The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-08

1AaJCE &df0 OIuura LOT GUb al
menians all to fec to the mission p rem
Uses, and the place was again filled. On
the same day the consul took the head of
the Armenian community and Mr.. Ray
no1ds, and again met tie three reyolu-
tionary leaders, who were found with
large guard armed to the teeth. They
refused to accept the terms proposed and
asked notifications. Meanwhile the
robbing and murder had begun again In
the city, and houses were being burned.
Ii was evident that most Of the dwellings
OF che better class were fast dissolvin
away, and there was much firing OF
guns. The consul himself was fred upon
while attempting to stop the disturbance.
repeated attempts to secure terms were
1hWarted by the refusal of the revolu-
tionary leaders, and finally they fled from
the city taking with sthsm Several hun
dred armed men and boys, making their
escape across the Russian border The
consul and Mr.. Reynolds set before the
three leaders the fact that BY attempting
to mako their way through the Kurdish
country they would evidently SO arouse
them that what few of the poor Arme-
mans had escaped would surely be out
off. They were appealed to to accept the
mild terms which were offered, which
would protect their lives. The Hunt
chagist leader with a scornful laugh.
bolted out OF the room and was seen no
mt re; the Tashnagist, shade more
polite, said adieu before going, and the
Armenist, native of the city as neither
of the Others were, showed considerable
inclination to accept but followed the
rest.
All this time the two acres of land of
the missionary premises were covered as
tickly as human beings could be packed,
with refugees, probably not less than
5000 people. After the officials had sat
SIZED themselves that the leaders had
gone thoy surrounded the Armenians
quarter with soldiers and searched them
for arms, promising to allow the Arme-
mans to return. But the soldiers and the
robbers could not be controlled. and
houses were burned and many killed.
The departing Kurds as they left the
CITY determined to do as much destruo-
tion as possible, and villages and monas-
tories were burned and the inhabitants
killed. The inconsistencies had been more
or less the stopping places of the revolu-
tionists, and the Turks were determined
to put stop to this. The loss of life in
the city is not known; but 1t is thought
that not less than fve.hundred. Armenians
were killed and perhaps two hundred
Moslems. The houses of the better
class were burned and three Armenian
churches. The great slaughter was in
villages about where no protection could
be offered by the Vaili, the British con-
sui or the American missionaries; where
there was no mission premises to which
they could escape.
In the case of this massacre we lay
comparatively little blame on the Turk
ish government. 1t did very nearly its
best in Van. The Vail could do COM
paratively little in the villages about,
The blood Of these thousands must rest in
large part on the heads of the nefarlous
Armenian conspirators. No words are
too strong to express the guilt of these
men who stirred up quiet community
and provoked the cruel hostility of the
Turks when they were resting from
slaughter, and who then fed to save their
own precious lives; and no words are too
strong to speak the folly of those in this
country and Europe that are supporting
Slese miscreant agitators by supplying
them with money and arms.