San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-07-29
MRS. KNAPP ARRIVES.
HER HUSBAND is HELD AT CON-
sTANTINOPLE
Charges Preferred BY the Turkish Au-
thcrities Against Him as Per-
nicious and Seditious Mis-
sionary Of the Gross.

NEW 1ORh. July ZJ.-MISs
George P. Knapp, wife Of the Rev.
George P. Knapp, of the foreign
mission board who was arrested at
Bitlis, eastern Turkey, on the
charge of conspiring against the
Turkish government has arrived
in this city from the east.
Mrs. Knapp left her husband in
Constantinople to stand his trial
upon the charges that have been
preferred against him.
After Mr.. Knapp's arrest in Bit
lis where he was missionary, he
was taken under a guard Of SOL
diers to Alexandretta, his pass
port having been stamped Eek
pclled" at Aloppo. The govern
ment officials gave him permits
sion to leave the country in safety
and apparently were anxious that
he should leave. He declined to de-
part, however, until he had been
accorded a formal hearing upon
the unjust complaints made
against him, with sufficient OPP
portunity to protect himself.
Upon such insistence the govern
ment Immediately went to work
to secure such affidavits, and de-
positions as to allege wrong doing
with the result that charges were
drawn from the sworn statements.
of % persons whose names ,are at
tached to the legal documents.
These charges were presented by
the Turkish minister of foreign
affairs to the United States charge
d. affarires at Constantinople. The
following is a copy of the official
translation of the charges upon
which the American missionary
will be tried before Turkish tri-
bunal:
This missionary, who was one OF
the principal mainstays OF the
Huantiachist (revolutionist) COM
mittee at Bitlis, INDUCED in all
sorts of subversive intrigues. 1t
was at his insti cation that Arme-
nian agitators provoked disturb.
ances in the province. In fact,
this missionary was always in cor
respondence with Armenian lead
ers, among whom was Hampiscon,
alias Moorad, chief OF the Sessoun
and Telori insurgents, In order to
stir up trouble with view of cre-
ating an American principality in
Asia Minor, and used to send to
Sassoun and elsewhere under the
pretext of distributing aid, emissa-
ries who were charged with the
mission of giving most pernicuous
counsel to the Inhabitants.
Incited by him, Agitator Hor-
sep, son OF Garabed, and several Of
his Armenian companions had
attempted in the open streets Of
Bitlis to forcibly abduct Kurdish
girl from her parents, at the same
time calling the latter by the most
insulting names and at the same
time disappearing the imperil
ruler and the Mussullman religion.
The missionary in company with
certain agitators held meetings at
various places in order to prepare
the Bitlis incident. 1t is he who
had Migrants in his hire and armed
them that troubles might be pro-
voked. He encouraged the credu-
lous Arpenians to attack the
Mosque during the Friday prayer,
and to kill the faithful, to assassi-
nate notables whom they met In
lonely places.
In one word, he did his utmost
to disturb order and peace. He
acted as Intermediary OF guilty
correspondents and operated
abroad.
1t was by the alarm sigma !,
given by means of bell which he
had placed near his house, that
the Arme mans chose In rebellion.
1t is also stated in their DISPOSE
tions that this missionary was
aware Of the revolutionary idea
held by the Armenians and he
urged them to assassinate some OF
their fellow citizens in order that
the crime might be attributed to
Mussullmans.
Quite recently Mr.. Knapp has
used abusive language toward the
Mussullmaus, passing in front OF
his house and less sought to pro-
woke disturbance.