The morning times., 1896-01-13
Tears Shed Over the Story Told
by a Native.
S ARoUslNG SENTIMENT
Miss Rebeccu KrikOrian Tells of the
Deadly Struggle Bet ween Moliam-
sands Have Been Given Up to the
Sword-WhatS She Told Her Hearers.

| Norius S w. y. L. u, at the First Congre-
gatlonal Church at 3'o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon.
Very seldom has an audience assembled
to listen TO u discussion of such a ques-
ton been wrought up to SO great Il degree
OF Feeling as was shown by those who
listened TO the burning words that fell
from the lips of the speakers who addressed
that assemblage yesterday afternoon.
women becamealmost b ysterical ana tears
streamed down the bearded face of strong
men as they heard of the atrocities prac-
ticed upon the defenseless Armenians by
| the kurds and Turks.
Mrs. S. d. La Fetra, superintendent OF
the department OF Christian citizenship of
| the Worlds VIC. 7. L., presided, and on the
platform with her Were seated Mrs. Anna
F. Beiler, national superintendent OF the
same department; Miss Jessie Ackerman,
second round the world missionary of the
w. c. T. u; Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett,
national superintendent of the Florence
Crittenden missions; Mrs. Nakimbi of
bombay, India, and Miss Krikorian of
Aintab. Armenia, whospoke keofthccondition
of the people OF her native land and visibiy
affected the audience with her pathetic
story OF their sufferings ard priyations.
OPENING EXERCISES.
The meeting was opening with the reading
OF the Scriptures and the sixty-ninth
Psalm by Mrs. Nakinbi. which was followed
by hymn by the Y choir. Tie members
had kindly volunteered for the occasion and
looked very sweet in their white caps and
gowns.
Airs. La Fetra then introduced Miss
krikoriap, saying that she had come to
hef from Boston, where she had been speak
ing in the different churches and laboring
for the relief of her people. Miss Kriknrian
is very earnest in her work and is fast
wearing herself out with her constant en-
deavors to arouse interest in this country
toward the relief and succor OF those in
her own unhappy land. She has brother
who is u professor in one OF the colleges
in Constantinople and her father is the
pastor of one of the largest Christian
churches In Armenia. Her family have been
believers in the Christian religion and active
workers among the infidels in Armenia for
many generatio tons and have suffered greatly
from persecution.
At the present time Miss Krikorian does
not know If her relations are dead or alive,
but the last word she received from them
stated that her fathers church had been
turned into q Moslem mosque by the Turks
and the Christian worshipers scattered
far and wide over the country.
She began her address yesterday after
noon with a short history OF her country
and its inhabitants. in which she spoke
of the hold Christianity had obtained over
, her people and OF the tortures they w<Rcl
compelled to suffer because OF their faith.
She read an extract from the Koran, which
melted all believers in the Mohammedan
religion to make war upon the infidels ard
extcrminate them from. the face of the
earth. In this passage she said could be
found the true causf for atrocities prac-
ticed upon the Armehians.
WHAT SHE SAID.
"Onr language" Continued Miss Krlko-
rian. is derived from the Sanscrit, thought
by many to be that which Adam spoke. In
the fourth century we became tired of
using the language OF another people and
new alphabet was invented containing
thir,y-six letters. although 1t was after
ward increased to thirty-nine. In our
language every letter has its own sound.
making it the easiest to read OF any lam
guage in the world"
Passing on to the events of recent oc-
curence. over which the entire civilized
world is wrought up, Miss Krikorian said:
"Olr prosecutions antedate the introduction
Of Mohammedanism in Turkey. ard for
many years before the founding of the
Ottoman Empire. the Arabs and the Kurds,
who had become believers in the Moslem
faith, attempted to convert the people of
Armenia through the medium of the sword.
Then the subjects of the sultan. finding the
Mohammedan religion to their taste and
suited to their character, embraced the
faith and since the beginning of the thir-
teenth century they have perpetrated the
most horrible atrocities.
"One hundred thousand Armenians have
been butchered during the last three months
10000 have been deprived of everything
except the neccssaries of life while SOC, 900
of the people of my country are homeless
wanderers, without food, clothes, or shell
ter. subsisting upon the roots and herbs
to be found in the mountains, and living
in constant dread of the ferocious Kurds
that scour the country. All this has been
done in the sight of Christian nations who
have had the power to prevent it and yet
have not raised hand.
THE GREAT SLAUGHTER.
1.-The wholesale slaughter and pluudering
that has been carried on during the last
few months is almost beyond description.
Sixteen hundFed towns have been laid
waste and their Inhabitants put to death or
led into captivity since last spring, and the
time is fast approaching when the foreign
nations will lament their own losses. For
emboldened by the continued Indifference OF
Europe and America, the Turks will soon
add the names OF the foreign residents to
the list of dead. Already the rabble in the
streets of Harpoot follow your missionaries
from house to house, crying, 'Infidel Dogs
and heapiug abuse and curses upon them.
when the cables flash the word that they
also have been massacred, then it will
be too late to take any action.
"Oh, my friends" she continued. IT
beseech you to stir yourselves and do
something to assist tmyunfortunate countr5-
men aud your own before it is too late.
This is not a war between Turkey and
Armenia, but IL is a struggle between
Christianity aud Mohamniedanism, and un-
less something is done, and done quickly,
the crescent will float above the cross"
When Miss Krikoriau had finished, Miss
Ackerman made strong appeal for funds
10 help forward the work of the Red Cross
Society in alleviatiugt the sufferings of
the Armenians, and large collection was
taken. sr
Among the speakers who followed were
Mrs. Kate Barrett, Mr. jacob Michaelian,
a native of Harpoot. who is a student at
the Columbian University Medical School,
and Mrs. Beiler.