The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-03
A PICTURE OF HORROR AT THE NUSATSU SPRINGS
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF A TURKISH
MOB AT WORK.
One Pistol Shot Starts. a Slaughter
Fierce Savagery-Men in the Muir
derous Horde.

\ Constantinople mob, says a writer
in the New York Tribune, is spec
tacle that once seen, is not easily for
gotten. The memory holds forever
after picture of frenzied faces,
strange garments and cleaning
knives. The ear retains for "a long
time the mad shouts of the pursuit or
the eXultant cry that accompanied
the finishing blow. 1t is not a pleas
ant memory. For the second time
within a year Constantinople has been
given up to pillage and murder. The
demon of massacre that stalked
through the city last September has
returned more terrible than ever, and
he has found his efficient ally in the
Constantinople mob.
In no city on earth can one pistol
shot call together mob that com
pares in all savage qualities with the
mob in Constan Anople. Time and
again before and since the destruction
of Janissaries it has turned the cap
ital upside down and made the streets
of Stamboul run with blood. 1t does
not change with time. Generation
after generation it is the same in
composition and in purpose. 1t has
two objects in view: First, to kill
Christians second, to seize their prop
erty
The mob is composed of two gen
eral classes. the Chapqin-that is, the
rascals of the city, belonging to the
lowest class of the population, brutal
and vicious, and the softas--that is,
theological students. The former, as
poor, ignorant, ferocious and fanatic
| as the hordes that AIahomet sent
against the city $50 years ago, are
animated by the love of plunder and
! of bloodshed. In their saYage breasts
positive delight in the shedding of
| blood. They seek not only to kill,
but to mangle in killing. Toward a
Christian they have no sentiment of
humanity. They are of every race of
Mahomet. In their dark faces and un-
couth garments we can trace the char
acteristics of Laz, Kurd, Circassian.
Georgian, Zeybeck and Osinauli. In
ordinary times they lead precarious
existence, living from hand TO mouth,
working when forced, as porters, scav-
engers and laborers; but ready at the
| first signal to turn their implements
into weapons and join the fierce cry,
"Down with the Giaours.
The second class, and the more
dreaded, is the softas. Sofia, or souk-
hte, as the word was originally pro-
nounced, meaning something con-
sumed in the fire, and is the name Civ
en- to the students of the theological
schools, and are, supposedly, consumed
in the fire of zeal for knowledge. In
Constantinople there are, at a mod
crate estimate, 10000 of these Ma
hommedan theological students.
They are camped like great army
in the city of the Sultan, and at the
faintest whisper of reform or conces-
sion to Crete, Armenia or Macedonia
or the first rumor of insubordination
on the part of the Armenians of the
city, one hears the omnious murmur.
THE softas are rising" Many cheeks
turn pale at the cry. II calls up too
many scenes in the streets of Galata
and Stamboul of helpless men and wo-
men struck down by the heavy curved
clubs in the hands of these bigoted
fanatics. In the riots, of last Septem-
ber and in the awful slaughter of the
last few days in Constantinople the
softas were the principal figures. Fa-
enas, animated by a sleepless hatred
of Christians, they Ire the center and
soul of every Mosfem outbreak.
Their method of warfare is distinct
i've. They do not usually attack in
large bands, nor do they attempt SER
ious fighting. Armed with heavy
clubs. often curved into hook, they
patrol the streets in bands of from
dozen to forty, or lie concealed in
narrow lanes. There they watch for
their prey, and thence, at the sight of
a defenseless man or woman they
dash forth and club the poor wretch
to death and trample on the mangled
form. Hundreds have fallen i'm Just
this way in the last few days in Con-
stantinople. Occasionally the band
varies the amusement by plundering
the house of some poor, defenseless
creature and killing the women and
children.
Weekly Star, $500 per year.