The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-14
Brink on the Euphrates the Scene of the
Usual Turkish Horrors.

! New York, March 13.-The Armenian
Relief association has just received
! from Constantinople the following de-
tailed information concerning the re-
| cent massacre at Birijik: Birijik is
situated on the Euphrates almost due
east of AleppO on the line of communi-
cation between Aleppo and MOsul 1t
was a famous city in ancient times, be-
ing one of the two points of the pas
sage for the Assyrian armies marching
westward, and is still a place of some
Importance
Brink had about 500 Christian houses
or, say, about 1000 souls, in the midst
of Mussulman population of about
5000 souls. After the massacre at Our
ia. October 81, 1885, the authorities at
Brink told the Armenians that the
Mussulmans were afaid of them and
therefore they (the Armenians) must
surrender to the government any arms
they possessed. This was done, the
most rigid search being instituted to
assure the authorities that nothing
whatever in the way of arms remained
in the hands Of the ArmenianS. This
disarmament caused no little anxiety
10 the Armenians, since the Mussul-
man population was very generally
armed and was constantly adding to
its arms. In fact during the months
Of November and December the Chris
tians had been kept within their houses
because the danger of appearing upon
the streets was very great
Troops were called out by the govern
ment to protect the people since the sol
diers had come to protect the Chris
tians, the Christians were required to
furnish animals for them to carry their
furnish them beds and carpets TO make
them more comfortab BILE Finally they
were required to furnish the soldiers
with food and they were reduced to
state bordering on restitution by those
increasing demands. The end came on
the first of January, 1896, when the
news of the massacre Of several thou
sand of Christians at Ourfa by the SOL
diers appointed 10 guard them melted
the troops at Brink to initiate this
crime. The assault of the Christian
houses commenced al about 9 o'clock
in the morning and continued until
nightfall. The soldiers were aided by
the AIussulmans Of the city in the ca
rousal work. The object at first seemed
TO be mainly plumber. but after the
plumber had been secured, the soldiers
seemed to make a systematic search for
men, IL MIL l-tSc " 40 II -AE uIlN4llll2
TO accept Nohamme 3ism. The cru
city used to force men TO accept Islam
was terrible. In one case the soldiers
found some twenty people. men. women
and children, who had taken refuge in
sort of cave. They dragged them out
and killed al Of the men and boys be-
cause they would not accept Islam. At
ter cutting down one old man who had
thus refused, they put live Goals upon
his body and as he was VII thing in tor
ture. they held a bible before him and
asked him % read them some Of the
promises which he had trusted.
Ninety-siN men are known 10 have
been killed. or about half of the adult
Christian men. The others have be
come Nussulmans 10 save their lives.
50 there IS not q single Christian left
in Brink today The Armenian church
has been made into q mosque. and the
Protestant church IS a Medresse semi
~