The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-09-06
4 JTDASACT BY TURKS
Thev Offer Armenians Money,
If Cleared of the MaSsaCr
RELIEF DISTRIBUTION DELAYED.
The Turks. Angry Because the Armen-
ians Refused Their Oner, Obstruct'd d
Foreign Aid-Atrooities still Continue
4 Girl Abused and a Youth killed

Foreign Aid-Atrocitics still Continue
4 Girl Abused and a Youth Killed
New YORK. sept. THE following
statement has Just been received by
gentleman III this city from responsible
persons III Turkey, fully cognizant of
the facts:
Some time ago movement was
made on the part of the Turks 10 send
aid TO the victims Of their barbarity at
Sassoun \ gift of Il, 600 was re-
ported and a committee was organized
TO see to its distribution. Small sums
were offered TO the people on condition
that they would siSE receipts III the
nature OF thanks for the generosity
thus manifested. at the same time Ger
tifying that II was not the soldiers OF
the sultan who injured them, but only
a little row that had occurred between
them and the kurds. Naturally they
declined the preferred aid on such con
dItiOnS Here was the government
that with fire and sword, and with almost
unprecedented and fiendish atrOcity
had utterly wasted their homes, coming
and offering a pa!try dollar head to
the survivors who are on the ground, is
proof Of their gracious sovereign char
liable regard for them, while they
could 90 among their mosleln neigh
bors and identify property worth many
times this sum as that which had been
wrested from them, W lille it would be
easy for the government itself to collect
and return from among the more dis
tant Kurdish nOmads nearly the whole
amount they had lost
In the meantime English men and
women had collected for their fellow
Christians some efficient aid When
the government learned of this. and
that agentsawere coming te distribute
this money officials began to say, II
these people will not accept our aid,
why should we allow Others to come in
and help them: Influential friends OF
the sufferers finally persuaded the gov
ernment TO modify their demands to
the extent Of accepting simply Il receipt
for funds received, and then the people
were with difficulty persuaded to re-
ceive the preferred aid. However, the
amount that they have been called
upon TO receipt for up TO the present
time, has not been sufficient to prove
burdensOme. OF the G2, 900, only GOO
has materialiZed, and 9 mejils nearly
81 per day goes for salaries OF the com
mission.
When agents were appointed by the
British ambassador to distribute the
funds from abroad. il was with some
difficulty that permission was secured
to enter the devastated region, where
some > 1000 survivors had already gone
to SOW their fields with a sort OF mlllet
that natures III a few weeks from the
time 1t Is sCwn, oxen having been gen
erOuSlv loaned them by the pOOG vii
IF rho Nnt.riG n r.l4Tr1 Tho
ices of the existing Turkish committee
We're offered TO distribute these cOntri-
buttons, but finally this point was ap-
parenUy waived. and they We're allowed
TO locate themselves at the village of
Semal They attempted to repair the
houses of the Armeniaus. damaged
during the massacre, but the Turks
would not allow II.
The general condition Of the country
is getting worse The Christians are
having hard time i'll harvest. They
are in danger Of their lives. 1t is usual
for them to remain III the fields during
harvest. Now they dare not. The
women usually carry food 10 the fields
fOT the workers. Now they are afraid
| to do so. The other day, about two
| hours from here, a girl carrying food tC
| the fields for the wOrkmeu was set
upon by three young Turks and fouIlv
and brutally treated y row followed
and two or three Christians were
wounded. At another village, nine
| hours from here, band of 20 horsemer
| entered the village of Kupri-Keuy anG
! first went through the village in RI
otous way and greatly terrified the
| people, demanding the girls and brides
| Later they took their rifles and went
! firing through the streets of the village
| The son Of the priest opened the door
with the idea Of inducing them 10 leave
by giving money. he was shot down.