The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-01-17
RIOTS IN coNsrANTINoPLE.
Interesting Letter from Mrs. Marden.

CoNsTANTINoPLE, Dec. 16, 1s95.-It is
two years today since Miss Hess and 1
arrived at Marash. And, Saturday,
and today, Monday, is the day of
prayer for us on the calendar. Surely,
she despite her woeful surrounding,
will be comforted. have written you
the last news from Marash. Since
then l have heard from Aintab. The
mortality there does not seem so great.
The city is divided into wards shut off
by great doors. At the first alarm
these were closed and the place was a
fort. Many of the Moslem neighbors
assisted IN repelling the mob.
At the beginning of the affair DR..
Shepard and Mr.. Sanders flew from the
college over to the girls school and
hospital. The mob surged up to those
buildings, where two Moslem aghas,
magistrates stationed themselves at
the doors of the two yards and actual
ly held back the mob the whole day.
Toward night they cooled down and
all was quiet. DIR. Shepard returned
to his home and Mr.. Sanders stayed
with.the ladies at the school. In the
morning the roads were seen to be full
of villagers coming in for their share
of the horrid work and again the tu-
multi began. DR.. Shepard was pre-
vented from going to the hospital by
the guards, who would not let him
leave the yard. Again the mob came
to the school and hospital and again
the two aghas held their own against
the surging crowd, till soldiers came
who effectually repulsed them. In the
city it was war. Unlike any other
place know of Aintab Armenians re-
sisted. The men fought and the wom-
en- threw brickbats from the roofs.
The Moslem women, too, were on the
roofs, cheering on the mob with the
wedding cry. have not learned the
names of anyone killed and 1 do not
think the houses of the better class
were pillaged.
At noon of the second day the two
aghas at the gates began to bring in
the wounded to the hospital. The
house physicians and two assistants
were in another part of the city. DR..
Shepard was still prisoner in his own
house. DIR. Kate Hamilton and Miss
Lizzie Trowbridge, with the unskilled
help of Mr.. Sanders, dressed wounds
and performed the necessary opera
tions for two days. DIR. Hamilton am
putated limb through the thigh. Mr..
Sanders adds, "All honor to Christian
womanhood," and he may well say so.
In many instances where men could
not venture out, women have gone
about the stree is, hunting for lost ones
nursing the wounded, and succoring
the suffering. In Massovan neither
Turks nor Armenians can be trusted
to watch the gates. So the American
ladies take turns in it.
The missionaries at Harpoot have
learned that much of their furniture
and goods are in the houses Of the
leading officials of the city. At Bith's
the houses are barricaded and the men
do not show themselves, the mob be-
ing particularly incensed at Messrs.
Cole and Knapp for distributing relief
in the Sassoun region.
The dispatch boats have come in but
they are the meanest little tubs in the
world. suppose they carry guns.
doubt if a ball could be sent over the
sides of the vessel. Last Thursday we
heard noise of running in the streets
and from the windows saw crowds
coming from the market to their
homes. Mothers came to the school
for their children, women with white,
scared faces stood in their house doors
wringing their hands, and state of
mysterious excitement Prevailed. L
saw from my window group of Softis
on corner, receiving from an older
man, papers, which they carefully
scanned and then pointed in different
directions. l felt alarmed, for we
knew that certain houses where Ar
mepians live had been spotted. was
called away for moment and when
returned they were gone. Softis are
students in mosques and are very ia
natical. They were the leaders in the
September riots.
After couple of hours things quiet
down, and went down to the Bible
House to post letter and learn the
news. / had to pass the war depart
ment, but everything was quiet. Mrs.
Newell and Miss Barker had gone over
to Para to the European quarter. They
did not get home till three o'clock and
were much worried about them. They
said they were in Greek shop; cry
was heard, and looking out the street
was river of flying people, all run
ming in our direction, away from old
L~,l IF