The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-09
HANGING FIRE.
Question OF Extra Guardships Not Yet
Definitely Settled.
SULTAN IN A STATE OF TERROR,
Authentic Details of the Massa-
Sres at Sivas,
ICopyright, 1901


here on the question OF the extra guard
ships OF the powers remains unchanged
and continues 10 offer tribute to the
powers OF delay and evasion OF Oriental
diplomacy as practiccd by the Turkish
government. Statements are constantly
reiterated of the continued accord of the
powers on the subject and their determi-
nation To insist upon compliance with
their demands.
Less is heard, however, Of the rumors,
which were OF frequent occurrence in the
early period after the demand had been
presented, that the sultan had at last de.
clded To grant the necessary flrmans to
permit the passage OF the Dardanelles, or
even.that he had actually issued them.
Since the return OF III NJ =. Dryad to
Salonica bay no word has been heard OF
any actual order or movement to advance
upon the Dardanelles. Opinion continues
divided as TO whether the delay in taking
any action to enforce the demands is due
To fear OF causing fanatical outbreak
against the Christians by the Mussulman
subjects of the sultan or To % dread Of a
clash ensuing between the powers them
selves.
Explicit instructions were again re-
ceived yesterday by all the ambassadors to
insist upon the admission of the guard
ships; but, as has been stated, without
effecting any change In the situation.
Said Pssha's Case.
The flight OF Said Pasha and his refuge
in the British embassy are the sub
jects for most sensational interest, and the
frantic efforts made by the sultan to in
duce him 10 leave there and TO return TO the
Yidiz palace indicate his fear either that
he has lost the most powerful inter
medary that no could hope for between
himself and tho powers IN evading the de-
mands they make upon him, or the most
dangerous adversary he could fear having
in counsel with the powers.
SO persistent has been the pressure upon
Said Pasha TO leave the British embassy,
and upon the embassy To relinquish him,
that all palace officials are now excluded
from there except one Of the palace
sheiks, whom the sultan has sent, and
who vainly tried TO induce Said 10 relent
and return To the sultan. The sultan has
protested TO the powers against the exclu-
sion of his messengers, but the other am
bassadors support Sir Philip Curre in his
position. The report that they advised
Said To again accept the position OF grand
vi2ier has proved 10 be unfounded.
That the sultan lives in q state of con-
slant apprehension Of his life was ndi-
Gated by his demeanor during the course
OF the ceremony OF the Selamik on Friday,
which involved the departure Of the sultan
from the walls Of the palace and his ap-
pearance in public for "A sort OF a review
of the troops, attended by many high
officials, followed by prayers at the
mosque.
On Friday, as the sultan was quitting
A..
bearing petition, forced himself through
the soldiers To the sultan's carriage. The
sultan was seen 10 become much agitatcd
and deathly pale, and the man was
promptly arrested and hustled off to
prison without having accomplished any
harm to the sultan's person.
The Sivas Ma,sacres.
Authentic details have now been re.
ceived of the Sivas massacres. They show
that the slaughter began on Nov. Il and
continued for week following. 1t is
known that 1900 Armenians and 10 Turks
were killed before there was cessation of
the bloody work. The manner of the out
break is described as follows:
Suddenly, at noon, as If by a precon-
certed signal the Turkish soldiers and po-
lice, the Circassians and even the laborers
and Moslcm women and children rushed
into the market under the command of
officers. All were armed, the laborers
with tools or clubs or anything that could
I've used as an offensive weapon that came
10 hand
They attacked aud looted the Armenian
shops and pursued with relentless ferocty
the unfortunate occupants, who seemed
helpless with surprise at the suddenness
of the onslaught. Many merchants and
clerks were killed and their bodies
stripped. AS the importing business was
almost exclusively in the hands of the
Armcnians, financial disaster must over
take Sivas when the fury of the storm Of
blood and greed has subsidized.
The stricken Armenans slowly gathered
the manglcd and naked remains of their
hnsmen and buried them in a great
trench in the cemetery.
The Armenian villages in the vicinity
were also looted, and the people left to beg
and die. The winter will bring terrible
suffering to all the living victims of tho
outrages.
A high official, in position to know, de-
clarcs that the massacrcs were the deliber-
ate act of the sultan's vengeance for hav-
ing been compelled 10 grant the reforms
in Armenia demanded by the powers. A
few Of the Turkish shops were attacked 10
afford a pretcxt OH which TO accuse the
Armcnians of having started the disorder.
IL is asserted that the kaimakin of
Gurun, where there are 5000 Arinenians,
telegraphcd 10 tho Wall Of Sivas: you
may rest assured that there is not an Ar
menian left in Gurun. They resisted the
butchers, and they suffered the worse for
It,"
The expulsion and removal of the Ar
menians from Constantinople and from
the villaycts continue by Wholesale All
the Armenian monasteries In the vicinity
of Erzingen have been pillaged. The mas
sacre there occurred after the Armenians
had been disarmed and Zekki Pasha had
faithfully promised To protect them.
At the village Of Pcsuan, near Erzingen,
the Kurds and Turks attacked "a crowd of
Armenians who had taken refuge in an
Armenian church. ana killed 40 OF them.