New-York tribune., 1896-01-02
A TALE OF TURKS BARBARITY
AN ARMENIAN TELLS THE STORY OF HIS
SUFFERINGS.
THE TOR1IRFs TO WHICH HE WAS SUBJECTED
AND WHAT HE SAW OTHERS GO

AND WHAT HE SAW OTHERS 60
THROUGH
An Armenian named D. Arabian. who formerly
lived for five years in this city related in the office
o. the Armenian Relief Society. yesterday. a sad
story of Turkish barbarity. Arabian who was
recently imprisoned for over two months in Con-
siantnope, without having committed any offence
showed much emotion while telling his experience
and exhibited several scars Of wounds upon his head
and body. which were inflicted by Turkish police
men While In this city he irony worker in
the car-buildins shops Of Stephenson < Co. and
regularly sent his savings his wife and children.
who remained in his native place Last September
on account of ill-health. he started to return 10
Armenia On arriving at Constantlnople he was
thrown into prison with $50 other Armenans none
OF whom knew any Just cause for their imprison-
ment
ARABIANS STORY
In speaking Of the massacre in Constantinople
on September 30, Arabian says that 1900 or
Armenian young men. while on their way
10 present petition to the Sublime Porte. were
upon by policemen and theological students
armed with swords. daggers and clubs The stu
dents who are educated for the priesthood by the
Government, he said, were grossly immoral and
brutal Hundreds of dead and dying Armenians
with their heads crushed were brought into the
prison yard. There entrance to the prison
about fifty yards long, said Arabian and ten
feet wide over II arched trellis. upon
which grew a native ivy. making an almost water
tight roof Through this narrow passage were be-
ing brought native Armenian citizens of CONSTANT
nope, whom the police began arresting az soon
as the massacre began. Upon either side OF the
passageway stood from six to eight students. armed
with clubs. No would the unfortunate victim
reach the line of students than did the irst par
of students raise their clubs ana strike nm sirul-
taneousy upon either side Of the head. The victim
would start TO retreat. when from Mahometah
policeman came a deep bayonet thrust. The poor
al
ward down through the double line of students
Blows from every side rained upon his head until
his skull crushed TO pulp The dead ana
dying were roughly grasped by the foot or leg ana
terked to the centre of the courtyard. where theY
were piled up in the barbarous manner as
upon the other side of the prison. No sooner was
one victim so dealt with than was second pushed
through the gate, under the green-covcred pass
ageway The green. however soon dlsapedreu
crimson taking it's place. dyeing walls, roof ana
pointed fig leaves the arbor ran with blood. IN
the courtyard were hundreds OF other students =.
part in the fanatica murders which continue nue.,
Sp men were slaughtered In the passageWay'
APPEALING TO THE AMBASSADORS
-Four weeks later the foreign ambassadors came 10
the prison to see II the story were true ihat men
were being held there whose wounds were III 'he
most horrible state Of putrefaction, as well as men
against whom there could be possible charge !
i.,smed the Russian Ambassador where the neg neg
~sssa wounded men were. and by his Order ,h'y
he'e sent to hospitals. During the time between
$40 massacre and the coming Of the Ambassadors
IN n"ered the most. Each night they would take
t, ~ 10 The upper galleries of the prison twenty or
10y men One at time they taken before
naI dozen police officials and there asked where
49, came from. and II foreign country. what the
VIZ, renians were doing there. IL made difference
,,. one answered. there was escaping the tor
ra, 10 10 follow. Around ones feet was placed an
~ pand, arranged so that IL could be drawn tight
A. A. nsans OF a screw This tghtened so
wr,.,s s.9p circulation another was placed on the
n,nawith s.s WIN the hands behind the back. Then one
secona sSaah would twist the victims head, while a
4 s,ran would strike him on the back with club
,n;n".ohs man could stand this for about fifteen
p,a..S peiore losing consciousness. This re-
te--ihi. a, Ieast five times night suffered that
c-.s;vs ,soLture hve times each night for five
es,o,srnm mHhts il was inflicted for the purpose Of
A-.e,a, Ponueal secrets AS am Russian
"a ,,s,an ! was released on December 10 through
d. ,al11ence Of the Russian Ambasssdor but was
Asas.a "o' s"o"ed 10 20 10 my family ID