The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-06
SLAUGHTER At ERzEROUE
Latest Authentic Account Of the Mas
sacre of Christians.
THEIR PROPERTY DESTROYED
1t Is Estimated That Ono Thousand
Christians Perishcd at the Hands Of
Moslems Attack Was Simultaneous.
The Only Hope for Armcnians.

MOslens Attack Was Simultaneous.
The Only Hope for Armenians.
Boston, Dec. 5.-A letter descriptive
Of recent events in Erzeroum, Asiatic
Turkey, has been received in Boston
from a correspondent who says that the
city is quiet and that the government
is trying to reassure the people. and he
adds 1t did this prior to the massacre
until the people are in state or ner-
vous panic. The strain to which they
have been subjected has been wearying
and the future is uncertain. The doors
of the houses were beaten In and lne
houses plundered of everything and
many of the poor people have not even
money enough to get the doors repaired.
and they are afraid to sleep behind
broken doors.
About 700 houses and 1.5OO shops were
plundered Of all that was In them. the
number of killed can never be known,
for there are many strangers in the
city. but it must be very near LOCO II .t
has not passed it. The number of
wounded In the hospitals is over 100,
and many remain in hiding The very
large proportion Of killed demonstrated
the fact that the attack was with in
tent to kill, and which is confirmed by
the awful nature of the wounds
The present condition of the people Is
about IS bad as that of the Sassoun
people after the massacre. There, no
houses remainer. but The people could
get to districts where they could Ne
housed and scantily fed. Here no dis
trict has escaped and the stories from
villages of the outlying districts are
heartrending. The attack seems to
have been almost universal and very
bloody. The wanton destruction of
property that could not be removed was
very marked. Everything in the way
of provisions was destroyed.
In Erzeroum alone there are between
two and three thousand people who are
destitute Of fuel, bedding and food, and
the majority have only the clothes they
have on their backs. The Sassoun af-
fair Is forgotten In this thousa nd fold
more dire calamity that has befallen
the country.
Example of COnstantinopIc.
The wave started at Constantionple
and has so far swept through Trebi-
zond, Baiboort. Erzingan. Erzeroum,
Bitlis. Harcoot and most of the inter-
vening districts. OF the districts aside
from the cities that have suffered are
Vegung, at the west; Kemakh. Erzing-
an, Terjan. Biaboort. Kooroo Chat.
Ezroomslaln. Keepo. Passar, Kharcos,
Alashgird and Byazid. The entire
Erzeroum province has been deluged
In Christian blood. and the bulk of
Christian property plundered or de-
stroyed. The government Is making a
show of distributing the plunder COL
lected from the barracks to the rightful
owners. though this attempt Is rather
farcical. A few will get something
back, q good many will get nothing.
The government Is giving out bread to
the destitute. How long this will con-
tinue Is not known. The English con-
suls have done everything for the
safety Of life and property. The consul
has suggested that the various gover-
nors be made personally responsible
for the safety Of the foreigners, both
consuls and ministers.
Only foreign occupation will estab-
lish a beneficial change. II Eurcpe de.
lays longer the suffering this winter
will be most narrowing.
The Turks declare that the Arrnen-
ians made an attack on the government
house and SO the affair began This
declaration is absolutely without foun-
dation. There was no attack ever con-
templated by Armenians. The first man
shot was an aged priest who was at the
~OvarnmQnt hnIlCn
plaint to the governor He had been
robbed In his own house in the village
Of Tivnig, and only got off with his life
by giving a note for $500 for five, days
He was an inohfensive old man and
would be the last man in the world to
offer an attack.
The Attack Simultaneous.
The attack was made by Moslems af-
ter leaving the Mosque after the noon
hour Of prayer. and II was simultan-
eous all over the city. The Armenians
were In their places Of business the
most of which were simply death traps
In case Of any sort of attack. The sill
versmiths row was cut off at either
end and not a man escaped and the
shops were not only plundered but
wrecked. The more violent Armenians,
the Hunchagists. had determined to
keep perfectly quiet till the scheme of
reform was well tried.
Those who were forced to give UP
plunder are bitterly complaining that
they were told to plunder and now are
forced to give un what they got be-
sides having ruined their Armenian
neighbors and friends. The scheme of
reform has now become an impossible
ity. The only hope of this land is for
eign occupation. This part Of the
country will undoubtedly fall to Russia.