The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-12-05

Had Orders From the Sultan to ExteR.
inmate Armenians and Their Prop
erty. was q Reward for Services.
NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-The Sun Sunday
morning says: The following descrip-
tion of scenes accompanying the recent
massacres in the village of Baiburt, in
Armenia, is contained in q letter re.
ceived here from an eye witness. 1t
was written toward the latter mart of
October.
Sunday, October 10, was the first
day when the alarm of general mas.
sacre began to spread. Saturday aft
ernoon the dismal news of the ad.
vance of 500 armed Lazes reached us.
Sunday about a Thousand Turks of
Baiburt and it's vicinity joined the
Lazes and marched from all directions
on the Armenian villages On Mon.
day, October IA, the first attack was
made on the village of Lushonk, five
or six miles from the town of Baiburt
There were about 20 Turkish women
with pack horses for CARRYING away
the plunder. The villagers Of
Lushonk had taken refuge in
the school building, trembling
and despairing. The Lazes and Others
promptly began to seize the cattle and
sheep of the Armenians, and after Sc
curing them out of harms way, rified
the houses and set on fire the build
ings. Then they attacked the school.
house. The helpless Armenians in
side, men, yemen and children,
shrank under hailstorm of bullets.
1t was a dark nIght and many fell,
killed and wounded.
"For Iyod's sake, spare our lives an d
take all We have" cried the unfortu.
nate people, but their cries for mercy
seemed 10 more infuriate the butchers.
The schoolhouse was set on fire, and
men, women and children rushed out,
tramplng under their feet the dead
and wounded
"a more horrible scene was enacted
in front of the schoolhouse The in
furated Lazes and other marauders un-
der the lead of the most fanti-
cal chieftains of the city and
neighboring villages, surrounded their
victims and began to murder them in
cold blood. The son of Hail khumri,
notorious robber, seized a young man,
and after robbing him of his clothes.
ordered the Lazes to fire on him. The
young man was shot dead on the spot.
Others seized the brother of the first
victim, and casting him down on the
threshold of the schoolhouse, slaught.
cred him like sheep and pierced his
dead body with daggers.
"Mousa, the son of Birinji, from
Moushangars, jumped at Nabdi Asch-
Ian, and, taking hold of him, exclaimed:
Come here, dog of an infidel; l was
looking for you. Come, will show
you how l will kill a dog like YOU
Saying this he plunged his kami into
his victim, and with several turns dis
emboweled the unfortunate man.
Thus the fendish work of carnage
was carried on with heartrending
cruelty. At last the leaders
of the mob gave the command to
separate the men and the women into
separate groups under the walls. Five
young men, the -four of the village,
were selected as victims and burned
alive before the eyes of their relatives.
The mob robbed the women of all
their clothes, committing outrages up.
on them, cutting their hair, splitting in
their faces. They were not satisfied
with outrages, but killed girl IL
years old, several women and three
children from to years of age. They
killed also Gadarine, the wife of Chan.
ners Avakian, who was in an advanced
state of pregnancy, and opened her ab.
domen with most cruel ferocity. The
scenes of horror were repeated in sew.
eral other places in the same village
and in other villages. The Mohamme.
dan women accompanying the hordes
of marauders carried away loads OF
plunder.
THE Armenians had given no prov.
ocation for the massacre. The leaders
proclaimed openly that they had or
ders from the sultan to exterminate
the Armenians, and were to have their
property as reward for their services
to the government. 1t is impossible
to give a correct estimate of the loss
of life and property, as many vii.
lagos are now laid waste and
the inhabitants are missing. 1t is not
necessary to dwell on the dissertations
perpetrated in the churches and the
outrages committed on women and
young girls 1t makes ones heart
bleed to see the state of things. The
people of the vicinity are in a state of
terror, and there are rumors of fresh