The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-10-09
IN NEE b AI1l
n, n FED Arm ENIANS ACE:
STRANDED AT lIARSElLLES


Copyright. 1895, Associated Press.)
Marseilles, Oct. /. ~ There exists q,
condition Of affairs in this city at pres
cnt which seems to be q disgrace to.
europe and to the Armenian assoCia.
lions generally throughout the world.
SuDsisttng upon government, municipal
or private charity here are 500 unfor-
tunate AEmenians, men women and
children. young and old and healthy,
ana sick, who have succeeded in e..
Gaping from the bloody massacres al
Constantinople and who were one ana;
al buoyed up by the hope, on landing,
mere, OF being able, eventually, to reach.
the land OF freedom, the United States.
But weeks have already elapsed and
nothing definite appears to have been,
done for their relief, much less toward
finding them homes by any Of the
many associations for the relief Of suf- .
fering Armenians which have been or.
gained In England or America. These
unfortunates, however, seem to be the
very class to which the hand Of charity
should be first extended. They are
homeless. nearly all of them penniless,
many IRE enduring the pangs of hung
er, and yet nobody seems willing to.
step In and guide this band of refu-
gees to some place where they can be-
gin life anew and under more promis-
ing circumstances. Large amounts OF
money have been raised in the past for
destitute Armenians in Armenia, but
the situation of the latter is not a whit
worse than that Of the half-starvina
people here, IL as bad. The Armenians
IN Armenia certainly had their core.
llg1onists and fellow countrymen to-
tall back upon, but the poor people
here seem to have no friends In the
wide world. yet they are as honest and
industrious class as you can find on
the shores of the Mediterranean.
Some South American spectators, Il
is true, taking advantage Of this de-,
plorable situation, have prevailed upon
300 others Of the Armenian refugees
to allow themselves to be transported
to the Argentine Republic. there, in all
probability to meet the fate of thou.
sands OF the Hebrews of Russia.
thanks to the philanthropy Of the late
Baron Hirsch, emigrated to South.
America. only to find themselves, figur-
atively speaking, tossed from the fry.
Ing pan into the fire. Only about eigh.
teen OF the 500 Armenians who reached
here have as vet been able to start for
the United States.
These few emigrants are of the bet.
ter class of Armenians. They are fair
ly we'll supplied with funds and viii
probably start for New York via South.
ampton soon. There is material here
for the foundation of q strong AZ.
menian colony. and 1t would appear
that there must be some spot on earth
where these victims Of the blood.
thirstyness and misgovernment Of Alb.
dull Hamid, sultan of Turkey, who. &C.
cording to generally accredited reports.
must have caused the massacre Of
some 10000 Christians during the last
few years, can earn an honest living.
The ConstanttnOplc Massacre.
The tales they tell of persecution and
massacre would, 1t seems. soften Ina
most hard hearted. They admit that
q band Of some forty Armenians about
a month ago captured the Ottoman
bank. killing the Turkish gendarmes.
The Armenians claim that this demon.
stratlon, like many others, was only
planned to compel Europe to redress
the wrongs from which they are SUI.
fering. Then, however. followed the
terrible massacres in the streets Of
~NessSssAASAAAOkSAN 0AAO Al6 6uUuTO8 M
which from four to six thousand per-
sons were butchered or drowned. Hun.
dreds We're driven into the police and
military depots at the point Of the
bayonet only to be carted out at the
rear doors of these buildings dead, and
were buried in long trenches dug for
that purpose in various cemeteries.
Hundreds upon hundreds Of I'M
armed fleeing Armcnians were beaten
to death in the street with bludgeons
furnished, there is no doubt, to the
populace by the Turkish authorities.
The slaughterers went about in gangs.
directed by agents of the Turkish Of
ficials. killing all Armenians they
caught sight Of. Cart loads Of dead
bodies were constantly crossing IA
bridges to- the burying grounds: many
hundreds OF living Armenians were
taken In boats to the Bosphorus and
drowned. and countless others were
taken in ships to the Black sea, from
which trip they never returned.
Painting at Canton.
49, HA-A