The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-02
BUTCHIERIES At 1REDIzOND
Story Of the Affair by ,One Who Mas
an Eye-Nitness.
MANY ARMENIAXS SHOT DOWN
Tho Disturbance Was Caused BY IN Ar.
meniau RcvoIutionist Who Attempt.
cd to Assassiuate the Ex.vali Of
van-Story Of tho Trouble.

New York, Nov. 1.-The following
statements are from private letters
from Turkey to a gentlemen in this city
In regard to the recent disturbances IN
Trebizond and Constantlcople. They
are from eye witnesses, who are also
In position to learn accurately about
affairs in their vicinity.
The excitement in Treb;zcnd began
about Oct. 2, when an attempt was
made on the life of ex-Va!i of Van. He
was shot and wounded by an Armenian
revolutionist, who has not yet been
captured. Nothing specially worthy of
mention occurred until Moutlay, Oct.
Z. when an incident stirrei up the ex-
element to an unusual extent. On the
previous Friday night the son OF
leading Turk Of the town was wounded
on the street, some say by one OF his
companions. others thaths was shot by
an Armenian whom he was trying to
arrest. On Monday he diel. and the
funeral revived the excitenien. in an In
tensified form, and loud and many were
the threats Of massacre that night and
places Of safety. Nothing occurred,
perhaps on account Of the rain. The
next morning. Oct. 8, all dispersed in
the hope that the danger was past.
Men went to their shops. and were en-
couraged to open. as they had not done
for two or three days previous.
Suddenly, like a clap of thunder from
a clear sky, the thing began at about
II g. m. Unsuspecting people walking
along the streets were shot ruthlessly
down. Men standing or sitting quietly
at their chop doorS were instantly
dropped with Q bullet through their
heads or hearts Some were slashed
with swords until life was extinct. They
passed through THE quarters where
only old men. women and children re-
NAMED. killing the men and large
boys, generally permitting the women
and younger children to Hive: For five
hours this work of tnhuman butchery
went on. Then the sound Of musketry
died away and the work Of loOting be-
gan. Every sl.op OF an Armenian in the
market was gutted. and the victors IN
cowardly and brutal war glutted them
selves with the spolls.
Police Aid Murdcrers. ,'
The intention evidently was to i'm.
poverIsh ard as nearly as possible to
blot out the Armenians Of this town.
So Tar as appearances went the police
and soldiers distinctly aided in this
savage work. The constant effort 10
to show that this affair is only the
Quelling of an insurrectlon-like Sas-
SCUM. Not one Of the perpetrators Of
these outrages have been arrested or
;disarmed. but all have moved about
with the utmost freedom to accom-
pllsh their nefarIous purposes. On the
other hand, many of the Armenians
tire In prison: There b no telling how
many have perished. -Four hundred is
yG moderate estimate pro 0bably tho
figure would rise much higher and how
far the massacre will sweep through
the villages remains to be seen.
A correspondent in COnstantinpple
comments upon the above as follows:
The estimate Of killed is lower than
the. truth. The Turks have ravaged the
Armenian villages above. Trebizond,
and how far the thing has spread Is
not yet known. Men just in from
Trebizond say that 1900. have been
killed IN the villages but this. cannot
be other than guess work. Even here
in the city we do not know at the end
OF two weeks exactly how many were
killed here. The. number Is probably
rather over than under 200.