The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-11


US:
Come to the camp 10 surrender; there
is peace
Thus saying. one Of them seized a mule,
the only animal We had with US, and rode
away. to betray US, as IL afterWard prov
ed. We followed the four Kurds till We
came near a river. Then we saw two
large companies Of Kurds approaching Us,
one some distance below US. the other on
the opposite side of the river. These soon
surrounded US. They were led BY a mol
Ian, one OF the followers Of the noted
Shiek of Zeelon. They drove us into
raVlne. one OF our. company attempted
TO escape, but was instantly cut down with
sword. The Kurds gave US the alternative
Of accepting the Moslem faith or death.
With one accord we all said
We cannot deny our Christ
Immediately they seized the men
there We're only eleven In our company
bound their arms with cords and then took
from US women and children all clothing
worth removing. Many were left with
single garment. One aged woman near
me was left stark naked. After this the
mollah sent a letter TO the Turkish camp.
which was about half an hour distant from
Dalvorig village, inquiring what should
be done with US. heard them talk about
the letter. Soon. after this ] heard the
kurdes plotting to take the young women
for themselves and send the others away
word comes to send the prisoners to camp
we viii say the men were bound, but the
women and children fed in the night
They did not unite in this plan and as
darkness came on they counted US and set
a watch and lay down to rest on the
ground about the ravine.
The next day toward noon they decided
to take us to the Turkish camp and or
dered us to set out. Our husbands and
brothers, who had been bound the night
before, were in a pitiable condition, their
arms and hands badly swollen. The Kurds
drove us, half naked, hungry and faint,
through the hot sun till we came to
fountain near a deserted village. At this
point other kurds passed US, going in
search of food to the village, which,
though deserted, had not been entirely
plundered. Meanwhile some soldiers from
the camp about Dalvorig arrived with an
answer to the mollahs letter 10 the effect
that 1t was contrary to the Koran to take
women into camp, but the men should be
sent. As they were being taken away 1
attempted to approach my brother to say
a last word. He was one of the eleven
prisoners. Upon which a Kurd raised his
gun and said to me, Step back or 1 will
shoot you dead The mollah went with
the men. After his departure there was
some loud talking among the Kurds. FL
nally, a chief came forward and said in
a loud voice, Let no one dare to touch one
of these women or children, for I will
fight such a one Shortly after this the
Kurds dispersed and we made our escape
to the mountains.
zone day while hiding among the rocks
/ saw my husband and son-in-law, KevOrk
bound with cords and cruelty murdered.
My husband was cut limb from limb, lit
orally hacked to pieces. Too terrified to
move 1 stood gazing at the awful sight,
when suddenly five Kurds sprang upon
me. They did not harm me, but wanted
my child. threw myself upon the ground
to shield him, but they dragged me to
one side and stabbed him with a dagger.
My little daughter was not far away. She
was greatly terrified having witnessed
the murder of her father and brother. /
ran to her and tried pull her along as we
fed But she soon stopped, and exclaim-
ing Mother, 1 am dying fell dead at my
feet.
Il did not dare to linger, and fled over
the rocks until 1 found my other children
one of whom was the wife Of Kevork,
who had just been murdered. The next day
we turned back to find and bury the body
of my daughter. We did not dare TO go
further then, as there were many soldiers
and Kurds around. Twenty days later
returned and buried the remains of my
husband and son-in-law. While was hid
ing among the rocks l saw soldiers bar
barously kiln a woman, removing the yet
unborn child and thrusting it through
with a bayonet."
The full recital of what she saw and
endured during those weary days Of
wandering would I'LL many pages. Al
length all the surviving members of the
family reached Shadak a district near
Moosh, where they remained during the
winter. A man from Goligozan had two
brothers shot, and their bodies were man
gled with bayonets. He himself was run
ming toward thicket, when soldiers saw
him and ordered Kurd to seize him.
The Kurd did so, but Intentionally allowed
him to escape. AS he fed he received a
sword cut on his hand and three wouDds
on his head. He told me that his father
was shot and a brother killed with the
sword while hiding in the forest. His aunt
was in a field when soldiers found her
They ordered her to tell them where the
household goods were concealed. On her
refusing to do this they set upon her,
and removing an unborn babe bayoneted it
on her breast, leaving her to die. He saw
this, and afterward passed by his aunt
as he fled under cover Of the bushes on
the edge of the field, where she still
fingered in great agony.
A woman from Goligozan told us that
her husband disappeared at the time of
the massacre. She, her husbands broth
er, and his son were hiding in the noun
tains when soldiers murdered her brother
in-law and his son-in7law in a most brutal
manner. She was very near them, hid
den behind some rocks, but they did not
discover her, and the next day she Joined
a company of seven villagers-two women
three girls and two boys-with whom she
remained hiding among rocks and thickets
They were soon discovered by a band of
soldiers and Kurds, who spared their
lives but stripped the entire company o
every article of clothing. The narrator
was allowed to retain a single garment.
Two soldiers took her away from her COM
paniohs and told her she must adopt the
Mohammedan faith, and that If she re-
fused they would take her life then and
there She finally replied:
"If you wish to kill me, I am helpless,
but cannot commit the awful sin of de-
nyng Christ"
They took her with them for several
miles, sometimes persuading, sometimes
threatening her, till they were met by
company of Kurds, among whom was a
woman who begged the soldiers 10 let the
young woman go. This they did, and she
then escaped. After fifteen days of wan
dering in the forest and on the mountain
DISTRESSING