The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-24
THE MARsEvAN MASSACRE.
Described by Young Mr.. DaImadjian, who
Was a Student There.

Described by Young Mr.. DaImadjian, who
Was Student There.
To the many accounts OF the cruelties
practiced by fsnatical Moslems upon the
| Armenians another is added by Mihran
Dalmadjian,a student in the Anatolian
| College at Marsevan, who is now at the
| Armenian Hotel, 800 Third avenue, New
| York, having arrived there about q week
| ago. Through the infiuenceof DIR. Jewett,
| American consul to silva, Dalmadjian was
| able to get out of the country in tine
| to escape arrest under the general order
| that ali Armenians who had ever been ar
| rested for any cause should be taken into
| custody. AS the student had once been
| imprisoned as a suspicious character, to-
| gether with several hundred other young
| Armenians he was liable under the order,
| although he had been discharged within
a lew days with nothing proven against
| him. Had he remained at the college
| until May he would have graduated, after
| which he was to have taught for year
and then become Congregational minis
| ter.
Dalmadjian was seen yesterday at the
| Armenian hotel. lie Is z3 years old and
| is an interesting talker. AS one who
was present at the massacre of Nov. 10,
when 100 Armenians OF Marsevan We're
killed by the turks, he has much to tell.
by special order from the Governor OF
the province, Negib Bey, as Dalmadjian
says, the Anatolian College was protected
by soldiery, so the student were not
harmed. N'. r.
at was known in the town." said he,
"for some time before that, there was TO
be a massacre. There was no secrecy
about ii. The Turks even went 80 far as
to boast of 1t, and mock the Armenians
with their approaching death.
"'You'd better make the most of your
Ia afrNFN
'for you haven't got long to live.'
ut was finally decided that the mas
sacre was to be on Nov. 10, and was To last
four hours, during which time the Mos
lem soldiers were 10 have full license TO
murder and pillage all Armenians, with
the exception That the college was not to
be touched. Several Greek stores in the
village which stood among the Armenian
stores were specially guarded also. ii was
against the Armenians alone that the ia
naticism of the Moslems was directed"
"How is it that your countrymen didn't
run away IL they knew what was in store
for them?" asked the reporter.
IAN Armenian Is slow to run away
from the place where all that he owns IN
the world is. Besides, where were they
to go? Until the day before the massacre
we had no information as 60 when it
would come. Then Turks buying at the
Armenian stores refused to pay.
"'You'll be dead tomorrow said they
to the storekeepers, 'and so you won't
need the money
"Frioay is the Moslem Sunday, and it
was on Friday at the massacre took place.
From the surrounding country all the
Moslems poured in to service at the
mosques, where they were exhorted not
To spare the infidels. A detac hiisent OF
Turkish soldiers under Captain Bing Ba
Che marched to the market place, drove
the Armenians out of their stores, and
tt,<Vs. In 4 t,x.a
At the sound OF the firing the people
rushed out from the mosques to take part
i'm the murders ana ITO loot the stores.
Women and children were not spared,
| and gang OF the murderers lett the
market place, went to the houses OF sew
eral of the wealthy Armenians, killed the
men and children, and outraged the
women. Meantime strong guard OF
| soldiery bad been set about the college,
which stands a little outside the village
it was needed. Early in the afternoon
fierce rabble of Turks came pouring down
the road yelling for the blood of the
students and their American teachers.
Not knowing whether or not the guard
would protect US, we prepared to sell our
lives as dearly as possible, but the officer
in charge of the soldiers stopped the
mobs.
Gonstankjnople," he shouted. Death TO
him that disoheys them Go hack to the
town. You are losing time. The killing
will be stopped at the end OF four hours.
$50 they turned and went back. In
town, as the time came near for the order
stopping the persecution, the officers in
cited the peop.e 10 further deeos of vio-
lence.
Hurry up and find more dogs OF inf
dels to KILL" they said. The time is
nearly up.' Some of them bade the
soldiers use only bayonets and knives on
the ground that IL was waste of good
lead to shoot Armenians. In many cases
the Armenians we're hidden to apostatize,
bat whether they did or not they were
Immediately killed. At the end OF the
four hours the killing was stopped. There
were then 100 dead Armenians in the
streets, most of them terribly slashed to
pieces. The Turks boasted that the
butchery was done by >direct orders of
the Governor, and that II had the ap-i
proval of the Sultan, who, being angered
at the attitude of the European nations,
had adopted that method of showing how
little ne cared for tue OUTSIDE criticism
and of teaching the other nations not to
meddle in Turkish affairs. Had the kill
ing not been limited TO a given time
every Armenian in MaFseran weeld have
been murdered.
Mr.. Dalmadjian expects TO remain I'm
this country. He will probably complete
his theological education here.