The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-22
OUTRkGES IN ARMENIA
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE !

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE
burned by the soldiers. This attempt
was in obedience to orders from the gov
eminent. Avak was with the few sur
vivors from his village staying there
when word reached him that foreign
consuls had come to M0osh and they
wished to see persons who could testify
concerning the events at Sassoun. he
had been conce7le several days in a
village near and had been sought for by
the Turks, but the villagers failed to
commit him to them, for they believed,
and we felt, with good reason, that they
sought him in order to hinder him from
going before the commission. When he
came to us Sunday the congregation was
about to assemble for service, so we put
him in an inner room where he IT NAMED
till dusk, and then went to Gregorian
house Mr.. Cole informed the English
consul who approved of what we had
done, aud at length the poor man az
peared before the commission. He saw
the sears Of the bayonet woundG-22 on
his back and about the same number OF
his head, These facts, as we'll as state
meuts by others, | wrote down at the
time made, aud could not but note the
simplicity and agreement Of the
accounts as given to others l
saw a man by the name Of ArdadC0
who said that be was from S2mal, and
that four from his family had been killed
in the massacre. He repeated much OF
what AJAX had said concerning the tor
lures inflicted on Der Hohannes. A.
Oerkevank | saw three women, refugees
from Sassoun province One Of them
with quivering lips and quietly weeping
sal /: I had two brothers n-in law
and other relatives killed All three
emphasized that the black soldiers (al
luding to their dark uniform attacked and
slew large numbers Of people. They
said protection was promised the wome1
and children on condition they would
adopt the Mo5lem faith, but rather han
do this they fed at the risk Of their lives
After hiding for several days am 5ng
rocks these made their escape.
"At HavadOrie, man by the name Of
Toras, from S9mal, told me that his son,
brother, brothers daughter, and a
sister were murdered in the massacre.
He stated that after few days of the dire
conflict he fed and hid for more than 2
week among trees, subsistiug meanwhile
on the fruit of a kind Of thistle. H
said that he helped open pit or trench
and removed and buried the priest,
Johannes and four other bodies Toras
referred most pathetically to the severe
and prolonged tortureS endured by the
priest at the hands Of the cruel soldiers,
He said, We wished to remove many
more bodies and bury them, buS the
stencil Of the decaying bodies was so
great we could not do it, He added,
'At the time | buried M sister | cut off
her hair and it is now in my m2'her's
possession Also that when his b other
was s3z d and carried off ~ the soldiers
he took of MS cap aud threw it back to
his mother with the woeds, They are
going to kill me; keep this as last re
mem bran3o The poor maa was cruelty
murdered. a woman by the name of
Rahan, formerly OF Dalorig, who Il d at
the time Of the massacre, but now stay
ing at Havadoric; said her family nun
bered twelve, of whom five were killed
Ny husbands brother and his son
were hacked in pieces; my hus
band received a terrible wound
and is now at st. Aghperig monastery.
[ saw them kill my brothers wife. a
soldier took a large stone and struck her
head so violently that her brains were
scattered and she fell down dead When
saw this and others killed by bayonets
wept sorely and beat my head so now
am blind
At Havadoric | saw a man by the
name of Rasho, from Hatenth (the birth
place and early home Of Pavite2n 81
mon, formerly pastor Of the Bitlis
church, Rashio spoke at length about
the ruthless waste of property; said that
kerosene oil was used 10 facilitate the
burning of the houses; that most of the
villagers ed. but the soldiers utterly
destroyed the village; two from Rasho's
family were killed Muggerditch, ma
tive of Hakman staying temporarily at
Havadoric, said: There wero 80 in our
house, five were killed, two died of
fright, and l do not know where the
rest are. My brother, CASPIAN, tell
wounded by bayonet, afterwards they
put fire on him and he died. His chill
dren. a boy and girl, died of fright
saw a nephew killed by gun. The
soldiers stood Keven and Stepan up to
gether and shot at them as mark; one
was killed and the other fled, they shot
after him and he is now badly wounded.
When the soldiers blew the trumpets ard
began to STAY they seized my nephew's
wife and removing a yet unborn child
from her slew i'll! We buried the poor
woman, but they took the body out Ct
the grave and left it unburied."
Shamman, a woman from Delorig told
her sad story as follows: OF the thirty
who composed he family, her Husband,
his trother, and two others were kdogn
to have been killed. Tn. soldiers carried
her hand4ome little son of about three
years, away captive. An Armenian after
wards saw the boy and offered a COW aud
three sheep Cor ransom, but it was re-
iected. Shamman had beautiful dAugh
ter of about eight years with her;
asked her how she escap led, the mother
said at the time The village was attacked
the girl was caring for sheep in "a
distant pasture, and thus was safe A
correspondent from Akpre,a village Of 40
houses told me- she escaped by telling
tha soLjiars T will he a Turk ard fol-