The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-04
ELEVEN THOUSAND WERE SLAIN
One Hundred and Fifty Victims Were
Buried Alive i'm One Ditch.
They We're MOI Even wounded. But
Were Covered With Dirt and Kept
There TIN Dead No Results Ex-
pected From the Turkish Commits
sion.

mef1ia with instructions TO thoroughly In
sea,igaie the stories told of the Turkish
aifoeiites In that country. under date of
lsnis. hassia. January 3. forwards the
Iohowing interview with the father OF all
sne Armenians. Mgr. khirrniran. After a
hesitation Of several days the very rever-
efa iatnef granted the request of the AS
s'eiatsu Press correspondent fer state
snent OF the condition OF Armenia, and the
causes whicn led 10 the Sassonm nnassa-
ere AddsiionaI welgES is given to the
statement By the faces that Mgr khir-
miriam was al that time preparing a me-
mortal on the sub1scs 10 the czar of Rus
saa. and IL may be inferred that the sub
stance OF the statement contained In the
memorial to the car may be found In this
interview. Mgr. khirmiran's home is at
fstzcnsnfaxizin. IN the Ararat region of
asusslas within short distance of the
turkish frontier. In an outer room of the
house the Associated Press correspondent
met monk Ia black habit. and at the
idftaer end ot the room was a man dress
60 entirely Tn red. holding a long mace.
Inc sangutnary appearance of this man
contrasted strongly with the peace and
quiet OF the house Sometimes four men
were in attendance
On the occasion Of the first visit Of the
correspondent to the quiet house he was
introduced 10 an eminent Armenian gem
tieman. editor of the Ardziagank On the
occasion OF his second visit Mgr Khir-
miriam. having decided 10 make the state
ment asked for by the Associated Press,
talked nuently and eioquently of the
wrongs OF the people Among other things
he said.
ibe massacre in the Sassoun noun
tains was the result OF long period of
Turkish misgoyernnent In the Armenian
province or Turkey l, myself. have been
an eyewitness OF all kinds of Turkish op-
g.
NE nave been passed in connection with
the prosecutions In Armenia Twenty or
tnirty years ago the Armenians were still
very low and narrow. and did not under
stand the cause OF all the caiafnfties
which hefeif them. They thought their
troubles We're sent by heaven as a pun
ishment for their sins. Such Is always
the belief of the people deprived Of cduca-
ton and the printing press. But later,
when they began TO think and 10 under
stand the wicked acts of their oppressors.
there came change and they saw clearly
the real cause OF their troubles
One reason fer their change was the
war between Russia and Turkey In 1876
which ended SO happily for the Rulgar-
ians. who received freedom and self-gov-
ernment- The Armeniaus suffered from
the mfsgovernment OF the Turks much
more than the Bulgarians. VINO lived in
the neighborhood of the Western Euro
frab FoWtfS, whereas Inc ArfnenlanS
were at such remote distance from the
civilized world that their cries could not
he heard. At the close of the Russo
Turkish war the Armenians, encouraged
by the improved conditions Of Bulgaria,
demanded the same guarantees which
were given 10 that country. All kinds OF
complaints and petitions poured into the
patriarch OF Consfantinople. They were
so numerous that IL they had been thrown
iato large room they would have filed
IL as fuil as an egg
I'm the meantime the European powers
We're compelled 10 sign the Berlin treaty
At this period I was sent with another
delegate TO the chief capitals Of Western
Europe 10 plead the cause OF Armenia
I visited London, Paris. Vienna. Rome
and Berlin, hut my mission did not pro-
dGce satisfactory results. I presented 10
the Berlin congress a memorial giving
fu:i details of the Turkish atrocities i'm
Turkish Armenia. Moreover, there was
printed In Berlin AT the same time my
description of these atrocities. But what
we had worked for was nor realized as
with reference 10 the Armenia question,
the Berlin congress adopted what is
known as the sixty-first article OF the
Berlin treaty. and although the treaty
was signed. IL had no Influence in lessen
ing the prosecutions. Our hopes were
I'm vain. The cruelty OF the Turkish gov
"a new form, Bur. Keeping In view that
there was a treaty, the Turks sought fer
some legal means of fststifyinE their atro-
cities. What happereds The taxes be-
came heavier. and ali kinds OF duties be-
came greater. and the Turkish people re-
csiyed fun powers 10 tax Armenian peas
ants,
'a,rhe cause Why should A people who
have not only a sufficient quantity OF
land. even too much, and very fertile
and we'll irrigated land. leave their ma
tive soil aud emigrate 20 other conntries2
II there was no proof Of Turkish mis-
government In Armenia this circumstance
would alone present sufficient evidence
% those expressions which the Arnensaus
in Turkey are enduring Nearly Seo Ar
rreniars seek work tn Consfantinople in
order that they may he able 10 pay taxes
which the Turkish government sn1gsoses
upon Them. In the whole Turkish empire,
Including Asia. there are about 2,sss1 80
.AFmsn;ans.
Regarding the Sassoun massacre, flc
reverend father said, AS every action
brings its results or counter-hfow, the
same may Re said Of the Arruensans. who
understood THE actions of tire Turks ard
began To revolt. 1t was then. and only
then. that the Turks understood the dan~
ger OF The position. As result they had
rccourSe 20 tho EnTds whose cl3lefs wen.
9
instructions 20 form regiments OF soldiers
fran, their own tribes. There Was the hss-
SHINING OF what il known as the Hsusisseh
cavalry Of tha Kurdish regniarS The
KURDISH chiefs were loaded with favors
and invested visa the riEht % cppTcss
the Arnlenlans. THE troops received no
rasy nuf what was better Ter them. they
received permission 20 plumber ghe Chris
ttans. Unable ia ell3e This newest form
~ oppression and torture. some Arsuens-
ans revoltesa against ths cruelty 81 fheir
enrreSsnrS. while many Others sought %
rs "a foreign countries
The anal result c&Fnc IN the massacre
in fhe Sassaun Ffoart8aas What took
rlaen I know oriy from the statements
s.f eve Witnesses and also FroFn accounts
published in the nev sRap@rs The Turks
bad wished for long time 10 capture
ara punish The gsayis who had revolsed
against the crgssi;les Of the kurEis Sus
TIRE snsfessstssil!sy 81 the mountain cour-
tries. not only ts cavalry hGt Also 10 In
famtry, frustrated their plans- However.
when she kMr4asa REGIMENTS We're
formed the task OF capturing ihe ruoslnt-
ain y~.epIe was tutfus7esi 30 fhem. AMI
subsequently 1ass Turkish regular tTeogss
with several mountain sasss were sent
- assist In ire work.
The ArrnazsMzss occupied sfxonE po-
sifsen. oxstnS so zhe inzeGeSsfhiGi3y Of re
mountain region, ard when che Turkish
srssoex attacked then they Gses with re-
szSta fses. hsst as fAS ArTnesssgs had hsss
fsx arms nnS Agsa4egaase <z4rEa8eS ~ pro-
.st2zNrs sasass zxeFs ssrrmxxEA41N sssssaFsfe4 to