Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-27
WHAT WILL GHRlSIENDOM DO ?
HORRIBLE DETAILS or THE
CRUELTY OF THE TURKS.
ARMENIAN BABIES ROASTED
AND THEIR OWN MOTHERS
FORCED TO EAT THEM-FoI.-
LOWERS OF rhE CROSS AT THE
MERCY OF MAHoMMETANs.
KARs. RUSSIA. MAY 20.

Press. From the Special Correspondent
OF the Associated Press In Armcnla)
During the past three weeks / have
had unusual opportunity for obtaining
confirmation OF the facts contained In
my announcement OF the impending
uprising of Armenians In Turkey next
month. have travelled many miles
up and down and across the border IN
search OF certain facts. and as a result
l have had the satisfaction OF actually
seeing and handling. some of the rifles
now being struggled across the Turk
ish frontier by agents Of the revolu-
tionary party. Moreover, the plans OF
the party have been fully explained TO
me by some OF the most active and In
telligent OF the leaders OF the eastern
wing of the movement, and ] am en-
tlrely satisfied that lunlcss unforeseen
and uncomfortable circumstances arise
the uprising Will take place as an
nounced. The exact date OF the up
rising has not yet been fixed owing
TO the fact that the revolutionary par
~ is not ready for active operations.
Whether or not the central section win
wait for the eastern wing. which IL
not vet ready, longer than the month
of May, 1 do not know, nor has the
matter actually beet decided, / am
led 70 believe that thc eastern wing
cannot be ready for hostllities In May.
and possibly not before the LIST Of July.
The eastern wing has been and Is hav-
ing hard time of It, owing to oircum-
stances over which the leaders have
no control. In the FIRST place the noun
tain passes leading TO Van have been
blocked with snow for months. so that
only special messengers following the
regular routes OF travel could get
through; and. therefore, Il WAS impos-
sible TO forward guns and ammunition
from Russia and Persia to the dis
trlcts about Lake Vnn.3 There are guns
now on the border awRltlng trans
portation in Armenia. IN the second
place the Armen,ans In the eastern
end Of Turkey are in n condition bor-
derng upon starvation. II is obvious
that people in this condition cannot
fight. On this point leading exocu-
tive officer OF the revolutionary party
said to me three days ago; III men
have nothing in their siomachs what
can they do2 We must first feed be-
fore we can expect to fight. When We
can get food enough on hand to last
them two months then we shalt shoC
to the world how ArmenianH can fight"
II is question Of food that leaders
viii find most dincult Of solution, for
the problem Of smuggling guns Into
Armenia will be solved with the CONF
NIX fIlAllAkt MsAlNll 10 lunN w "
be felt In the lower valleys. II ~
plain TINT II no food " 10 be had
people cannot be fed no matter how
much money they have. and II Is a
| II ct that In the western part or Anne
MA food Is 80 scarce that the wel-to-
| do and rich people have no more than
| they actually need.
Few crops were grown last summer
owing to the fact that many OF the
! farmers and cnltvators were thrown
into prison by the Turks on charges OF
revolutionary conspiracy Then the
camels were stolen by the kurds, and
what the poor people had left IN the
way of provisions or property was tn
| ken by the government officers for
taxes. Even the commonest household
| utensils were taken by the tax gath
erors SO that the people were lef; dos-
| titutc. Those who were able TO 10 20
| fed to Russia and Persia. taking with
| them only the robes which covered
| their persons. Hundreds OF them died
Oh the road Of starvation and exposure.
| or these the old women and infant
| children were the most numerous but
| in many cases strong men broke
down under the strain OF hunger and
despair. There viii be no crops plant
ed in Eastern Armenia this season, for
the country everywhere IL suffering
from a reign OF terror.
The presence of the commission of
inquiry Mt Moosh and the Indignation
OF the Christian powers of Europe have
had absolutely. no effect on the conduct
| OF either the Turks or kurds In East
ern Turkey. I am Just In receipt Of
| trustworthy advices from non-Arme-
MAN source Mt Van TO the effect that u
massacre Is looked for at any moment.
| II IL fnct which the British govern
mcnt can verify by consulting the re-
port of Mr.. Patton, an official OF the
British consulate at Tebrlz, Persia.
that in several cases Turkish officials
In the devastated districts of Armenia
tried hard to save the Armenlans from
death and their property from destruc-
ton but when they protested against
the murdcrous raids Of the troops the
officers read to them the orders of the
sultan, and 10 nothing could he done
Mr., Patton has lately returned Ia
| TchriZ from an investigating tour
among Armenian refugees along the
border between Persia and Turkey, lie
found plenty OF them from the Lake
Van and Mooah districts. but not one
from Sassoun. There are no Sassour
survivors In ouramla. Salinas, Dlliman
Khol Tebriz or any other place In
Persia. and SO very few In Russia
that they nre most difficult TO ind
This absence OF Sassoun people amonf
sn many refugees from other dlstricti
OF Eastern Armenia suggests The
dreadful possibility that Few OF thes'
wretched people escaped the massacre
The investigation OF Mr.. Patton aloni
the Persian border confirms the fact,
I'm a general way which have Incl
dantally obtained during the past eigh
weeks. He has collected many heart
rendlng stories OF persecution, robbery
outrage and murder with names, date'
and places. and with reasonable proc
that the refugees who gave testimony
TO him told the truth. II may be rait
In a general way the facts obtained II
different places were practically TN
same The events OF the massnor'
were 30 horrible that even the chronic
eNaggeration Of the Armenian mind
fail to add anything TO them.
Mr.. Patton was accompanied on M
tour Of investigation by Mr.. Wright
an American missionary, stationed a
Salinas These gentlemen took the ties
tmony from several witnesses 10 ih'
effect that when the TurkiEh soldier
and Kurds appeared at certain VII
lage they killed some OF the villagefl
who dared to protest against their out
RACES and many OF the dead men wer'
cut up and thrown into Kettle ant
boiled In n manner like 50 much beef
The boiled pieces were then given 4
the villagers for food. The wretchet
creatures were compelled 70 eat thel
friends to the last mouthfui.
In another village a party or Kurd
found child asleep In a cradle. The,