Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-23

ana II Will De enough TO turn me gray
headed. Those who were there and
saw and experienced these hor-
rors look as tho they had seen death
They are old and haggard and alto
gether transformed. Quite a number
Of young girls were carried off and
their whereabouts is unknown. Mr.
Wingate succeeded in rescuing two, a
young bride and her babe and a gill
We have heard that eleven were
carried off 10 village and that they
have begged for eleven days freedom
before they are touched, hoping that
before that time they may be rescued.
The missionaries are. trying to get at
the facts of the case and rescue any
who are in such plight. One strange
circumstance is that the rich were
not especially sought out 1t is the
poor rather that have been robbed
and killed. In their haste to do as
much evil as possible the Turks took
tiers and passed by the large and well
defended houses of the rich Where
the rich lost most heavily was in the
markets, where the owners were
quickly dispatched some put to fight,
some hiding and some killed, while
all night long Turkish women plum
dered the shops. The number of those
slain is about 500 by actual count of
the dead bodies collected in one spot
by the government, but some think
that many bodies were disposed of
purposely and that a census of the
missing will bring the total much
higher. DR.. Dodd and the others
have been about visiting the wounded
and the mutilations are too horrible
to be described. Special delight
seemed to be taken in disfiguring
women, and the men were covered
with wounds also.
A cry of anguish and misery is
arising from this poor land Who will
heaken and come to the rescue?
Here is where our greatest anxiety
lies. If the European powers do not
interfere, what is to check the cruel
Turk till he has split the blood of
every Christian in the land? We
come to that pass, but on the other
hand, if Europe does Interfere, and
war should break out between Eng
land and Turkey, one of the first
steps the Turk will take will be to
destroy the Americans. Of course
England will try to secure our es-
cape, but if we escape and leave those
XTyhn To 6ai 20 ,La+
they think of US? Can anything we
do for them in the future convince
them that we are not selfish in our
ends? And yet what good can we do
by staying, but to die with them?
These are the problems that now con-
members of the station offer is for
them to remove their families to some
safe place and they return to do what
they can for the people. Can you
realize what this means? 1t tears my
heart in two to think of going away
and leaving Henry to suffer and per-
hapS to die. | cannot consent to it;
and yet there is baby to think of. [
can't bear to think Of any harm COM
ing to her. [ propose to take ner to
Constantinople and having mother
take her to her Grandmother Wingate
and returning here myself. | don't
know whether it is possible plan,
but if [ can't do that [ don't know [
am sure what we can do. Oh can't
leave him here alone. The other
ladies have more children and they
must take care of them, but l have
only one Perhaps I can keep her and
stay myself. But it is all dark,
whichever way we look. To think of
giving up my sweet little grille to go
so far away is heart breaking, but
what agony it will be to be away from
Henry and know that he is in hourly
danger. If he might only go away
from here with me I should be happy,
but will it be honorable, will it be
right? We shall not leave here till
we have had correspondence on the
subject with the consul, the minister
and others, and it is possible that
some other course may present itself.
If we keep to the right we shall be
glad of the result some day, tho our
lives may be overcast for long and
weary years. 1t does seem fearfully
hard, and 1 long for a friendly hand
clasp and word Of cheer. | begin to
be glad now that some whom [ have
loved and lost ere spared these sor-
rows. If these troubles had not come
so near us [ might be accused of
drawing too wildly on my magma
ton, but it has come close to us and
we feel as tho we were in the midst
of wild beasts and there is no know
ing at what moment they may be let
loose and work their will on us. |
don't forget that a higher will gov
ems all their movements, that the
bounds fixed beyond which they can
not pass are insurmountable, but it
may be best in His sight for us to suf-
fer all that man can suffer and our
hearts sink and our strength fails.
We make a pretense of living. All
our goods are packed up and we try
to be ready to run to a safe place
when an alarm is given. 1t is hard
to settle down to any work, sewing OF
study under such circumstances, and
yet are they not just the circum-
stances the Christian should expect in
his journey to Him?
One day later am happy tonight
for Henry has come and we are going
back to the city tomorrow. Besides
these causes for thanksgiving we
have received hints that something