The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-04
How the Cruel Turks Cut Down
the Armenians
THE ACME OF ATROCITY
A Correspondent Tells Another Tale Of
Red Horror
Statements Based Upon the Stories Told by
Clergyman and Others Who Witnessed
Some Of the CrueIties

ly investigate the stories told of the Turk
ish atrocities in that country, under date
of Tifis, Russia, January 25th, has for
warded the following Interview with the
father of all the Armenians, Monsignor
Khrimiran. After hesitation of several
days the Very Reverend Father granted
the request of the correspondent for a
statement OF the causes that led to the
massacre at Sassoun, and additional
weight is given to the story by the fact
that Father Khrimiran was at the time
preparing memorial to the Gar of Rus
STA, and it agreed substantially with the
story given to the correspondent.
Monsignor Khrmiran's home is at
Etzchmiadzin, is in the Ararat region of
Russia, within short distance Of the
Turkish frontier In room of the house
the correspondent met monk in black
habit, and at the farther end OF the room
was man dressed entirely in red. with
a long mace in his hand. The sanguinary
appearance of this man contrasted
strangely with the peace and quiet of the
house. Sometimes four men were in at
tendance.
On the OCCASION of the first visit of the
correspondent he was introduced by an
the Ardziagank. On the occasion of his
second visit. Monsignor Khrimiran, hav-
ing decided to make the statement asked
for by the Associated Press talked fluent
ly and eloquentIy OF the wrongs to the
people Among other things he said:
The massacre in the Sassoun mountains
was the result OF long period OF Turkish
misgovernment In the Armenian prov
ince OF Turkey, policy Of cruelty and OPP
preston has continued for long time.
1, myself, have been an eyewitness to
all kinds of Turkish oppression. In fact,
about fifty years of my life have been
passed in connection with the persecu-
Armenians were still very low and mar
row and did not understand the cause of
all the calamities which befell them. They
thought their troubles were sent by
Heaven as punishment for their sins.
Such Is always the belief OF the people
deprived OF education and the printing
press. But later, when they began to
think and to understand the wicked acts
OF their oppressors,, there came a change
and they saw clearly the real cause of
their troubles.
lone reason for their change was the war
between Turkey and Russia in 1876, which
resulted so happily for the BulgarIans,
who received freedom and self-govern.
ment. The Armenians suffered from the
msrule of the Turks much more than the
Bulgarians, who lived in the neighbor.
hood of western European powers where
as the Armenians were at such a remote
distance from the civilized world that
their cries could not be heard. i.
'At the close of the Russo Turkish war
the Armenians, encouraged by the I'M
proved condition of Bulgaria, demanded
the same guarantees which were given to
that country. All kinds of complaints and
petitions poured in to the Patriarch of
Constantinople. They were 50 numerous
that If they had been thrown into large
room, they would have filed it as full as
an egg is of meat.
In the mean time the European powers
were compelled to sign the Berlin treaty
At this period | was sent with another
delegate to the chief capitals of western
Europe to plead the cause of Armenia.
visited London, Paris, Vienna. Rome and
Berlin, but my mission did not produce
satisfactory results. / presented to- the
Berlin congress a memorial giving full
details Of the Turkish atrocities in Turk
ish Armenia Moreover, there was
printed in Berlin at the same time my
description of these atrocities. But what
we had worked for was not realized, as
with reference to the Armenians, the Ber-
lin congress adopted what is known as
the sixty -filst article OF the Berlin treaty,
and although the treaty was signed, it
had no influence IN lessening the persecu-
tions. Our hopes were in vain. The
cruelty OF the Turkish Government did
not cease. 1t merely took new form.
But keeping in view that there was
treaty, tue Turks sought for some legal
means of justifying their atrocities.
What happened? The taxes became
heavier anu all kinds of duties became
greater and the turkish people received
full permission to tax Armenian peasants.
The cause-why should people who have
sufficient quantity of land and very fer
tile and well irrigated leave their native
land and immigrate to other countries?
If there was no proof of Turkish misgov-
eminent in Armenia this circumstance
alone would be sufficient evidence OF those
expressions which the Armenians in Tur-
key are enduring.
Nearly $4,000 Armenians are at work
in Consrantinople that they may be able
to pay taxes which the Turkish govern
ment imposes upon them. ritAa whole
Turkish empire, including Asia, there
are about 3, 900, 600 Armenians.n
Regarding the Sassoun massacre the
Rev. Father said: 'As every action brings
its results or counter blow, the same may
be said of the oppression of the Arme-
mans who understood the actions of the
Turks and began to revolt. 1t was then
and only then that the Turks understood
the danger OF the position. AS result
they hau recourse to the kurds, whose
chiefs went to Constantinopie, where
they received instructions to form regi-
ments of soldiers from their own tribes.
This was the beginning of what is known
as the Hamideh cavalry of Kurdish regu-
lars. The Kurdish chiefs were loaded
with favors and invested with the right
to Cypress the Armenians. The troops
received no pay but what was better for
them, they received permission to plum
der the Christians. Unable to elude this
newest form OF oppression and torture,
some Armenians revolted against the
cruelty Of their oppressors while many
others sought to fly TO foreign countries.
THE final result came in the massacre
in. the SassOun mountains. What took
place | know only from the statements of
eye-witnesses and also from accounts pub
lished in the newspapers.
1.-The Turks had tried for a long time
to capture and punish the people who had
revolted against the cruelties OF the Kurds.
but the inaccessibility of the mountain
countries not only to cavalry, but also to
infantry, frustrated their plans. How
ever, when the Kurdish regiments were
formed, the task of capturing the noun
tain people was entrusted to them and
subsequently 5000 Turkish troops with
several mounted guns were sent to assist
in the work.
The Armenians occupied strong
position owing to the inaccessibility Of
the mountain region, and when the Turk
lsh troops attacked them they met with
resistance, but as the Armenians had but
few arms and inadequate supplies of pro-
visions they were eventually compelled to
surrender. During the fighting a few
soldiers were Killed, but they were very
few in cOmparisOn -