New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-07
THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES.
A REVIEW OF THE SUBJECT WHICH HAS AGAIN
CALLED FORTH THE EIOorENCE OF THE
ucp,Sp OLD MAN"

prvtrw or THE SUBJECT WHICH HAS AGAIN
CALLED FORTH THE EroorENcE OF THE
GRAND OLD MAN"
Mr.. Gladstone is perfectly right In saying mat
the four words. "punder, murder, rape anu .o'
ure" constitute the sum total Of the report "n'cn
has recently been drawn up by the Foreign d'p'o-
matte delegates appointed to investigate the out
RACES nerpetrated last fall and winter In Armenia
not only by the Kurds who are enrolled as regular
cavalry in the Sutan's army. but also by the IN
fantry Of the line and by their commanding
officers 1t has been supposed by many 'ha' inc
frightfu stories related were the result OF oriehta
exaggeraton destined to further some poltcai
manoeuvres and intrigues on the part OF the AT
men,ans resident in Constantinopie many OF whom
hold high office under the Sublime Porte But the
ranorts Of the delegates leave doubt as 10 the
broad fact that the outrages were perpetrated'
and that too by the Sultan's soldiery, thoush
they do not throw any light upon the causes whicn
precipitated the massacre. 1t must be remembered
that II Is not TO the Sutans interest that bar
harit,es should occur in his dominions OF such
kind as to call for the intervention OF the great
Powers.
I,pon whomever the responsibility rests for hav-
ing brought about all this boodshed. II IL I'M
deniable that the victims. that Is. the Armenian
neasantry were perfectly innocent OF any crime
against the Government. True there hau peen
conflicts between the Armenians and the kurdish
,rroyulors who have an unfortunate propensity for
,b,ovrr and looting but these quarres have been
Intermittent for decades. and as a rule the hurds
have. been dscountenanced by the imPer'ai Wv
eminent. When therefore, the Armeh'a"s WIZ
messed the arrival of a large NUMBER Oh regular
infantry last fall. they at once took 1t Tor granted
,ha. ,ho soldiers had come to protect them against
Kurdish depredatons and. under the impression
that the danger from the Kurds was more acute
than general. they focked to the environments OF
the regulars for safety. They were quickly unde-
ceived The regulars. instead OF holding the
Kurds in check, melted them to massacre the Ar
menlans and when the Kurds did not do their
work fast enough. the regulars by command
NJ their officers took hand In the slaughter and
especially in the torture
II began with the burning Of the villages OF
| Shsmai Schenik and Avail. the Inhabitants being
locked up In their houses and driven back intshe
| flames by the soldiers when they attempted 10
escape The neighborng villagers. on hearing this
were seized with panic and attempted to flee TO the
| Businesses OF Mount Andok. The troops. however
| soon caught up with the fugtives and then began
| a slaughter which is almost without parallel IN
| the present century. There are stories OF bay
| onct being gently pushed into a child's stomach
the little boy being then swung aloft and made to
| spin round and round until death supervened Del
Ohannes. OF the most influential priests OF The
| district had his eyes gouged out by order OF the
| colonel of one Of the regiments. who further com
manded the soldiers 10 make a couple of holes In
| his throat. Water fetched and poured into th'
| priests mouth that II spurted out Of the holes
| other indescrbable tortures were inflicted upor
| him Another prominent Armenian was thrown or
! his back and hole az large as a saucer made II
| his stomach with a dagger The hole was hlet
with gunpowder and exploded with a fuse Other;
again were slowly and deliberately hacked tC
| pieces. while infants were either torn asunder o
| spItted bayonets. The church Of the village OF
Gheliycgoozan was filed with women and girls
who. after being subjected tomost frightfuiabuse fo
three days were finally burned alive, together VIII
the sacred edince. Hundreds nay even thousands
saved themselves from torture by jumping dowr
| precipIces and in other ways committing suicide
| while almost many more were tossed alive int
the three so-called death pits Of the valley o
Ghellyegoozan. where the soldiers endeavored afte
the massacre was over to conceal the traces there
| OF by covering up after fashion the remains o
| their victims.
| No news has been received yet Of the punishment
| OF the officers In command Of the troops who per
pk,rated these totally inexcusable massacres. an,
| the only thing that the Sultan has done up to III
| present time to assuage the Indignation which tn
| description OF the atrocities has called forti
| throughout the civilized world has been TO appo.n
| az Governor of Armenia Chakir Pacha. who wa
| for many years Ambassador at St Petersburg AM
| who Is n great favorite with the Russian Court an'
| Government. The Porte hopes by this means t
| close the mouth Of the only one OF the Power
which, judging by history. would be capable OF 90