The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-28
"SIMPLY A Liz.
Are Turkish Statements That Massa.
eres Are Only Conflicts.
10000 SOULS SLAUGHTERED AC-
CORDTNG TO ARMENIAN REPORTS.

Number at 15,0OO-How a Turkish
Neighbor of an American Relished the
Part He Played in the Murders-An-
other Confirmation of the Tales OF
Blood.
Boston, November 27.-The following
letter has been received in Boston from a
reliable correspondent in Constanti-
nople:
"An epidemic of slaughter has beer
sweeping over the land. Fourteen cities
and towns and great number of Villages
have been the scene of unparalleled
massacres. Armenian accounts carry the
number of slain up to about $4,000 OF
40, 600 souls. But there is good ground
for an estimate of Is, 600, as about the
number now certainly known to have
been killed among the Armenians. About
1000 Turks have been killed in the at
tempt to kill their Armenian neighbors.
probably have to be enlarged as fuller
news comes in, but can hardly be re-
duoed. The Turks have also plundered
all the shops and many oi the dwell
ings Of the Armenians. Not only are the
families of the slain red uced to want,
but the living have lost their all, and
the government has made No effort to re-
store the stolen property. In great
numbers of villages, the people fled from
their houses upon attack being made.
wearing such clothing as they had. The
clothes that they wear are now all that
tt ey possess in the world except empty
houses. A telegram from .Erzeroom
suggests the need of national aid to save
these people from starvation. Judge
Terrell has been asked to request the
United States government to publish the
facts and appeal for general collections to
be made, and an effective system of dis
tribution to be organized in order to at
tempt to save the lives of these wretched
people. One hundred thousand persons
reduced to abject destitution is very low
estimate. The most OF them have not a
when the winter is fairly upon themf
The Sultan has determined to crush the
life out of the Afmenians as his answer
to the Powers who have tried to force
him to reform. Some of the papers
represent that these slaughters are the
result of Armenian rlsings at Zeitoun
near Marash But in the places in
Eastern Turkey which have been
devastated, the massacre was carefully
prepared, the frightened people pleaded
with the authorities for protection, which
was refused them, and then the Turks at
tackled and plundered at will In some
cases they were resisted when they at
tempted to rob, and this is set down as
treason on the part of the Armenians.
The most of the Turks killed we're killed
in Diarbekir (18O0) where all classes of
Christians were attacked and where they
sold their lives dearly. The Turkish
statement that these affairs were con
ficts' is simply lie. Letters from all
quarters dated just before the massacres
say that the Turks are preparing for
massacre and are declaring that they will
leave no sign of the Armenians This
shows how completely the massacre was
premeditated. An attempt to dethrone
the Sultan was to have been made and
some of the ministry were possibly con-
cerned in the plot, for all reasonable men
among the Turks detest him. But the
Sultan got wind of the scheme and
changed the ministry. He has filled all
the offices with devoted creatures of his
own, and to find such he has been
obliged to select the worst men in the
list Of Pashas. The new Grand Vizer is
q
have no force. The minister of foreign
affairs too, is not Objectionable, except as
having no force. But the other men
chosen are the very off-scouring Of the
race. The minister Of the interior is the
man who devised and ordered the burn
ing of the new building at Marsovan in
1893 The minister of justice is an old
fanatic of the worst stripe. The minister
of public works is professional and I'M
boc Gnlnifn AltOppth hpp 10 nj cfr
is the worst the country has seen within
the memory of man. The massacres will
stop because the six Powers say that they
must. But there is no reason to expect
any long respite. Unless the present
Sultan is dethroned or the foreign Powers
assume effective control of him. no i'm
provement is to be expected 1t was
nothing but the presence of the relief
commission under the pre- sidency Of
Consul Hampson that saved Housh from
being extinguished by the Turks. They
feel indignant that they should have been
deprived of the privileges extended to
their fellow citizens of neighhoring towns
who are now reyelling in plumber from
tie Armenians. But they cannot helI
themselves now for the English have
their eyes on them and have told them
that any loss of life will be visited upon
the men who have threatened 1t. Sivas is
now in danger of attack from the Kourds
who are killing and destroying in the
surrounding villages. Marash will be in
danger for some time because it is the
base of military operations against
Zeitoun. If the Turkish troups are re-
pulsed in their attack shortly to be
delivered against Zeitoun, they may very
likely wreak their vengeance upon the
Armenians of Marash. The city is quiet
but expectant. There may be an upris
ing Of the Turks against the Sultan al
any moment, and there is possibility
of an uprising of Turks of another GLASS
to pillage the Armenian bazaars Ihe
arrival Of men who have been pillagine
in the interiors and who brag of the
wealth that they have thereby acquired
stirs the cupidity and envy of quite {
multitude. We have a neighbor il
Hissar. who died in the Ak Hissal
massacre He tells with great relish how
no killed Armenians and carried of
goods. He says: I'VE wished to do th,
same for Bahgchejik too, but there wer,
no orders to do that, so we had 20 be con
tent with what we got At Ak Hissar. .