The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-04
ARMENIANs SHOT DOWN.
Many Were Killed by Turkish
Police While Being
Arrested.
a PATRIARCH HOLDS THE FORT.
All Threats to Storm His Stronghold
Fall to Induce Him to
Surrender.

CONSTANTINOPLE, TURKEY, Oct g.
The report that the Armenians who were
arrested for taking part in Mondays and
Tuesdays rioting were killed while being
taken into custody has been confirmed. II
is known to a certainty that five of the
prisoners were so killed, and it would ex-
cite no surprise to hear that others met
their death in the same manner. Eye
witnesses of the rioting say that the Ar
menians did not discharge their firearms
until Major Serwet Bey ordered the police
to fire upon them.
Turkish officials view the troubles as
being the direct outcome of the agitation
in Europe, especially in Great Britain, in
favor of the Armenians as against the
Turks.
The foreign diplomats here to-day met
at the Austrian mbassy and held con-
ference on the situation.
The French Consul at Damascus was re-
Gently mobbed, hooted and menaced on
the streets of that city. Fifteen men have
been arrested in connection with the incl
dent. NJ. Cabon, the French ambassador,
has laid formal complaint before the
Porte, and has demanded satisfaction for
the insult to the French republic.
LONDON, Eng, Oct. 3.-The Standard
will tomorrow publish a dispatch from
Constantinople saying that on Wednesday
large number of shops were closed and
the streets were patrolled by the police.
The whole city is virtually in state of
siege. The dispatch adds that witness of
the occurrence states that a respectable
looking Armenian was arrested by two
gendarmes on Tuesday while walking in
the Galatea quarter. When he protested
against being arrested the gendarmes i'm
mediately ripped his body open with their
swords.
The Armenian Patriarch received a let
ter on Tuesday inviting him to call upon
the Government The letter stated that
none of his followers would be permitted
to accompany him. The Patriarch there
fore declined to accept the invitation and
remained at the patriarchate, where he is
shut up with several hundred armed Ar
menlans. The officials visited the patri.
archate and summoned its occupants to
surrender, giving them until O'Clock this
afternoon "wednesday to comply, after
which if they did not surrender the build
ing would be stormed.
The dispatch further says that at the
time mentioned the police surrounded the
building and prepared to carry out their
threat to storm it.
Great CONSERVATION prevails at the pal
ace. The sultan has not been in bed since
Monday. 1t is felt that crisis has ar
rived. No such terror has prevailed since
the Greek revolution.
later dispatch to the Standard says
that the threatto storm the patriarchate
has not yet been carried out. The church
officials declare that that they are not
able to compel the refugees to leave the
building, and the latter decline to leave
their shelter. 1t is to be hoped that the
police will not resort to force, as in that
event fearful massacre would result. The
refugees are huddled together in the build
ing with hardly standing room. They de-
pend for food on such scraps as are brought
10 them. Seven corpses have sbeen deliv-
cred from the patriarchate for burial.