The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-06

said, 1t has been found that usually they
were unwilling to rs-embrace the Protes-
tant faith. However, the Vizier continued,
orders had again been sent instruct
ing the Turkish authorities in Asia Minor
that all Armenians expressing desire
for conversion to the Mohammedan faith
must be refused.
The following gives the situation in the
various provinces of Turkey and also an
account of what is being done for the re-
lief of the destitute Armenians:
Trebizond-in the city OF Trebizond
DR.. Parmalee and DR.. Crawford are issuing
food and clothing 10 about 5000 destitute
persons. Many refugees have come in from
the region of Baiburt and Erzingan. About
5000 OF these have crossed over into Rus
STA, where they can be secure from the
sword at least. The foreign steamship COM
panies take them without charge to Ba-
toum. Some boxes of clothing have been
received at Constantinople and from the
Armenian villages in the districts of Nicom-
edia, carried without charge by Armenian
porters and muleteers 10 the steamers, and
transported without charge by the steam
ers TO TrebiZond
Erzerum-In the city of Erzerum the
wretched people have been held in hopes
of receiving back their plundered goods
to be disappointed. Nothing of any value
is to be found OF course, money and
jewels and goods from the shops have dis.
appeared entirely. Not a tenth part OF
what has been recovered Is the refuse, or
is so broken and damaged as TO be Of
so stripped that about half Of the popula-
ton is destitute. Twenty-four Armenian
villages on the plain of Erzerum have been
devastated. In the district of Passin about
half of the villages are in ruins. In the
district of Kemakh, out of twenty-four
Armenian villages. ten are completely
stripped. six were saved by intervention
of Turks, and of the remaining three de-
tails have not come In. In the plundered
villages hundreds Of people have been left
with no garment but a shirt and very
Bitlis-Hardly village in the province
of Bitls escaped pillage. The suffering Is
colossal. There is immediate need of aid
on large scale to prevent famine that
shall sweep away the survivors. In the
Roulnik district of this province thirty
six villages have been sacked. A frightful
suffering is rendered intense by the fan Of
s~Nw and the onset of winter.
van-As many as fifteen thousand refu-
gees have poured into Van and are there
houseless and without food. The robbers
have gathered up the whole food supply of
the country districts. and, aided by the
officials of these districts, are holding 1t to
force rise in prices from the misery of
the people and the benevolence of the aid
fund Unless aid is freely offered the larger
part of the survivors will die of starvation:
In fact some deaths from exposure and
starvation have already occurred. DR..
Grace Kimball and the other members OF
the American mission are working In the
most prudent way to aid the hungry
wretches who beg for work, for food, for
clothing and for shelter from the winter
storms. The Armenian Bishop of Van has
a committee also at work among the refu-
gees from the villages of his diocese.
Sivas Viayet--The whole district OF
Sivas is given over TO indescribabie misery.
and if immediate relief Is not sent famine
will destroy those who have escaped the
massacre. In the city of Sivas the Rev. Mr.
Perry and his wife and Miss Brewer. Of
the American mission. are trying TO relieve
distress as II becomes more safe to go on
the streets OF the city. 1t is out of the
question for any one without a strong
guard 70 20 into the villages as yet. The
Turkish government viii not furnish such
guards for relief work unless compelled TO
do so by the powers.
Harpoot-Arabkir was pillaged by the
Moslen inhabitants, aided by a rabble OF
Mohammedans from outside the city. The
first attack on the Christians was made
Gals. the Moslems continued their work
during ten fearful days. About two thou
sand Christians OF all denominations were
killed and every Christian house in the
city was stripped of all its contents. Over
two thousand houses were burned: some OF
them palaces of rich ArInenians, which
contained from twenty to thirty rooms
The hungry and half-naked survivors of a
population of fifteen thousand are crowded
into less than two hundred houses. Some
OF these houses contain thirty families.
without food. fuel or bedding.
. Observation-Disclosures. opposite Diarbekir,
was sacked Nov 3 by kurds from the re-
gion adjoining Sassoun. The sixty Chris
tian houses were plundered and burned
The number killed in this province is not
mentioned because no opportunity exists for
careful Investigation. But of the pressing
need for relief 10 the survivors no doubt
can exist. DR.. Andrus, OF the American
mission at Mandin. has been supplied with
small amount OF money for the relief OF
the starving by giving work TO the refugees
who have gone 10 Mardin. Native Chris
tians at Mardin are also raising money for