The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-16
Armenian Villages Sacked. and
Officials Stand Idly By.
STARVATION FOR Survivors.
Turkish Soldiers Join in the Ont
RACES on Women.
Houses OF American Missionaries Are
Burned, But Their Lives Are spared.
Although the Danger l. Not Over
French Guariship Joins the Fleet
at tConstantinopIe--F Fugitives Coming
To Black sea Ports.

Constantnople. Dec. a. via Sofia. Dec.
lS.-The French gaardsh.p Faucon has ar
rived here IA accordance with the permis-
sion granted by the sultan upon the de-
mand Of the powers. and has joined the
English gunhoat DTyad. the italian war
vessel Arehimede ard the Austrian gun
boat seoenico. which arrived during the
week
The serious effects OF the outrages per-
petTated upon the Armenians in the
months past are seen In the advices now
being received from Anatol.a. which dwell
upon the terrible distress existing every
where thousand fugitlyes have taken
refuge IN Black sea ports. where they re-
main in a deplorahie condition The Klgrds
continue TO p.llage the Armenian villages
without opposition from the helpless in
habitants. During the last three weeks 10
villages have been sacked and seventy
men killed The villages Of SeFsai, Razira,
bOnackessen and the Armenian district OF
Halsalsor have been laid waste The VIII
age OF La Masgulrd has been rajded four
times in one week. The authorities make
no attempt whatever TO put a stop TO tile
kurdish raids or 10 punish the perpetrat-
ors OF them Ii i feared that the tnhat-
itants OF numbers of villages VINO have
fed through fear OF a second outrage, and
have taken refuge at Inaccessible onts
IN the mountains. viii perish during the
severe weather of the winter which Is now
coming. The Armenians are held in a
state of utter despair over their situation.
The n1assacres OF Armenians in kalsa-
rich and Talas lasted for three days All
Kinds or exceSSes are perpetrated upon the
inhabitants. many women and girls being
outraged 0y the gendarmes as we'll as the
knrds. IL has previously been alleged taat
the hurds alone were responsible for this
species of outrage, being beyond the con-
troll OF the authorities. The scenes which
are daily enacted are too horrible 10 allow
Of description. The survivors OF these
massacres are compelled either TO adopt
Islam or be killed. The ambassadors of
the powers here are finding that it is Tse-
less TO address communications TO the
porte on this subject, as the sultan Is con-
WINGED that the European concert is a
mere infant.
Although the immediate cause of the re-
cent Widespread panic here was the quar-
rel between two Armenians. it now appears
that a wholesale attack upon al the Ar
menians in the city looking to their ex-
termination was really projected Oh that
day The attack was to commence at II
o clock Ia the morning, but the plan was
frustrated by the state of alarm created Dy
the quarrel between the two Armcaiaas,
which served as a warning TO the Ar
mcn.ans N the city and caused them TO
take refuge in their houses.
London, Dec. l5.-The Daily News has a
dispatch from Constantinople dated Decem-
Der II which says: News Is daily receiv-
ed here OF thousands of Armen.ans who are
offered the choice between Islam and death.
At Marash an Armenian who was ordained
in the clergy and refused the choice was
killed by slow torture. At Kharput two
PrO,estants preached and were murdered
for The same cause. AT Achem ffty-two
persons died as martyrs for their religion.
At Erzer0um, large number OF Armeniaus
were captured and taken to Turkish VIII
lage, where they were ordered 10 change
Their faith. Fifty of them leaped into the
river and were drowned. ;he Turks shoot
ing them while they we're in the water.
This day the British vice consul az Van
describea the cond tion OF the Armenlans
as being too appalling for words. Thou
sands Of women and girls arc wandering
through the snow piled streets, without
shelter or food. and barefoot. their ravish-
ers leaving only their chemise and some Of
them only cloth 10 cover their naked
ness
Another witness Of the barbarties OF the
massacre at Kaisar.ch on November %.
says that men and women were literally
hacked 20 pieces Ia the number Of several
hundred Some Of the Turks say f.G00 We're
Killed. Saturday afternoon 100 fierce fell
lows came from the villages 20 the city.
Many women were abducted The troops
could have squelched the business II they
had desired 20 do SO. All this informa lion
= In the hands of the ambassadors. with
names and dates. The Zeitoun tragedy IS
approaching an end. At the Semanlik yes
terday the sultan's secretary Informed Eu-
ropeans that the Zeitounhs committed a
horrible outrage, that they had descended
en- masse from the hills, had burned the
moslem village Of MARTA, and kl.ed every
inhab'tant. This is a foul lie invented by
Izzet Bey. the clever Arabic scoundrel who
now rules the sultan and The empire He
maintains his power by pandeFtng % the
sultan's thirst for Armenian blood. Every
body is aware that Zei.oun was surround
ed by troops and Bazouks and that such
sar.ie was imposs oe. The obje-- OF The
falseho0d Is 10 eliminate sympathy from
The Armenians-
This means that the doom Of the lei
tounHs is scaled The sultan means 20
seize an excuse 20 order the.r extermna-
tion. on Thursday morn .rg a demonstra-
lion bv Sofas against the palace vas ar
ranged but vas frustrated by numerous
arrests 7. is reported that fresh ulassa cres
occurred a. Kaisarioh yesterday. but this is
not confirmed.
C0rstantiuOpIe Dec. i4 via Sofa, Dec.
f5-Nu~h relief Is feit today among the
friends of American nissionarie- over tne
news that has just been received by United
states Minister Terrell from A'ut8b. BIT
Ns Kharrut. Caesarfa and Talass. and
which contains assurances that the mis-
sforarfeS AZ those points are safe. I0eF are
under the protection ~ Turkish troops, IN
accordance with the peremp.ory demand
made upon the porte hy Minister Terrell
7-ns raeo~,s 10 Mr. Terrell from these
ro!rrs although hey give the assurances
that no harm nas thls Far come 20 f1a mis-
sicuartes state thai serious osnEfr stiH
exists and convey -he impression thaf fA"