The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-04

were killed and many women and young
The bodies of the Armenians. who were
killed in large numbers together, were
pnrled 1 IN common graves; pus lne 6od,ss os
were left unbaried. The Arnenians who
were not killed fed. Most of them came
Tiflis. Some came to me in Etzchmadzin
and related to me the sufferings that they
fined in prisons for political matters the
exact number of the prisoners is unknown
to me, but 1t must be more than two thou
sand Forty or fifty clergymen are among
this municipalities. bishops and archi-
madrites. All nearly all are quite inno-
political of offenses.' But But what the Turk calls
political offense has not the same sig
nificance as in western Europe. For in
stance, for a Christian to protect his prop
erty from plumber is considered pollt-
ical offense' in the Turkish empire. In
prisons all kinds of torture are employed
against rich and poor.
TORTURED IN PRISON.
1.-THE state of the Turkish prisons is SIM
ply dreadful. For instance, the chief monk
of monastery was fastened to a wall with
nails driven through his hands and was
delivered from that awful position only on
admitting that he had acted wrongly, al
though he was really innocent. On the
hands and feet of several prisoners were
fastened iron chains and heavy shackles
of wood, while on their heads were placed
lnStTuI1eItS TeSSII1DuIS copper pOlS
were heated to a high temperatur Some
times these tOrtureS ended in the death OF
the sufferers, Some times also the torturers
executed their terrible task simply to Kill
'sIn the Sassoun district there were about
ia villages and hamlets. In one of these
villages lived Kaimadam, a Turkish dis
trict chief. The whole number of Armen-
ian families or 'hearths, as they. are called
/ may explain, have preserved the ancient
tribal system. The, minimum number to
of these 'hearths' is eight persons;
the maximum number sixty or more TAX
ing twenty as a modest average, the NUM-
Der of inhabitants in the district amounted
Kurdish and Turkish troops have burned
lagos and L estimate that the number of
men, women and children killed in the
sassoun districts amount to 1000. These
Semal, with 1400 inhabitants; Cleicangan,
with 2,4o0; then follow Alliantz. Uktan.
khiloghenk, Tenalenk, Psurkh, Hartukw.
Khasmuth. Mzrdin,. BERN. Pamtank. Ceim-
named named Maarein, s' Dzoriar, sphgand. Tegh-
kart, Alkhovit, Mzrain, Artukou; Kourou-
i During g A the interview the he correspondent
asked Mgr. Khrimiran what truth there
was in the story that certain Armenian
revolutionary leaders induced Armenians to
commit atrocities Turks In the hope of
provoking outrages which would raise the
wrath of the Christian world. He replied
credence anywhere except in Turkey With
reference to the Turkish commission of in
quiry, Mgr. Khrimiran said: THE chief in
terest at present centers In the Turkish
commission of inquiry, but look for no re-
only deal with the Assoun matter which
was only an incident in the oppression OF
the Armenans'
REFUGEES INTERVIEWED.
The correspondent also interviewed several
Armenian refugees at Tifiis. The stories
they told of the massacre corresponds in
every respect with what had been pub
lished in local Armenian papers. The
ArInenians held their ground against the
Turks for twenty-five days. when, their
provisions and ammunition being exhausted,
they were either forced to fly to sur
render. After reaching the village of
Cleivousonat the Turks set fire to the
houses, destroyed the church and began to
massacre the inhabitants. Old and young
men, women and children were tortured
and put to death. Among this number were
two priests, one of whom, Terpetross, was
caused his death. The name of the other
the the r refugees T speak for themselves. W ~
ITO defend ourselves we were united as
one family, We held our ground as long
as we could, but we had only 300 old-faSh-
ioned guns. Behind us were the women who
were ready to kill any of US who might at
intention Of so doing. However, after twen-
ty-five days we held a council as to what
we should do. The Turks sent word that
But they did not keep their promise and
began to cut off the heads of some, to dis
embowel others, TO outrage our wives and
daughters. Ten of the latter, on refusing
to embrace the Moslem faith were put to
death. Those of us who were not killed
received wounds, and $50 who were not
wounded were thrown into large ditch.
We can show you, if you desire, the very
place. 1t is in the village of Clekougan,
behind the house of Peto, the Oldest inhbi-
tant of the village and who died last spring.
The position of the bodies in the pit will
prove that many We're buried alive. Seeing
that the Turks would kill us all, we at
last fed We were only six hours march
ing distance from Moosh. but our escape
was attended with many difficulties
Critical Situation OF Missionaries.
LONDON, March A dispatch to the
Daily News from Constantinople says that
the situation of the missionaries of the
American Board of Foreign Missions at
Marash is critical. The Governor of Aleppo
has accused them of insurrectionary designs,
and has caused the police to seize and open
all letters, boxes of food and clothing,
ETC., addressed to them, although the
boxes were examined on entering the coun-
try. He has also imprisoned the muleteers
who were conveying the boxes. The Gov
ernor has repeatedly declared in public that
the missionaries are importing arms for use
against MohammedanS Unless the calum-
nies shall be disproved catastrophe is
possible at any moment through an out
break on the part of the incensed pepula-
ton.
Many Armenians Released.
CONSTANTINOPLE, March 3.-The out
come of the efforts made by the Hon. Alex
W.Terrell, American minister at the Porte
in behalf of the American missionaries in
Armenia, is that orders to this effect have
been sent to the Turkish authorities in