The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-07-20
Turkey imported Oil for the Sas-
SCUM Massacre.
AND MADE LAVISH USE OF IT
Death Stalks Abroad Even Now in the
valley That Was Once the Gar.
DIN OF Eden.
From the Special Correspondent of the
Associated Press.)

From the Special Correspondent of the
Associated Press.)
Van Armenia, May 24.-The Sassoun
massacre. it would appear. was one of
the most carefully planned outrages in
history. The evidences of this are cir
cumstantial only, but it is alleged to be
none the less conclusive. During the
months of June, July and August pre-
ceding the Sassoun massacre the kurd
ish chiefs in the country surrounding
the Sassoun region, and particularly
the district to the southwark and south
westward, were apparently unusually
busy in gathering up the scattered war
riors of their tribes for an invasion of
the Sassoun region. In July and August
enormous quantities of petroleum were
shipped from Erzeroum and Moush.
This petroleum was shipped from Rus
STA to Erzeroum, and so great was the
quantity brought over the mountain
roads that it was the subject of remark
to many persons. For time it looked
as though nothing went over the road
between Erzeroum and Moush but pc
trOleum. Now, it is a fact that Moush
does not use a great quantity of petro-
leum herself nor do her merchants sell
much of it to the surrounding country
In the villages candles of sheep-fat oil
are used for the lights
What Moush wanted with these count
less cans of petroleum was a mystery,
but the mystery was mystery no long
er after the Sassoun massacre, for the
| petroleum was used to burn the houses
of Sassoun villages and to cremate the
bodies of the wretched villagers who fell
victims to the awful butchery. In
! burning the houses the petroleum was
thrown upon the woodwork in generous
quantities and set on fire. In cremating
the dead they were, in many cases,
placed in layers of wood and built up
into pile. The entire mass was then
saturated with petroleum and set on
fire. 1t is Caarged that living men were
cremated in the same way, but this was
a merciful way of putting the unfort-
innate creatures to death in comparison
with the tortures inflicted upon many
| others.
TROOPS MASSED.
The massing of troops near the Sas
SCUM region, and particularly at Moush
was carried on for some time before tht
beginning of the massacre, in order tina
everything might be in readiness for the
program carefully made out at Con
stantinople. Several weeks after tn,
Sassoun massacre it is claimed orders
were sent from the palace at CONSTANT
nople for the massacre of the inhabi
tants of Modikan, a district lying to thu
south and southeast of Sassoun, bu
when it was seen that an investigation
Of the massacre at Sassoun was newt
able the order, it is said, was recalled
~ G ~ rod I
the ordinary course of persecution gen
eral in all parts of Armenia.
MARTYRS READY.
In the city of Van at this momen
there are 500 young men sworn to Civ
themselves as a sacrifice to Turkisl
butchery in the hope that the attention
of England may be more strongly calle
to the situation of their people. The Ar
menians can not accept any sue
scheme of reform which does not hav
for it's fundamental principles the ah
solute control by European powers. I'm
less Europe controls the reform ther
will be a massacre of 1000 Christians
the city of Van in three months. TIL
Armenians themselves will bring thi
about rather than be cast about b
their fellows of the west.
There is no language quite adequat
to a description of the real condition c
Armenia at present. Men are heater
robbed and murdered, and women ar
ravished by Kurds and Turkish so
diers. Woe and want and despair an
death stalk abroad in this beautifl
land that was once part of the garde
of Eden. The inhabitants of Van al
living on the brink of massacre frol
day to day,