The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-05
THE OPPRESSED ARMEN|ANS.
A STATEMENT RECEIVED FROM
RESPONSIBLE PERSONS
IN TURKEY.
AID SENT TO THE STARVING
PEOPLE REFUSED THEM
By the Barbarous Turks-Outrages Go
Merrily On-Turks Ride Into Vii
lage and Demand the Girls
and Brides.

new 1Ork, sept. o.-1ne 1OlOWlng
statement has just been received by a gen.
tleman in this city from responsible per-
sons in Turkey fully cognizant of the
facts:
''Some eight months ago movement
was made on the part of the Turks to
send aid to the victims of their barbarity
at Sassoun. A gift of $4,000 sterling
was reported and committee was organ
ized to see to its distribution. Small
sums were offered to the people on condi-
ton that they would sign receipts in the
nature of thanks for the generosity thus
manifested, at the same time certifying
that it was not the soldiers of the sultan
who had injured them, but only llttle
row that had occurred between them and
the Kurds.
Naturally, they declined the proffered
aid on such conditions. Here was the
government that with fire and sword at
once had almost exterminated their homes,
coming and Offering a paltry dollar head
to the survivors, who are on the ground
as proof of their gracious sovereign's
| charitable regard for them, while they
could go among their Moslem neighbors
and identify property worth many times
| this sum, as that which had been wrested
| from them, while it would be easy for the
government itself to collect and return
nomads nearly the whole amount they had
| lost.
Meanwhile English men and women
had collected for their fellow Christians
some efficient aid. When the government
learned of this and that agents were
coming to distribute this money, officials
began to say, if these people will not ac-
cept our aid, why should we allow others
to come in and help them? influential
| hnrSnn6AH
| the government to modify their dmands
to the extent of accepting simply a receipt
| for funds received, and then the people
were with difficulty persuaded to receive
| the proffered aid. However, the amount
| that they have been called upon to receipt
for up to the present time has not been
sufficient to prove burdensome. VI the
E2OO0 only f400 has yet materalized ana
8 mejils (nearly f2) per day goes for COM
| mission.
'TWhen agents were appointed by the
Hritish ambassador to distribute the
| funds from abroad it was with some
difficulty that permission was Sc
cured for them to enter the
devastated region, for some 5000 sur
vivors had already gone to sow their
fields with a sort of millet that natures
in few weeks from the time 1T Is sown,
4 with seeds generously y-iodned by the poor
villagers of the Moorish plains. Fdnally,
however, objection was Waived.
"When the Armenians started to re-
build houses the government informed
them that they must not stir step in
that direction. At the same time the
men sent ostensibly as their gnard con-
stantly exercised the most annoying es-
pionage, listening to every word they
said and reporting to the government
an exaggerated statement of all that was
done. Under the circumstances the
British representatives made vigorous
protests to the government and the ques-
tions at issue were referred to the cen
tral authorities. AS a temporary meas
ure, 50 that the poor people might not
remain entirely hungry, it was arranged
that the agents might for the present
distribute food, only it must be in the
presence and Under the inspection OF a
representative Of the government. Con
siderable had also been contributed by
the Armenians from various cities with
the expectation that the local authorities
in concert with the British agents would
see to it's distribution. The government,
however, has sent strict orders that if
they choose to hand over their funds to
the Turkish committee for distribution
they can do so, otherwise they are per-
emptorily stopped from distribution. OF
course they do not hand over their funds
and so the money must wait for the pres
ent until a better condition of affairs
can be inaugurated.
"WOrd comes that the new British
consul, Mr.. Hampson, has gone up to
| Sassoun.
THE dismissal of some of the political
prisoners and the later dismissal of
Bahri Pasha and Van Have had a good
effect, but the general condition of the
! country is getting worse. The Chris
| tians are having hard time in harvest.
They are in danger of their lives. 1t is
| usual for them to remain in the fields
during harvest. Now they dare not do
| SO. The women usually carry food to
| the fields for the workers. Now they
are afraid to do so. The other day,
| about two hours from here, young
girq carrying food for the workers was
set upon by three Turks and foully and
brutally treated. "A row followed, and
two or three Christians were wounded.
At another village, nine hours from here,
about thirty horsemen entered the vii
lage of Kupri KeTy and first went
through the village in riOutous way
and greatly terrified the people, demand
ing. the girls and brides. Later they
took their rifles and went firing through
the streets of the village. The son of a
priest opened the door with the idea of
inducing them to leave by giving money.
lie was shot down like "a dog. They
Kept this up for about three hours. They
broke open some doors and fired into the
houses.
The government has not vet taken
steps IN the matter, though this company
OF nazas is well known. SO it goes, a
veritable reign of terror"