The herald., 1896-01-05
FROM DEVASTATED ARMENIA
A Young San Bernardino Business Man
From There
He Receives Letters That Tell OF Piliage and
Death-Weaithy Family Reduced to
Beggary The TranSIatioas

A young man is in business at San Ber-
nardino who was born in Armenia. His
family still lives there and until recently
was looked upon as wealthy and their So
cial standing of the best. He is in receipt
of letters from the Turk-ridden country
bearing date November 20. He is willing
that portions of them should be published,
but insists that the family name and the
name of the city from which the letters
were sent be repressed, giving as a reason
for this that the lives of his friends would
be endangered were either to appear. The
translations are as follows, and they tell a
pitiful story of suffering and injustice:
Unexpected news you shall hear by this
letter, which will break your heart. You
already know that disturbances have been
going on in this country for a long time
since, and perhaps you are aware that
massacres, pillage and plumbers have
| taken place in several cities.
We could never expect nor imagine that
such things were possible to happen in our
city also, but / must say in heart-rending
sorrow that the fiercest of them all was left
10 our town to witness.
1t was the Monday of November ! ! that
the massacre began in our city. We all
left our houses and fled to the adjacent
hills in large crowds. and the bullets were
passing by heads and ears like shower
for some time. But what a miracle! None
OF our own relatives were hurt. The Lord
took pity on us. All of the houses we're
plundered, not leaving a thing, and the
greater part were burnt. Our quarter es-
pecially has been turned into a perfect
ruin.
Horrible scenes! No one could look at
| them and not cry! 1t is not possible to
describe it in words. The like has never
been seen nor heard of in the history of
the world. My mind does not work any
| more. 1t seems as though it was also
ruined. You only may know this much,
, that our family, together with all our reia-
! tives and friends were saved miraculously.
Our present condition is terrible and UNI
| bearable. Our own houses were entirely
burnt and ransacked. We are even in
need of bread! For week we have taken
refuge in the college building for a week,
but the most of them have scattered and
we will move to half ruined house, which
we have rented, tomorrow. There will not
| be any more school this year. Everyone OF
the mission buildings has been pIundered
and most of them burned. The danger
has not passed yet. To live in this coun-
try any longer is utter foolishness. Ah, l
would to God that there was a chance for
| us all to go to that country and then die"
| The letter has been finished by another
member of the family, urging that if any
one were to lend help to send it through
| the missionaries, otherwise to wait until
| they hear from them again, because he
says: "The country is in a condition of
| destruction" The writer continues: "Al
! of our property is gone, but let it all go.
| Our lives are spared and we must be ex-
ceedingly thankful for it to the Lord. He
preserved us through the bullets of thou
sands of guns unhurt. Many will hear the
sad news of the death of their dear ones.
| May God help them and comfort them
| first"
Another letter. written nv 14-year-oId
| boy, confirms all of the foregoing and says
that: I'VE have had refuge in the college
building for week and are being fed by
one or two loaves of bread daily for eacl,
| family. We have nothing left but
| our lives and the suits of clothing we had
| on. While none of us were
hurt yet great number were killed by our
| side. Already all of the Arme-
| nian villages have been plundered and
| burned.'' This letter is finished
| by his sister, who is one of the best edu-
| Gated and most intelligent young ladies in
| the country.
| She says in part: '.Most of our rela-
tives seem to be quite glad that none of us
| were hurt, but it is not so with me. I
would to God that all of us had been killed
that witnessed such horrible and villainous
scenes! Our and our city's misery is inde-
| scribable.
Many of them have survived and have
| friends and relatives in America and else
where, have written to them to hasten to
rescue the people by raising funds and
sending them at once. l know you also
will do all you can by yourself and through
your friends. The time for bashfulness
and pride has gone by.
1t showed this morning, and we, with our
little children. even, had to go out 10
pick up some kindling wood from the
ruins of our houses!