The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-04
lg the ferocity Of the Turkish troops and


their commander. Zeki Pasha:
s'When the Armenans had surrendered.
$50 OF them, including priests, were
thrown into u large ditch alive, despite
the fact that they were not wounded. The
earth was then heaped on them and
thus they died. After this the massacre
continued many people, old and. young,
were killed, and many women and young
girls were sent by the soldiers to Ell
Moosh. The bodies of the Armenians
who were killed in large numbers to-
gether were buried in common graves,
but the bodies. of those who were killed
in isolated places were left unbqred.
The Armeriians who were not killed fled.
Most of them came to Russia. Some OF
them are now in Tiflis. Some came to me
in Etzchmiad and related to me the suffer
ings that they had endured. Many Ar
menians are confined in prisons for
political matters. The exact nun Der of
the prisoners is unknown to me, but it
must be more than 1000. Forty or fifty
clergymen are among the number, priests
and archimadrates.
They were arrested for so-called politi-
cal offences, but what the Turks call a
political offense has not been designated.
For instance, for Christian to protect
his property from plundering is called
political offense' in the Turkish empire.
In prisons of all kinds, Turks are en-
ployed as jailers. The state OF the, Turk
1911 PiiooHS 10 SIMPLY uIcduiuis ioi III
stance, the chief monk of monastery
was fastened to wall with nail driven
through his hands and was delivered from
that position only on admitting that he
acted wrongly, although he was innocent.
ION the hands and feet Of several pris-
oners were fastened chains and
heavy shackles of wood, while on their
heads weresplaced instruments resembling
copper pots, which were heated to high
temperature. Sometimes these fortunes
ended in the death of the sufferers, and
sometimes the torturers executed this ter
rible task simply to kill their victims.
In the Sassoun district there were about
ia villages and hamlets. In one of
these villages lived Iamiadan, Turkish
district chief The whole number of Ar
menian families or 'hearths, as they are
called, were 341S. The Armenians, may
explain, have preserved the ancient tribal
system. The maximum number to one
of these hearths is eighty persons. Tax
ing twenty as a modest average, the num-
Der of Inhabitants in the district
amounted to more than $4,000 souls.
From the information brought to me, l
believe that the Kurdish and Turkish
troops have burned or destroyed number
of cities or villages, and | estimate that
the number of men, women and children
killed in the Sassoun district amounts to
IL, 000.'
During the interview the correspondent
asked what truth there was in the state
ment that certain Armenian revolution
any leaders induced Armenians to commit
atrocities on Turks in the hope of pro-
voking outrages which would raise the
wrath of the Christian world He re-
piled that such rumors were too absurd to
obtain credence anywhere except in
Turkey. With reference to the Turkish
commission of inquiry, Mgr. Khrimian
said:
The chief interest centers in the Turk
ish commission of inquiry but it looks
for no results because it will only deal
with the Sassoun matter, which was only
an incident In the oppression OF the Ar
menians.
The correspondent also interviewed
several Armenian refugees at Titiis.
The stories they told of the massacre cor
respond in every respect with what has
been published in local Armenian papers.
The Armenians held their ground against
the Turks for twenty four days, when
their provisions and ammunition being
exhausted, they were forced to fly or to
surrender After reaching the village of
Cleivoson the Turks set fire to the houses
destroyed the churches and began to mas
sacre the inhabitants. Men, women and
children were tortured and put to death,
among the number two priests. one OF
clothing and pierced with twenty-five
thrusts of poniard, which caused his
death. The informant continued
ITO defend ourselves we were united as
one family. We held our ground as long
as we could, and we had only hundred
old fashioned guns. Behind us were men
who were ready to kill any of us who
might attempt to fly. But we had not
the slightest intention of so doing. How
ever, after twenty -four days we held a
council as to what we should do. The
Turks sent word that if we surrendered
they would not kill us, but they did not
keep their promise, and began to cut off
the heads OF some and disembowel others,
to outrage our wives and daughters.
Ten of the latter, on refusing-to embrace
the Moslen faith, were put to death.
Those of us who were not killed received
wounds, and $50 who were not wounded
were thrown into large ditch. We can
show you, if you desire, the very pace.
1t is in the village of Oleikougan, behind
the house of Peto, the oldest inhabitant of
the village, and who died last spring.
The position of the bodies in the pit will
prove that many were buried alive.
Seeing that the Turks would kill us
all we at last fed. We marched from
Moosh. our escape being attended with