The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-13
OPPRESSION.
As Practiced Upon An Amer
lean Citizen.


NEW YORK, May l3--Cricor Manassisn
has arrived In this city from Marseilles.
The facts concerning Mr.. Manassian's ar
rest and imprisonment in Turkey were
published some time since. His deposition
concerning the treatment he received at
the hands Of the Turkish government will
this week be presented to the department.
Of state at Washington.
Mr.. Manassian, who Is Of Armenian
birth, became an American citizen In 1913,
utter q residence of seven years in the
United States. Mr. Manassian's state
yent Is as follows:
'I left New York In July, 1893, and went
DO my native city of Tokat, Turkey, to
visit my relatives and attend to matters
relating to my family. At Constantinople
showed my passports at our consulate
and desired permit from the government
10 go 10 Tokat
"About three months after, was called
from Tokat 60 Sassoun, where my nephew
lay dying. 1 applied TO the government
TO have my permit changed. They took
my passport also, saying the governor
wished to see it. They kept both and gave
me a provisional passport, with which l
went to Sassoun and returned.
IL could not recover my passport, and
was at last told, after three months, that
II was sent to Sivas to the vail governor
general). wrote to Consul Jewett at
Sivas and sent my citizens papers at his
request but could not secure the passport,
Twas then beginning TO make plans to re-
turn TO America. The consul wrote me
again April Is, '04. The vail informs mo
he has sent your papers TO Constantine
ple.'
Sent to Prison.
"In September the vail came TO Tokat. ]
applied To him about my passport, but he
said You should not have become an
American citizen Three days after,
Sunday late in the evening, sc en- Turk
ish soldiers came into the house whore
was with my wife and child, and in spite
of my protests that ! was an American
citizen, and that they had no right to ar
rest me without the information of an
American official, they compelled me to
go, saying the vail wanted me.
\. "They took me TO prison, and the next
morning they put me in chains and mane-
cles, together with two murderers, in
dungeon, and then sent me in q cart to
Amasia. From Amssia to KAYAK they
made me walk in chains with the murder
ers, five days distance, making me sleep at
night In dungeons in chains. My feet We're
SO swollen / could not walk any more,
and persuaded the murdercrs to pay for q
cart till Sassoun was reached, which we
could not walk in three days. Neither l
nor my friends could send kilograms.
''But person was sent TO Sivas, and in
formation given TO Consul Jewett, and
nothing was done either by him or the
consul at Sassoun for two weeks. AT the
end of two weeks was sent as prisoner
70 Constantinople In Turkish steamer,
and upon arrival PIT into prison. The
next day Minister Terrell was informed,
and was released and sent to him. 1t
was some days after my arrest that letter
came from Consul Jewett, and both he
and the consul at Sassoun confirmed the
outrage and injury inflicted upon me by
order of the vail.
Looted by Soldiers.
had my wife and child como to Sas.
soun, and, us no man was allowed to come
with her, had 10 take steamer for Sas-
soun again. / was dumfounded to find
that she had no money whatever, all the
money that had, about $3.50 in American
money, and my watch, having been stolen
by the Turkish soldiers who remained be;
hind and ransacked my house ON the night
they arrested me.
u sent an appeal by registered letter
from Eonstantinople, Dec. IL, last to the
Presid0it of the United States, begging
him that telegraphic instruction be sent
TO Minister Terrell TO secure justice for
me- No answer came. Neither our min.
lister nor the consul general could do any.
thing. They took my afiidavits and said
they would be sent TO our government
and that if 1 managed to reach the United
States the matter would be settled from
there.
1--WE finally reached Marseillcs, and
thence here Our consul nc Marseilles
gave mo to understand that they had
orders not to protect American citizens