Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-06-01


Long trenches were dug, and hun
dreds Of wounded dying and dead wer
flung in together, to get them out o
the way, but dreadful as such buria
alive must be, It was a mercy com
: pared TO a Turkish prison.
The most horrible death imaginabl,
would be a delight and the most ter
rible massacre conceivable would be q
mercy in comparison TO a Moham
medan trial or captivity for a Chris
tain prisoner.
TURKISH PRISON HELLs.
The Christian conception of perdl-
tion becomes paradise when com
pared to the combination pest holes,
torture pens and dungeons Of death
called prisons, into which refined cap
tives are crowded.
PiteOus means of mangled beings,
with shattered arms, and broken legs,
and bruised and bleeding bodies,
agonizing groans and shrieks OF the
tortured who refuse TO renounce their
faith or betray their friends to the
same internal fury, the dcmOnlacal
laughtero of the dull eyed bestlal Turks
tOrmentlng some Christian boy or
girl pleading in vain for mercy, till
these fiends actually outraged him or
her to death, the dying dellrum Of
some fever racked sufferer, and the
expiring gasp of some poisoned
prisoner convulsed In death.
Sentry boxes lined with sharpened
spikes into which helpless victims are
thrust to stand for days, motionless
without food or drink, to be revived
by brutal blows when falling faint
upon the bloody floor, till carried out
unconscious or dead.
Women are dishonored before their
husbands, and daughters violated be-
fore their fathers, and children out
ragged before their parents, who are
often bastinadoed till their agonlzing
cries cause more awful anguish to the
tender loving hearts Of dear ones than
physical agony could inhct, as In the
following instance Of Official record.
FROM OFFICIAL REPORT.
The body was bound In the shape of
a living cross and 80 cruelty tortured
that the victim tried to beat his
brains out against the pillar TO which
he was tied, but was prevented.
Being commanded repeatedly TO be-
tray his fellows and renounce his
faith, he replied;
III cannot detile my soul with the
blood OF innocent people. | am
Christianl" Then pincers were
brought TO tear out his teeth. Amid |
roars OF increment, his moustache
was plucked out one hair at time. |
A red hot iron was then held agalsnt
the palms OF his hands and applied TO
his breast, back, face, feet and other
parts.
Then they forced his mouth open
and burned his tongue with red hot |
pincers. When he tainted he was
revived, but remained firm, and re-
fused to recant or incrIminate the
innocent. When the women and |
children tried TO fly for help, they |
were crushed back and compelled TO |
hear his heart-rending cries TIL they
tainted, terrified, but this was only a
case on record before the massacres
began, In the village of Semal during
the regular condition OF affairs, under
full 0tiiclal control.
This case is contained in an official
report of the British vice consul OF
Erzeroum, copies Of which are kept by
the diplomatic representatives of the
Constantinople, ,and occurred |
In ordinary times before the great
massacres began, because this man
would neither renounce his faith nor
falsely accuse other Christians of con-
splracy,
II demons from the Internal regions
could outdo the dlabolical torments OF
Mohammedan imprisonment, then
human ingenuity and Imagination
must be impotent.
TOO TERRIBLE TO TELL.
The co-minglings OF cries OF ex.