Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-27

END or the SIEGE OF THE AHME-
MAN TOWN.
Inhabitants Escape 10 the Noun
acknowledgements EndeaN"r To
Prevent n Nassacrc--Dcscriptio OF
the Place.


CONSTANTINOPLE. December %
The report that the town Of ze!toun'
held by the insurgent Armenians for
some time past. has been captured by
The Turkish troops is confirmed.
No details, however, have yet been an
nounoed.
II IS alleged shat the Inhabitants fed
70 the mountains.
MEETING OF AMBASSADORS.
LONDON December ga dispatch TO
The Times from Cons,antinople, Decem-
Der 18th. says.
AS an outcome OF the meeting Of the
Ambassadors to concert means TO pre-
vent the massacre Of the inhabitants Of
Zeltoun. for which the palace thirsts'
and attempts to justify by publishing
mendaclous statements OF atrocities COM
mitted by the Zeitounlis. Baron Calico,
the Austrian Ambassador. went 10 the
Porte to-day and imparted.to the Grand
Nizer the earnest hope OF the powers
that no extreme measures would De
taken against the Zeitounis."
THE TOWN OF ZEITOUN.
Zeitoun. also spelled Zeitun and lei
thun is a town twenty-five miles north
west Of Marash, in the highlands Of the
Aleppo province. IL has about 10000 in
habitants. mainly Armenian Christians,
who have maintained themselves for CEN
turtles against Turkish oppression. The
soil aboUnds in patches of great fertility,
but does not produce grain enough 10
supply the wants Of the inhabitants.
Nulberry-trces grow numerously and
lon, fl. "a
silk-worms The men are chiefly en-
gagged in smelling and manufacturing the
iron supplied by the mountains.
Zeitoun is surrounded on all sides by
Inaccessible craes except on the east
where IL Is bounded by the deep channel
OF the Pyramous. The language is a rude
dialect OF Armenia.
The inhabitants are free from Asiatic
vices, resembling Europeans in their
respect for women. Crime Is infTequen,
No prisons exist, and certain outhori-
ties assert that murder for the sake
OF gain has never been committed in
that country The people have always
shown the greatest jealousy Of foreign
ers. and little was known Of them un-
a. 1854 when their country was visited
by a French Protestant clergyman.
The government Is patriarchal, being
vested in elders Of the people with
some prerogatves I'm the priesthood.
All Offices are conferred by popular cleo
ton. the executive power being placed
in the hands OF the four princes.
There are about twenty villages in
the district. and in 1870 il was estimated
that they could muster an army Of
from 1000 10 5000 men to defend the
mountains against Turkish invasion.
Zeitoun Is relic of the Armenian king
Of n 81
and destroyed II the fourteenth century.
Since that period the native population
has been gradually assimilating TO the
Turks Ii was not until after the Cri-
mean war that the massacres in the
East called special attention to the eX-
is,ence Of Zeitoun and other Christian
communities in the East which had
some claim to European sympathy
FORMER ATTACK BY TURKS.
An attempt by Turks 10 settle Cir
casslans near Zeitoun gave Aziz Pasha
an opportunity to attack the Christians,
and atrocities of the most frighuul char
acter were committed. Massacres SINH
lar 10 those that have marked the re-
cent troubles in Armenia were frequent.
The inhabitants defended themselves
with the greatest gallantry. VICE de-
feating large Turkish forces in the field,
and the struggle was at length termina-
ted by the interference of the French
and English governments at CONSTANT
NOBLE. and the recall Of the Pasha. The
intervening powers permitted the Turks
10 suppress the Armenian newspaper
then the sole means Of communication
between this isolated district and the
rest OF the Christian world. and, until
comparatively late day Zeitoun has
been isolated.
DEFENCE OF ZEITOUN.
Intelligence from Zeitoun has beer
anxiously awaited for a long time. Il
was known that the Turkish troops hac
advanced in large numbers, with artillery
and reports had come OF heavy fighting
The Zeitounlis fought well but evdenil,
could not hold out against the artillery
The Turkish Government reports tina
Zeitoun is the on.y disturbed place il
Armenia. 1t has been feared that an un
precedented massacre would follow IL
capture.