The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-02
A TALE OF SLAUGHTER.
CHAPTER OF THE 4 WFUL
MASSA GRE OF ARMENLANS.
Women and Girls Collected In . Church
and Kept for Days, Being Brutaliy
0utraged-Trying to Fslstfy Facts,

BOSTON, MASS, Jan. lin conse-
quence OF a meeting OF the Armenians OF
Boston, held in Friendship Hall last Sun
day evening, fhe following cabiegram Was
sent this afternoon:
To Hon. William II. Gladstone. London.
England:
Armenians OF Boston thank you for
your sympathy and aid.
The ArmenIans OF this city feel that the
diplomats of Europe VIII never take in
terest i'm the affairs of their countrymen
unless it is shown that every act in their
favor is keenly appreciated ana they
take this means of expressing their SIN
ccfe gratitude for the stand taken Dy Mf.
Gladstone In his speech last week.
BOSTON MASS, Jan. Letters have
been received by well-known parties in
this city from reliable sources in Turkey
giving still further testimony regarding
the outrages in Eastern Turkey. the fol-
lowing letter comes from city not a
great distance from the scene OF the
outrages. The writer Of the letter Is a
man in whom the highest confidence may
be placed. who has spent more than a
third Of century in that region ana
knows the country and people perfectly.
This testimony is from a source which
is entirely Independent Of any which has
been given before. Later accounts in
crease If possible the horrors Of what
has taken place. The letter just received
is as follows:
The Arnenians. oppressed by Kurds
and Turks. said they could not pay taxes
TO both Kurds and the Government
Plundered and oppressed by The Kurds
they resisted them, and there were some
killed. Then false reports were sent TO
Constantinople that the Armenians were
IN arms in rebellion, and orders were sent
to the Mushire at ErZingan 10 eXtetmi-
nate them root and branch. The order
read TO the army. called In haste from
chief cities Of Eastern Turkey, was:
Whoever spares man, woman or child
is disloyal."
The region was surrounded by soldiers
of the army, and 20,OO Kurds also are
said TO have been massed there. Then
they advanced upon The centre. driving
In the people like flock OF sheep, and
continued thus to advance for days. No
quarter was gtyen. no mercy shown.
Men, women and children were shot down
and butchered like sheep. Probably when
they were set upon in this way some
tried to save their lives and resisted in
self-defence. while those who could fed
in all directions, but the majority were
slain. The most probable estimate is
fifteen thousand killed, tbirty-hve VII
lagos plundered, raZed and burned. Wo-
men were outraged and then butcherd.
a priest was taken to the roof OF his
church and hacked TO pieces and set on
fire A large number OF women and girls
collected in a church, were kept for days,
violated by the brutal soldiers and then
murdered. 1t is said the number was so
large that the blood flowed out Of the
church door. The soldiers contended over
a beautiful girl; they wanted 10 preserve
her, but she, too, was killed. Every ef-
fort Is being made and will be made 20
falsify the facts and pull the wool over
the eyes of European governments, but
the bloody tale will finally be known, the
most horrible it seems to me, that the
nineteenth century has known. As a con-
hrmation Of the report. the other day, sew
eral hundred soldiers We're returning from
the seat of war and at a village near
us one was heard 10 say that ne alone
with his own hand had killed thirty
pregnant women. Some who seem to have
some shame for their atrocious deeds say:
What it is we do. we are under orders"
TIE oUTBAGEs UNCHECKED.
ODESSA, Jan. 1.-Journals in the Cau-
cassus say that domiciiiiary visits are
still made daily in Armenia, and that
numerous arrests are made. The local
prisons are crowded. The Bitlis prison
is filled with Armenians, among them
priest more than seventy years Old who
was arrested for refusing to betray his
sons hiding place. The Armenian CathO-
lies have appealed 10 the Pope.
VIENNA. Jan. 1.--Dispatches from Con-
stantinople tell Of numbers Of arrests
throughout Armenia. The whole province
is disturbed Many troops have left Con-
stantinople for various parts Of Asia
Minor in the last few days.