The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-16
ABUSED BY THE TURKS.
Fearful Experience Of a Natual-
lied Armenian American.
IN CHAINS IN A DUNGEON.
Compelled to Walk For Miles with MUIR
derers-HIs Passport Taken and His Wife
Robbed-An Because He Had become
An American.

New YORK, May l3.-Cricor Manas-
Bian has arrived in this city from Mar
seilles, accompanied by his wife and
child The facts concerning Manas-
SLAMS arrest and imprisonment in
Turkey were published some time ago.
His deposition concerning the treatment
he received at the hands of the Turkish
government will this week be presented
to the department Of state at Washing
ton. Mr.. Manassian, who is of Arme-
nian birth, became an American citizen
in 1893, after residence of seven years
in the United States. Mr.. Manassian's
statement is as follows: II left New
York in July, 1893, and went to my
native city of Tokat, Turkey, to visit
my relatives and attend to matters re-
lating to my family. At Constantine
pie / showed my passport at our con-
sulate and received yoltesker (permit)
from the government to go to Tokat.
About three months after was called
from Tokat to SAMSON, where my
nephew lay dying. l applied to the
government to have my tesker revised.
They took my passport, saying the gov.
ernor wished to see it. They kept both
and gave me provisional tesker with
which i went to SAMSON andreturned.
! could not recover my passport and
was at last told, after three months,
that it was sent to Sivas to the vail
governor generaD. l wrote to Consul
Jewett at Sivas and sent my citizenship
papers at his request, but could not Sc
cure the passport. / was then begin
ming to make plans to return to Amer
lea. The consul wrote me again April
10, 1894: The vail informs me that he
was much annoyed, but felt no alarm.
"In September the vail came to
Tokat. applied to him about my
passport, but he said you should not
have became an American citizen.
Three days after Sunday, late in the
evening, seven Turkish roldiers came
into the house where | was with my
wife and child, and in spite of my pro-
tests that was al American citizen,
and that they had no right to arrest
me without the information of an
American official, they compelled me to
go, saying the wall wanted me- They
took me to prison. The next morning
they put me in chains and manaoles
and an iron around my neck, together
with two murderers in a dungeon and
then sent me in a cart to Amasia. From
Amasia to Kovak they made me walk
in chains with the murderers five days,
making me sleep at night in dungeons,
in chains. My feet were sore and l
could not walk any more, and per-
suaded the murderers to pay for cart
till SAMSON, eight hours away, was
reached, which we could not have
walked in three days. Neither l, nor
my friends could send kilograms. The
messages would be accepted but not
sent. But a person was sent to Sivas
and information given to Consul jew
EFT, and yet nothing was done either by
him or the consul at SAMSON for two
weeks. They brought me out occasion.
ally to ask if l still persisted in remain
ing an American citizen, and when
said did, they took me back to Jail.
At the end of two weeks was sent as
a prisoner to Constantinople in Turk
ish steamer, and upon arrival put into
prison. The next day Minister Terrell
was informed and l was released and
sent to him. He heard of all had suf-
fered. 1t was some days after my ar
rival that letter came from Consul
Jewett, and both he and the consul at
SAMSON have confirmed the outrages
and injury inflicted upon me by order
Of the vail.
IL had my wife and child come to
SAMSON, and as no man was allowed to
come with her / had to take the steamer
for SAMSON again. l was dumb
founded to find that she had no money
whatever, all my money that l had,
$40 sterlings, RS3 12 Turkish about
$3.50 in ALI and my watch, having been
stolen by the Turkish soldiers, who re-
manned behind and ransacked my house
ON the night they arrested me. We
sold some of her gold coin ornaments
and with much suffering reached Con-
stantinople. i sent an appeal by regis
tered letter from Constantinople Dec.
12 last to the president of the United
States, begging him that telegraphic in
struction be sent to Minister Terrell to
secure justice for me. No answer
came. There had not been even
word against me from any Turk
ish official, and even the chief of
police at Constantinople expressed
astonishment that should have been
arrested and put in chains. They took
my affidavits and said they would be
sent to our government, and that If l
managed to reach the United States the
matter would be settled from there.
with much suffering managed to
borrow money and reached Marseilles
and there we lived in privation till, by
working at my trade, secured passage
to the United States Our consul at
Marseilles gave me to understand that
they had orders not to protect Ameri.
can citizens who were born Armenians.
Is such thing possible9 Who is our
government afraid Off"