The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-14
Rumors Current that Americans and
French Missionaries Have Been In
jured or Are in Deadly Peril.
AWFUL SCENES AT ERZROUM
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE KILLED AND
SOME OF THE BODIES SKINNED.
Foreign ambassadors in Possession of
Evidence that Orders Were Issued
by the Sultan's Palace Clique.


Ii is quite clear if the powers waste addi-
tional time in negotiations the need for
these negotiations will be passed. The
Standards Constantinople correspondent
also says that If the rumor should be con-
armed that French and American mission
aries have been injured in any OF these out
RACES it is believed that these powers will
no longer confne themselves TO protests
| The American feet. the correspondent
thinks, is only too anxious TO commence
| active operations. Continuing, the corre-
| spondent says that recent details received
| from Erzroum indicate that the massacre
there was worse than at first reported. The
outrages were evidently organized and
| planned days beforehand, and the pillage
| was on colossal scale. The Armenans
| who escaped were literally left naked.
Lord Salisbury's speech last Saturday at
the Lord Mayors dinner has thrown the
| Sultan and the members of the court into
a state of panic. Abdul Hamid entertains
| the greatest fears of a declaration by the
powers extending their jurisdiction over a
| portion of the Turkish empire or the cali
ing of general European conference. 1t
is generally agreed, however, that the end
| is not far distant.
The Vienna correspondent of the Stand
ard says that the foreign ambassadors pos
sess ample evidence that the palace clique
at Constsntinople issued orders to the
effect that the troops and police should
only fire on Armenians, no matter who the
! aggressors were. Observers of political
events at Constantinople have noted that
| all the imperial princes are now living at
| Yildiz Kiosk.
The Daily News this morning prints a
tev,of fcl. 30 off hat
has been officially announced there that the
commander-in-chiefo of the Caucasian army
| and the admiral of the Black sea fleet al
ready have definite instructions from ST.
Petersburg advising them what course to
| pursue in the event of the disruption of the
! Ottoman empire.
THE ERZROUM MASSACRE.
A dispatch to the Daily News from Con-
stantinople says that a European eyewit-
ness present at the Erzroum massacre con-
firms the statement regarding the prear-
ranged nature of the outrages. He as
serts that bugIe was sounded before the
soldiers commenced their murderous work
throughout the city. At first the Turkish
troops refrained from injuring women ani
children, but these bounds were soon
passed, and on the 30th of last month the
disorders lasted fully six hours. Four hum
dred refugees were sheltered at the Gov
ernors house. and fully three hundred Ar
menians concealed themselves in the homes
of the Europeans. Two hundred and four
horribly mutilated corpses have been col
lected in the Armenian quarter and the
plundering went on at wholesale rate,
according to the account of this witness,
who adds: 81 heard of acts of the basest
treachery The next day passed quietly,
but on the following day the massacre
was resumed. Thirty-six bodies were col
| lected and nearly all had bullet sword and
bayonet wounds. 1 saw the bodies OF sev-
eral women VINO died in defense of their
! honor Some of the bodies had been
! skinned other bodies had been partly
| burned through the use of petroleum. Many
women are missing, and it is supposed that
| they were carried off by the Turks" Writ
ing again on the following day this eye
| witness says 1.-The wounded now be-
ing collected at the Catholic ard Armenian
| schools and assistance has been offered
! by the American mission. The work of the
massacre has been most deadly. A soldier
| tells me that the orders for the killing OF
the Armenians were given by the Porte.
! Persian travellers, who arrived to-day, re-
| port that Paszin and Plain have also been
DESTROYED The final report received from
| this European eyewitness, also dated the
! 81 of November says that 531 bodies were
| buried in the Armenian cemetery that
day. o,,r,,
The Constantinople correspondent of the
Times says: "The effect of the moi- 'um
ON commercial affairs has been anything -
beneficial. 1t was essentially an imperia1
| ordinance suggested TO the Sultan by in
| terested parties as a measure calculated to
| calm public excitement and to insure his
| Najesty's safety. The Sultan had never be-
fore heard of a moratorium, but the Turk.
| ish fancy quickly takes to any idea con-
! cerning the nonpayment of debts, and the
| Sultan was prompt to realize it's soothing
| effect The authors of the idea obtained
| their wish, and the intermediary pocketed
| a handsome reward. Official reports the
correspondent of the Times continues
, blaming Armenians for the disorders OF
Diarbekr, are groundless. and although the
action of the Armenians elsewhere has not
always been judicious, the only region In
| which 1t can be truly said that the Armen.
ians have risen against the authorities is
the Zeitoun and Marash country. The Sui.
| tan is conscious of the weakness OF the
| present Cabinet, end he Is trying TO coa>
some of the members of his former Cabinets
TO return, but they have far rejected his
overtures and refused TO set their feet with
| In the doors OF the palace The Cabinet ha.
just dispatched a commission of five mem
bers to the provinces to examine into tn,
| situation. Reports continue to arrive oi
trobules at Malitich. Arabkir, Kharput and
Moush. 1t is reported that innocent per
sons are being slain with the sword ant
their buildings destroyed by fire in all thes,
towns. Some of the members of the palace
party. it is reported here. acting as bears
sold large blocks of Turkish securities re
Gently, with very profitable results
A dispatch to the Times, from Vienna
says that on the initiative OF Count Golu
chowski, the Austrian Minister of ForeigI
Affairs. a formal exchange of the views O
the Cabinets of the six powers has com
menced, with a view to arriving AT a col
lective decision, the best way OF dealin,
with the Armenian problem.
y dispatch from Constantinople TO tn,
Frankfurter Zeitung says that the Russian
ambassador to Turkey, VI. DE Neldon. de
clares that Russia would not accept tn
mandate OF the powers to pacify Armenia
Reuters Telegram Company learns. II
well-informed quarters. that the Italian
squadron may join the British squadron a
Salorika at any moment
A dispatch 10 the Cologne Gazette. from