The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-14

! CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec 13.-The
details of the scare here and at Galata
and Pera yesterday illustrate the ten
sion of public feehng. One of the two
Armenians who started the panic by
engaging in q street brawl discharged
| revolver at his opponent The Christ
ians within hearing of the shot imn1e-
diately surmised that another massacre
had commenced, and shops in the vi
| cinity of the disturbance were closed
with astounding rapidity.
The alarm spread, and the people,
filed with a vague terror, rushed aim
| lessly hither and thither The streets
soon furnished q scene of incredible
confusion hundreds of people making
their way as fast as possible toward
Galata and Pera, on the northern side
of the Golden Horn. The dWellers in
these suburbs, seeing the fugitives Wild
ly stampeding, either joined in the
flight, making for the open country, or
barricaded themselves strongly within
| their houses and shops. The Armenian
porters who were working about the
streets as usual, hastily dropped their
loads, and with terror depicted on their
faces, fled, as they thought, for theiE
lives.
a number of English ladies were af-
fected by the fear that had seized upon
all the Christians and fled from their
places of residence to the British En-
bassy, where they claimed the protec-
ton of the Embassador. Fifty Ar
menians sought and were given shelter
in the residence of Hon. NJ. II. Herbert.
the Sheriff of the British Embassy.
AS soon as the authorities heard of the
trouble, and that was almost immedi-
ate, many troops were summoned to
the Yildiz palace. The officials acted
promptly and well. The police were
well handled, and cavalry and infantry
were detailed to patrol the streets The
panic lasted for some time, and then
subsided almost as quickly as it started
A characteristic official report was is
sued later which attempted to mini
n1ize the affair. 1t ascribes the troub-
les to Armenians telling the crowd that
was attracted by the revolver shot that
the Mussulmans were going to loot the
shops because of the arrival of the Brit
ish and Italian guardships.
KILLED BY THE HUNDREDS.
LONDON, Dec 13-The Daily News
this morning prints a statement made
on oath by an Armenian named Asian
ian, who has been sent to New York by
the Anglo-Armenian Association.
Aslanian says he lived in America
formerly, and left New York in the be-
ginning of September to join his wife.
On arriving in Constantinople he was
thrown into prison, although he had
regular passport. He was there during
the recent disturbances and saw. he
declares, hundreds of Armenians taken
into the prison and deliberately killed.
The prisoners were wounded with rifle
butts and bayonets by the soldiers un-
der the orders of the officers.
This continued for forty-eight hours.
He believes 300 were killed and SOC
wounded in that time. Women weep
ing at the gates and imploring perInis-
sion to see their husbands and sons
were roughly repulsed by the soldiers.
ASlanian was put in irons the next
day and catechized regarding his sup
posed associates who had come from
America for revolutionary purposes.
Upon pleading ignorance of this, he
was beaten with a truncheon upon the
shoulders thighs and legs, causing
great agony. This was repeated on
eleven different occasions. He was
placed in solitary confinement for a
fortnight. Other prisoners were SINH
larly treated.