries
the Sassoun mountains. What took place
there [ only know from the statements of
eyewitnesses and also from the accounts
published in the newspapers. The Turks
| had wished for a long time to capture and
| punish the people who had revolted against
| the cruelties of the kurds, but the mac
| feasibility of the mountainous country no;
| only to cavalry but also to infantry frus-
| trated the design. However. when the
| Kurdish regiments We're formed the task OF
capturing the mountain people was in
| trusted to them, and subsequently 3,00t
Turkish regular troops, with severa
mountain guns, were sent to assist in the
work The Armenians occupied strong
| position, and when the Turkish troops at
| tackled them they met with resistance, but
! as the Arnenians had but few arms ant
| inadequate supplies Of provisions, they were
! eventually compelled to surrender. During
| the fighting a few soldiers We're killed, but
| they were very few in comparison with the
| number of Armerians afterwards put tC
! death by both kurdish and Turkish troops
1 Among the horrible cruelties perpetratee
upon the Armenians during the massacre
| will relate the following fact proving the
ferocity of the Turkish troops and theil
/ commander. Zekki Pasha:
1 when the Armenians had surrendered
/ $50 of them, including three priests. were
thrown alive into large ditch, despite ths