The Indianapolis journal., 1895-12-10
STORIES OF EYEWITNESSES
HORRIBLE SCENES of CARNAGE IN
THE STREETS OF ERZERUM.
Advices Received by the American
board of Missions-Object of Plac-
ards at ConstantinOple.

junction with an English organization of
similar character. ITO insure effectual
work." the writer says, 1T will be essential
for the United States government to take
under official protection the men who dis
tribute. Otherwise 1t will not be permitted
by Turkey. A relief commission should be
organized in America on an independent
basis to have at least four superintendents
or distribution; one at Alexandretta to go
to Aintab. Marash and Oorfa, reaching the
case also Of the needy I'm the Taurus
mountains; another at Trebizond and
Erzerum. with a view to reaching the re-
gions of Bitlis and Van; and a third at
SAMSON for the regions from Marsovan to
Harpoot. The fourth should so to Diarbekir
and Mardian There will undoubtedly be
large amount of aid sent from England
Probably it will be well for the American
commission to make some alliance with
those in England in order to cover the
ground without tapping. There is need of
the greatest haste in getting some effective
relief into the field. The people will be
dying OF exposure and starvation very
soon. Moreover, the Turks are trying by
every means in their power to force the
survivors to become Mohammedans. They
are offering aid on these conditions in
some PLACES. and in others are picking up
the desolate widows and orphans and
simply taking possession of them In order
to make them Mohammedans without any
VIII OF the captiVeS.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
The correspondent, in referring to the
general situation. says: 1.-The concord be-
tween the powers has limitations as to its
extent of action. The powers will do MOTH
ing so far-reaching in its effects on Turkey
as to endanger the peace of Europe. This
Is the first consideration, and the improve
ment Of the state of Turkey is the second
The inertness of Russia is due to England
and not TO her own willingness to act. This
state of affairs gives no cheering prospect
for immediate and lasting Improvement in
Turkey, and Ii seems now as IL a European
war over the dismemberment of the empire
were imminent II there is such war IL
will very probably be between Russia,
England, Italy and Austria on the other
side. But 1t Is thought, however, that Rus
sia may make an alliance with Turkey ola
the basis of a sort OF vasSalship OF the new
Sultan (whoever ii may be- to the Car.
Meanwhile, SO long as the powers merely
threaten the Sultan with fleets, unaccom>
panied with means for climbing mountains,
he simply chuckles and proceeds with his
cruelties and outrages, while suavey de-
claring all the time that neither cruelty nor
outrage exists save in the imagination or
the English Liberals and of the American
missionaries"
Word has been received here from Bar
dezaga, western Turkey, to the effect that
more than thirty thousand people have
been butchered in Turkey, in spite of the
assertions of the Sultan and his advisers
that there have been fonly slight disturb
ances These facts come from a reliable
correspondent, who adds These people
have been fiendishly butchered under the
very noses OF the representatives OF the
so-called great powers, their goods have
been carried off, in many cases :heir houses
and even whole villages have been burned,
while the great blood-letter of CONSTANT
nopie grins and snaps his fingers in. the
face of Europe. Even America has been
sitting at ease while the people she has
of higher things have been driven as sheep
TO the slaughter More than two hundred
thousand widowed women, sd dishonored nd sssi
BILE people, skilled artisans without tools,
farmers without fields to till and merchants
without goods to sell are now w crying ,S ,ouo TO
was moved to it's center by the services
connected with the burial of portion OF OF
a mans head. The man, a muleteer oi
was fouily murdered by Turks. Some young
men, taking their lives in their hands, went
in search of the body. Ihey ad Iound
from the trunk. The trunk was SO torn torn
by beasts and in such a putrid state that
they could recover nothing OF II cb 11r the
lower law the eyes were missing. and
brought it home. AS the funeral corteSe
passed through the streets soldiers nr,ns IN tme
Three of our villagers, ore OF them a Prot
estant, and very many from other villages:
have been lost in the same way. Inc nioon
of martyrs Is calling Tor 'ehseahce III
vain.''
Late cable advices call attention to GER
tain things particularly in reference 10
the horrible massacre at ErZerum on
Wednesday, Oct 80. The massacre was the
work of the regular soldiers, assisted only
to limited extent by the populace. IL
was accompanied by systematic plunder-
ing of both houses and shops, for the
most part by the soldiers. The attack on
individuals was with intent to kill. which
Is shown bv the large number OF killed
as compared with the wounded. 1t began
at the same moment, all over the city.
about 1890 p. m. ana stopped at apour ni. !.
places of business without any prepara-
ton whatever for attack or defense- Ihey
were shot or cut down IKE animals In a
trap with little opportunity for resistance.
One of the soldiers who took part in the
massacre said AT 4 o'clock la Turka
(which would be about o'clock a. m }
the bugle sounded and we fell in. We
were told to sharpen our swords and get
our arms I'm order for use. About o'clock
the bugle sounded and again we fell in.
Then we were told that we. were going
to war with the Armenians: that they had
risen in rebellion and had attacked the
government house. We were marched out
tackled but saw no enemy. Whenever a
poor Armenian was seen running away
we were ordered to fire and we simply shot
safety We broke into houses and pltn-
dered them
FOUR HOURS OF CARNAGE.
The massacre began the moment the noon
hour of prayer was finished and smultan-
eously all over the city. 1t began with the
bugle call to fire. 1t ended with the bugle
call to cease firing. about four hours later.
The soldiery in all parts of the city had the
affair in hand A credible witness saw the
loosing of two houses. A crowd OF soldiers
with full equipment of arms came near the
house. They fired in various directions;
Then they fired volley into the house and
crowded around the door and battered Ii
down. The crowd OF soldiers rushed in and
carried of everything. The merchants in
one shop had only time 10 escape to the
cellar crowd entered. made UP OF SOL
diers and two or three Kurds. The shop
was looted and the safe broken open. the
gold lires falling out on the floor The
Kurds Immediately tried to get their share.
The captain in charge OF the squad inter-
fered. and an alteration began when the
captain drew his revolver and shot one OF
the Kurds and then seized the money. Many
men hid in the cellars 90 their shops. and,
being discovered in the p.ccess OF the loot
ing, were cut 10 pieces without mercy. Few
escaped with single bullet wound or with
a single sword thrust.
1t is estimated that there are between
1000 and $500 Armenian houses in Erzerum
Half of them have been plundered of all
their contents. The number of Armenian
shops would almost. If not quite. equal the
number of the houses. There are less than
a hundred shops remaining intact. There
are 1.c00 victims OF the massacre. 1,000
houses pundered and the inmates left
without food. fuel. bedding or winter cloth
Ing: 1000 shops plundered and closed and