The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-27
REVIEW OF THE WEEK.
More Turkish Iana.jcisin.
OLD WORLD.

Dispatches from Bcyrut say that there was
serious lighting between Turkish troops and The
Druses near Sudich on Dec IL. The official
accounts, very likely exaggerated, Is that the
Druses lost Il 200 killed. On the Turkish side
according to the official report only 20 were
killed and so wounded. Disorders are reported
at Tarsus. No details have been received.
The Drnses are a people of mixed race,
largely Persian and Arab, who live chiefly in
the Lebanon district OF Syria. They speak the
Arabic language They are bitterly hated by
most Turks because their religion, though an
offshoot of Mohammedanism, is in some of its
tenets opposed TO .he very spirit of the faith OF
Islam. They hold to doctrine of incarnation
which Is not wholly unlike the Christian doc.
trine. Among their mountains they have main
tanned Tor centuries an almost independent eX-
istancc. Their present troubles with Turkey
haYe probably nothing to do with the disorders
IN Armenia northeast of their country.
The Armenian Slaughter.
There has been fierce fighting mt Zeitoun be.
tween the Turkish troops, who surrounded the
city and finally captured ii, and the insurgcnt
Armenians, who defended it,. Both sides are
said to have lost frightfully. The Turks were
l00O0 strong, and had "a pieces of artillery. The
Armenians numbered 1900, but they had no
artillery. The capture of he place was followed
by II general massacre and every body was slain
save those who had fled to the mountains. All
efforts 10 form correct estimate OF the num-
hers of people killed in Armenia, and the NUN.
Der who are now homeless in the face Of the APP
proach OF wintry weather, have proved fruit
less, although 1t is believed that the govern
ments of the powers are in possession by this
time of practically accurate information of the
subject gathered by their consular representa-
tives in different parts of Asiatic Turkey.
Rough estimates say that there are about 800 900
persons homeless, that about 49, 600 $4,000 have
been killed, and that property of the amount of
about so, 100000 has been pilaged or destroyed.
At Arabkr, out of $500 Armenian houses, 2300
were destroyed and 2Sl7 Armenians inc uding
seventeen Catholics, persisted. In the village OF
Amharga GO houses were burned and at Shenik
100 dwellings, In both cases all the inhabitants
were killed.
The Armenian patriarch at Constantlnoplc has
addressed "A letter 10 the Sultan refusing the
latter's demand that he warn the Armcnians TO
be calm, and positively denying the accusations
that the Armcnians have been guilty Of outra
yes.
v President Cleveland this week has transmitted
to congress secretary Oiney's correspondence
with the Pontc demanding mdemninity for the
losses suffered by Americans in the troubles.
There are H. American missionaries and de,
pcndenis in Asia Minor and though none have
been killed, they have suffered n money loss OF
sO0,oo0 by destruction of property at liarpoort
and Marash.
Tie heavy gales on the coast of England and
Ireland Monday caused the wrecking Of several
vessels and the known loss of at least - lines