The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-29

Returned Missionaries Tell of Atrocs-
ties Committed by Tahsfn Pashn

BUFFALO, " ", Nov. 2s-Misses Char
lotte L. Ely and Mary A G. Ely have lust
returned home after long period of mis-.
sionary labor I'm eassei-i Turkey under the
direction OF the American Board Of COM
missioners for Foreign Missions Their ab-
sence has covered a space of twenty-seven
years. and so soon as affairs I'm the dss-
turbed districts have quieted down they
VIII return 10 Turkey. The Misses Fly
Were stationed at Btlis, about nfty-fve
miles from Moosh, where the most horrible
OF the atrocities occurred. AT Bltlis there
was no wholesale numbering. bat many
prominent Armenian merchants were
thrown into prison on false accusations.
and some less iilustrious victims never saw
the light OF day again after they had once
entered the prison walls: they were secretly
made way with The vail. or provincial
Governor OF Bitlis. at that time was Tah-
sin Pasha.' who is known among the mis-
sionaries as The Fiend." He II was who
made the threat that he would SOW the
place where the city OF Ritiis once was
with grain. According to the Misses Ely
the Armenians were imprisoned because
they would not sign paper saying that tho
English consul and the American missions
Speaking of the sassoun massacres. a
large part OF which occurred near Moosh.
Miss Mary xly said: '"The massacre was
undoubtedly planned by the Porte. The Inn
mediate provocation came about as follows:
The Kurds were In the habit OF raiding the
fiocks OF the Armenians. The Arrneniens.
impoverished by repeated acts OF robbery.
banded together for the purpose OF recover
Inc fl,.fr.
two parties met OF course there was fight
ing. Two Moslems were killed and several
Christians. Then the kuras mutilated the
bodies OF their slain countrymen. After
that the corpses were carried TO the head
quarters OF the provincial government AT
Bitlis and shown 20 Tahsin. See what the
Christians are doing 10 US they exclaimed
Miss Ely said that after the first collision
a series OF retaiiatory conflicts took place
erward Tahsin Pasha went In person TO
Galigozan and ordered the massacre of the
Armenian Christians He wore. suspended
edct from the Porte commanding him TO
''chastise the Christians. This read
TO the Turkish soldiers. who had been
massed at that place from all that part OF
Asia Minor. Before the -eading was COM
plefed." continued Miss Ely, las n unable
TO delay the diabolical deed. Tahsin Pasha
gave the order 10 'smite' the Christians
Then followed scene almost too awful TO
describe So terrible were the orders given
by the officers that some OF the better ones
among the common soldiers begged that
they be not compelled TO carry them out
Others actually refused TO execute such bar
barous commands. and were told thac n
they did not obey orders they would be
shot 10 pieces from the cannons mouth.
Some OF the good soldiers. however pro-
fected Armenian children, hiding them in
fields OF grain aud among the rocks In the
mountains"
The returned missionaries say that Il was
hard 10 pick specific instances out Of such
An inferno of cruelty but mentioned the
followina: The soldiers would toss chill
dren up into the ar and catch them on their
hsyonts when !heS came down. AZ othsr