Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-11-21
-FOUR THOUSAND SLAIN
Further Reports Of Terrible
Slaughter of Armenians by
the Bloody Kurds.
REPORTS NOT CONFIRMED
But Practically Admitted by
Officials at Constantinople.
MINISTER TERRELL INVESTIGATES
Striving to Protect American
Missionaries.
THE PORTE ORDERS A SPECIAL INQUIRY
REPORTS NOT CONFIRMED
But Practically Admitted by
Officials at Constantlnople.
MINISTER TERRELL INVESTIGATES
Striving to Protect American
Missionaries.
THE PORTE ORDERS A SPECIAL INQUIRY

v
Constantinople, Nov. II, via Sofia,
Bulgaria, Nov IS. No details have yet
been received here Of the massacre OF
about 800 Armenians at Kharput and of
the burning of eight out of u buildings
belonging to American missionaries
there, which outrages were announced
Saturday forenoon.
The United States Ambassador.
Alexander W. Terrell, has telegraph ed
for particulars of the outbreak, asking
especially whether the eight American
mission buildings were directly set on
fire by the rioters or il they simply
caught fire and were destroyed as the
result of general conflagration.
The American and other missionaries
at Bitlis have been compelled to return
to Van, under an escort of Turkish
troops, which was accorded them upon
the strong representations of Mr. Ter
rell to the Porte.
In anticipation of the recent massa!
ores, Mr.. Terrell had previously de-
manded and obtained from the Turkish
government categoric orders for the
protection of the American mission
aries, and nothing which can provide
for their safety has been left undone
by the United States officials. Mr..
Terrell, although granted leave Of alb
sence, refuses to leave his post, being
determined to remain here until all the
Americans are in safety and the
authority Of the Sultan is once more
established throughout Asia Minor.
Further massacres are reported from
Sivas, and there is report that 4, 600
Armenians have been massacred at
Gurun. Although the reports of this
lotfar ura NOT ffwo,a1 a
Turkish officials here admit that the
Kurds have made two separate attacks
upon the Armenians of that locality
and that there was considerable loss of
life due. according to the Turks, TO the
rioting of the Armenians, which could
iot otherwise have been suppressed
The Porte, it is said, has ordered
special inquiry into the massacre Of
Christians at Alexandretta, Northern
Syria, where 300 Turkish troops are
said TO have looked on while the kill
ing took place, abstaining from render
ing any assistance in suppressing the
4 disorder
wARsHIPs HAVE A GOOD EFFECT.
London, Nov. 1S.-It is understood
In well.informed circles here to-day
that the assembling of the British and
foreign fleets in Salonica Bay is hav-
ing good effect on the Turkish gov
eminent, and that the Sultan has
finally decided to make earnest efforts
to put stop to the bloodshed in Asia
Minor
1t is understood that the M arquis of
Salisbury has received assurances that
the Sultan has dispatched commits
sioners to Asia Minor, instructed to
put in force as soon as possible the re-
forms insisted upon by the Powers, and
that beyond the assembling of the for
eign fleets off Salonica, the Powers will
take no further steps at present, being
DESTROYS of giving the Turkish govern
ment every opportunity possible of re-
storing order in the disturbed districts,
without having recourse to measures
which might add to the state of an
archy prevailing,
The following telegram from Constan-
tinople was received this morning by
the Anglo-Armenian Association
"The Armenians are being massacred
100, 900 are dying of starvation and
exposure. The Sassoun work of relief
is closed. For Gods sake urge the
government to stop the most awful
events of modern times. The Porte is
powerless, as all the telegraphs are
under the controlsof the palace officials,
who have melted the massacre through
out Apatolia.
A dispatch received here from Rome
to-day, says that advices which have
reached there from Constantinople an
nounce that the agitation against the
Christians of Northern Syria is extend
ing and that massacres have occurred
near Alepho.
Constantiuople, via Sofia, Bulgaria,
Nov. l8-In response to the kilograms
to Kharput by the United States Min
lister, Mr.. Alexander W. Terrell, in
quiring into the burning and pillaging
OF tho American missions there, the
Porte has furnished some information
to Mr.. Terrell, and additional facts
have been obtained from other sources
by the United States minister. As
Mr.. Terrell will communicate direct
with the State Department at Wash
ington on the subject, the facts in his
possession cannot be given out here.
But enough is known of the disturb
ances at Kharput to enable the Asso-
ciated Press to give the following gen.
eral outline Of the occurrences;
The trouble between the Kurds and
Mussulmars OF Kharput had been
breeding for sometime. On one nand 1t
was claimed that the Armenians in
cited by the agents of their revolu-
tionary committee, had been arming
themselves, holding secret meetings and
preparing for revolt against the Turk
ish authorities. The crisis was to be
precipitated by an attack upon the
Mussulmans' quarter.
A second version of the affair is that
the Turks, acting under instructions
from the Yildize Kiosk officials, il not
from the Sultan himself, deliberately
planned to massacre the Armenians of
kharput. The Kurds, who we're not
armed with rifles, were provided with
weapons similar to those used by the
Turkish soldiery, and ammunition was
plentifuily distributed among them.
At the signal agreed upon quarrel
was picked with some Armenians and
the attack upon their quarters was
commenced.
The Armenians, however, had been
anticipating an outbreak for some time
past had armed themselves and barri-
paded their dwellings, and made SO de-
termined a resistance that the first at
tack of the Kurds was repulsed.
The American missionaries at Khar-
put applied for protection to Mr.. Ter
rell. The latter called personally upon
the Porte and sent several notes on the
subject to the Minister for Foreign
ARaira insiafin0 that the Turkish