The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-02
EREBIZOND MASSACRE.
Statement from an Eye Witness of
the Terrible Slaughter.
THE SCENES OF sAssoUN REVIVED.

Unsuspecting Armenians Pounoed Upon
and Put to Death on the streets-Their
Shops Looted and Their Property Dis
tFibuted Among the Murdorers.
New YORK, Nov. s.-The following
statement is taken from private letters re-
ceived by gentleman in this city in re-
gard to the recent disturbances in Trebi-
zond, Turkey:
"The excitement in Trebizond began
about Oct q when an attempt was made
on the life of the ex-vali of Van. He was
shot and wounded by an Armenian revo-
lutionist, who has not yet been captured,
and is supposed by the government to be
concealed somewhere in the city. The ex
element of the Turks was, Of course,
greatly increased on hearing of matters In
Constantinople They seemed to infer
that all the Armenians were banded to-
gether and in armed rebellion against the
government. The Turks themselves rep
resented that they were afraid of an at
tack from the Armenians, and even in
some cases took measures to put their
families in places of safety.
"On Friday, Oct. 3, there were extensive
movements of armed men on the streets.
About II o'clock they seemed to disperse,
and nothing specially worthy of attention
occurred through the night. On Satur-
day, Oct. s. the excitement in the town
was very intense. The consuls had con-
sultation, and going in II body to the vail
earnestly pressed him to arrest those who
were exciting the people to acts of out
rage, The vail declined to do so butprom-
ised in his own way to do the right thing.
Until Monday, Oct. z, matters seemed
] 10 nm Il xxyba
stirred up the excitement anew. On the
previous Friday night the son of a leading
! Turk of the town was wounded on the
street, some say by one of his own com
panions, others that he was shot by an
| Armenian whom he was trying to arrest
/ On Monday he died and the funeral re-
| vived the excitement in an intensified
FORM and loud and many were the threats
of massacre that night and hundreds Of
the Armenians rushed to places of safety
'The next morning. Oct. 8, all dispersed
in the hope that the danger was past. Men
went to their shops and were encouraged
to open them, as they had not done for two
or three previous days Suddenly the trou-
BILE began. Unsuspecting people walking
along the streets were shot ruthlessly
down. Men standing or sitting quietly at
their shop doors were instantly dropped
with bullet through their heads or hearts
Their aim was deadly, and have heard of
no wounded men. Some were slashed with
swords until life was extinct. They passed
through the quarters where only old men,
women and children remained, killing the
men and large boys, but generally permit
ting the women and younger children to
live.
For five hours this horrible work of
4,,I,
sound of musketry died away, and the
work of looting began. Every shop of an
Armenian in the market was gutted For
hours bales of broadcloth, cotton goods
and every conceivable kind of merchan.
disc passed along without molestation to
the homes of the spoilers. The intention
evidently was to impoverish and as near as
possible to blot out the Armenians of the
town.
$50 far as appearance went the police
and the soldiers distinctly aided in this
savage work. They were mingled with
the armed men, and so far as we could see
made not the least effort to check them
Apparently they took care to see that the
right ones-that is, the Armenians-were
killed. Also that an offer of surrender
might be made to all that were found un-
armed. To any found with arms no quar-
ter was given, but large numbers were
shot down without any proffer of this
kind This talk of surrender would seem
to be ON the supposition that all were in
an attitude of resistance. One poor fellow
when called on to surrender thought he
was called on to give up his religion, and
when he refused he was hacked to pieces
in the presence of his wife and children.
"While l write the town is in great
! stir because news has come that the will
age Armenians, thoroughly armed, are on
their way to attack the town. The real
fact, however, seems to be that the mas
sacre is extending to the villages, but the
constant effort is to show that this affair
is only the quelling of an insurrection-
like Sassoun.
mot one of the perpetrators of these
outrages has been arrested or disarmed,
but all have moved about with the utmost
freedom to accomplish their nefarious pur-
pose. On the other hand many of the Ar
/ menians are in prison. While l write the
; walls Of the newly bereaved fall on my
| ears. Throngs fill the schools that are
under foreign protection and the consul
lates There is no telling how many have
persisted. Four hundred is moderate
estimate-probably the figure would rise
much higher, and how far the massacre
will sweep through the villages remains
to be SEEN"