Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-05-13
A VISIT TO TURKEY
And What II Meant to CricOr Manas-
sian, q Citizen of America.
Insultcd and Imprisoned by
Turkish Officials.
Impossible 10 Obtain Satisfaction From Our
Ro,rts natives Abroad.


ward Irving Darling, the musical COM
poser, has fled with the district attorney
the dying declaration of her son, who, II Is
alleged, was poisoned by DR.. Spranger
and the composers wife.
Mr.. Manassian, who Is Of Armenian
birth, became an American citizen In 1893,
after residence Of seven years In the
United States. Mr.. Manassian's state
ment Is as follows:
az left New York in July, 1893, and went
TO my native city Of TOkat, Turkey, to
visit my relatives and attend to matters
relating TO my family. At Constantinople
i showed my passports at our consulate
and desired permit from the government
TO go to Tokat.
"About three months after, was called
from Tokat to Sassoun, where my nephew
lay dying. / applied to the government
to have my permit changed. They took
my passport also, saying the governor
wished to see it. They kept both and gave
me a provisional passport, with which
went to Sassoun and returned.
II could not recover my passport, and
was at last told, after three months, that
1t was sent to Sivas to the vail governor
general). wrote to Consul Jewett at
Sivas and sent my citizens papers at his
request but
Could Not Secure the Passport.
was then beginning to make plans to re-
turn to America. The consul wrote me
again April 10, "a. The vail informs me
he has sent your papers to Constantine
ple'
'In September the vail came to Tokat. 1
applied TO him about my passport, but he
said: You should not have become an
American citizen Three days after,
Sunday, late in the evening, seven Turk
ish soldiers came into the house where
was with my wife and child, and in spite
of my protests that / was an American
citizen, and that they had no right to ar
rest me without the information Of an
American official, they compelled me to
20, saying the vail wanted me.
"They took me to prison, and the next
morning they put me in chains and mana
cles, together with two murderers, In
dungeon, and then sent me in cart to
Amas.a. From Amasia to KAYAK they
made me walk In chains with the murder
ers, five days distance making me sleep at
night in dungeons In chains. My feet were
80 swollen 1 could not walk any more,
and persuaded the murderers to pay for a
cart till Sassoun was reached, which we
could not walk in three days. Neither /
nor my friends could send kilograms.
No Satisfaction Obtainable.
"But person was sent to Sivas, and in
formation given 10 Consul Jewett, and
nothing was done either by him or the
consul at Sassoun for two weeks. At the
end of two weeks was sent as a prisoner
to Constantinople in a Turkish steamer,
and upon arrival put into prison. The
next day Minister Terrell was informed,
and was released and sent to him. 1t
was some days after my arrest that letter
came from Consul Jewett, and both he
and the consul at Sassoun confirmed the
/, outrage and injury inflicted upon me by
order Of the vail.
had my wife and child come to Sas-
SCUM, and, as no man was allowed to come
with her, had to take steamer for Sas-
soun again. was dumfounded to find
that she had no money whatever, all the
money that had, about $3.50 in American
money, and my watch, having been stolen
by the Turkish soldiers who remained be-
hind and ransacked my house on the night
they arrested me.
II sent an appeal by registered letter
from Constantinople Dec. IL, last to the
President of the United States, begging
him that telegraphic instruction be sent
to Minister Terrell to secure justice for
me. No answer came. Neither our min
lister nor the consul general could do any
thing. They took my affidavits and said
they would be sent to our government,
and that If managed to reach the United
States the matter would be settled from
there.
I'VE finally reached Marseilles, and
thence here. Our consul at Marseilles
gave me to understand that they had
orders not to protect American citizens
who were born Armenians."