St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-16
SLAUGHTER OF ARMENIANS AT
HARPOOT STARTED BY
BRIGANDS.
SOLDIERS STOOD IDLY BY
WHILE THE MOSLEM RABBLE
JOINED IN THE MAS
SACRE.
MISSIONARIES LOST THEIR ALL.
Sham-TwO Score Villages
Sacked

BOSTON, Mass, Dec. 15-Letters
at hand from correspondents at Har-
poot, Eastern Turkey, give detailed
account of the scenes and incidents
attending the recent massacre Of Ar
menians there, as we'll as of the mas
sacre itself
1.-The first excitement" says the
writer, "over Turkish atrocities was
dying out, and tranquility was pretty
well restored, when the Dersim
Kurds began to plunder the villages
right and left, and six of which were
in the immediate vicinity of Har-
poot, the nearest one being within
two hours of the city The whole
city was tossed with apprehension,
and citizens were expecting an at
tack. Some said the KurdS had gov
ernment sanction, others that the
Turks in the city were in league with
them. The Kurds, while plundering
the villages, were heard to say We
are going to Harpoot.' The Turks
in the city said, The Kurds are com
ing here to plunder the Christian
quarter One Agha, when appealed
to to use means for the defense of
the city, said, Why should we pro-
tect the Giaours? Let them be
killed
1.-THE governor of MaIatia telegraph
ed here that 1900 Kurds had come there
and that he could not cope with them.
That threw the responsibility upon the
Harpoot government. The leading men
of Arabkir went to the governor and
asked for protection. They were treat
ed with contempt. These disturbances
could not have happened if strong or
ders had been sent to the governors
general to preserve order at any cost.
1.-THE terror and distress Of the dew
astated villages can scarcely be pict-
ured. Those who escaped with their
lives have been stripped of everything
else with winter just at their doors.
Where the Kurds alone have devas-
tated, the loss Of life is not great,
but the
TURKS KILL IN COLD BLOOD
and in any way suggested by the arch
fiend himself.
'"The idea of an uprising among the
Armenians is absurd. They are in ter
ror of their lives. They are prepared to
surrender all their possessions if only
their lives can be spared
Another writer, describing the at
tack upon the city, says: 1.-The first
attack began on Sundey, Nov. 10, by a
few Kurds. These were easily driven
off. Monday there was another at
tack in the morning, which was also
repelled. Later Monday the Kurds
and Turks from the surrounding re-
gion attacked Husenik. Several were
killed The soldiers went down the
road to meet them, and some of the
principal MoSlems also went down.
They had a conference with the kurdS.
Then the bugle blew, and the soldiers,
led by their commander, withdrew to
the city, dragging their cannon in a
very leisurely fashion. After the SOL
diers had reached the city the Kurds
and Turks came in yelling and firing.
The soldiers made no attempt to stop
them. They fired their cannon once
harmlessly into the air toward the
city and then over the heads of the
enemy. The Turks of the city Joined
in the plunder and attack. The Ar
menian school was first set on fire,
then the greater part of the Christian
quarter. Christians were shot down
everywhere.
Il saw all these things myself, for 1
watched things with field glass until
it became perfectly plain that the
whole thing was definitely planned and
arranged. The Christians had given
up their arms and cast themselves
on the protection of the government
No Christian fired on the assailants.
The
MISSIONARIES TOOK REFUGE
in the girls school until that was at
tackled, and the mission house of Rev.
0. P. Allen and wife was burned and
the school set on fire. Then they
gathered in the yard, prepared to die.
DR.. Barnum spoke to the military COM
mander and he sent soldiers, but only
two remained to protect the mission
aries, and they demanded money or
they would go away as their COM
rades had done. The missionaries de-
cided to go into the college building.
AS they left the school yard, a Turk
fired upon them from across the yard
twice, first at Mr. Allen and then at
Rev. G. Frank Gates, but he was a
very bad markSman and no one was
hit. The family of Mr. Gates was the
last to leave the yard. Soon after the
missionaries got into the school build
ing the officers sent for them to come
out. The missionaries refused 10 do
so, saying they had no confidence in
the chief and the Mufti, and if they
wished to offer protection they could
protect them where they were. If
they did not the missionaries would
die there.
cat last the Ala. Bey (Mahomet
Bey), a Circassian, arrived. He was
the first and only man who acted as
If he meant to do anything for the
missionaries. He called back the SOL
diers who had been sent by the mill
tary commander. The missionaries at
once came out and began fighting the
fires that had been set. Alai Bey
helped them. The house of President
Gates, the house of DR.. Barnum the
normal school and the college build
ing were saved, but eight of the build
ings were burned. All the houses were
plundered' and the soldiers made no
attempt to stop 1t. The missionaries
were stripped of everything but the
clothes they wore. The Turks of the
city We're very much disappointed that
any of the missionary buildings were
spared. Tuesday the Kurds returned
to the attack. An order came to stop
them and permission was given to
SHOOT THE KURDS.
''When this order came, two soldiers