The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-30
HARRo AND SlRko.
The Conversion Of Two Robber
Kurds.
DIR. HAMLINS EXTRAORDINARY
STORY FROM ARMENIA,

As Related in His Sermon Last Sunday
How the Gospel Did What the Great
Empires Never Have Done-Conquered
Kurd,
When DR.. Cyrus Hamlin was here last
Sunday, he spoke upon the Armenian
question, at the Woodford's Congrega-
tional ohucrh in the evening, as reported
in Mondays PRESS. In the forenoon he
preached sermon in the same place and
told the following remarkable story Of
the conversion of two of the bloodthirsty
Kurds. the savage mountain tribes who
are doing the slaughtering Of the Chris
tians at the present time.
| These Kurds are robbers. They have
no other means of livelihood. The name
itself means WOLF They are savage
fearless, Independent people. Through
the centuries neither the Persians, Greeks
Romans or Turks have ever conquered
them in their mountain Businesses Only
the Christian missionary has ever caused
the subsection of Kurd and this story
is an illustration.
| Many of the Kurds live in Armenian
villages. They make raids into other
villages, when they steal cattle and pro-
duce. What they do not use themselves
they sell to the people of their own will
ages at reduced price.
1t was several years ago. before the
present disturbances, that this remarkable
event happened. In this Armenian will
age the Christian minister, a native Ar
menian, and graduate of one of the
American missionary colleges came to
his church ono Sunday morning. He
was startled to find, sitting on the floor,
directly in front Of the pulpit the Kurd
Chieftain Harro, who lived in the village,
a man of giant stature, great ferceness
and with horrible record of murder and
pillage and all manner of crime and sin.
He sat there, dark and savage as a thun-
der cloud.
The minister was so frightened that
his first impulse was to flee. But he
Gained himself and reflected that that
would not help him but might induce
the Kurd to pursue He took courage
and resolved to go on with the service
and soon it also came to him that he
would take this opportunity to let this
savage robber chieftain know that the
Christians God could and would forgive
even the greatest sinners.
So he laid aside the sermon he had pre-
pared for the day and spoke with great
fervor and eloquenoe on this subject of
forgiveness for the worst of sinners.
| AT the close Harro arose. He took his
great dagger from his belt. held it high
over his head and said:
- You all know that many times this
dagger has been wet with blood. I have
known all my life chat was rdoing
wrong, but have never known till now
that there was any forgiveness or mercy
for me from God. wish to tell you all
that henceforth this dagger shall kill no
more and that will work for my living
like an honest man."
AS he closed he dropped the great dag
ger point downward to the floor Of the
little church, whore it stuck and stood,
quivering, as the giant chieftain strobe
away amidst the silence and wonder Of
the people.
That week Harro went to car pente
} and engaged him to teach him his trade.
The next Sunday as the minister was
| going to church, he saw Harro beside the
road on top of man whom he was beat
ing. He went up to him and asked if he
} had forgotten so soon his conversion Of
the Sunday before.
: Harro looked up with smiling face
and said, 81 have not forgotten. But my
friend Sarko here promised me that he
would go to church today and when We
got here he refused to go further. So
, am beating him to make him CO."
The minister went on to the church
and later Harro and Sarko entered.
, Sarko also beoare converted. When
, asked If he did not resent it that Harrc
should have beaten him, he said:
ooh no, only thought that it must be
very powerful religion that could make
Harro more eager for me to go to church
than he ever was for me to go to rob and
kill with him. Besides he did not beat
me with his great fist If he had he
would have broken my head like a
SQUASH. He only struck me with the flat
J of his hand
This remarkable story was related to
: DR.. Hamlin by a fellow missionary who
knew the parties involved In it.