The record-union., 1896-02-17
ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.
Miss Shattuck's Description of Some of
the Bloody Scenes.
The Number of Killed Not Less Than
Thirty-Five Hundred, Many of
Whom Perished in Church.

Thirty-Five Hundred, Many of
Whom Perished in a Church.
LONDON, Feb. 16.-The United Press
correspondent at Constantinople sends
the following information: The follow
ing is a letter from Miss Corinna Shat
tuck:
''OURFA, Jan. 7, 1S96.-We had often
heard that the Moslems were dissatis-
fed With the attempt of October 28th,
which resulted in the destruction of
only forty lives and about f150,000
worth of goods, the plunder of 600 shops
and 2S9 houses. After this the Chris
tians We're all completely disarmed by
the Government. Some eighty men had
been imprisoned, and it was feared that
there would be another scene of terror.
1t came at last with great suddenness.
On Saturday, December 2Sth, the
firing of few guns in the Mos1em
quarter proved to be the signal. I'm
mediately an immense multitude gath
cred on the hill on the side Of the city.
The guards in the streets went to meet
the people, fired a few shots over their
heads, and then allowed the mass of
wild humanity, thirsty for blood, to
pass into the city and begin their work
The horrid work continued until dark
Three soldiers kept the mob back from
street which they wished to guard,
constantly proclaiming, 1t is the house
of foreigner 1 saw one man beaten
and then shot down on the roof just op-
posite me on the other side. The Ro-
man Catholics were spared. All other
Christians lost all home furnishings,
and some houses were burned.
"The number of killed cannot be less
than 3.500, and may reach 1000. OF
these it is estimated that 800 per-
ished in the great Gregorian Church.
On Sunday that portion of the city was
hardly touched and great numbers of
Armenians flocked to the church for
safety that night. Sunday morning it
began again at daybreak, and when the
mob reached the church the soldiers
broke open the doors. Then entering,
they began the butchery, which became
a great holocaust. 1t was participated
in by many classes of MoSlems. For
two days the air of the city was unen-
durable. Then began the clearing up.
During two days we saw constantly
men Juggling sacks filled with bones and
ashes. The dragging off of 1,500 bodies
for burial in trenches was more quickly
completed, some being taken on ami
mails
The last work of all has been the
clearing of the wells. From one very
large well it is said that sixty bodies
were taken. 1t is we'll authenticated
that twenty bodies were taken from an
other we'll About 300 persons escaped
from the church by the way of the roof,
which was reached by a narrow stair
case on the inside. Shortly after noon
on Sunday some fifteen or more of the
prominent citizens and Government
officials (not including the MutesSarif
or the military commander), preceded
by a military band and mounted guard,
made a grand parade of the city. They
entered the incloSure of foreigners and
assured them of perfect safety, and
begged them not to be alarmed, as 1t
was nothing that pertained to them
The work did not cease until dark
on Sunday the 10th. On Monday the
Kurds and Arabs were prevented from
entering the city, the firing beginning
about dawn. All day Sunday strong
guard was about the American prem
ises. A Captain of the army sat upon
his horse for hours at the northwest
corner just outside of the church. Re-
peatedly the foreigners received Saluta-
tions and assurances of perfect safety
from Government officials during that
longest of days. 1t was evident that
the utmost was done to protect them.
'The work of plunder is complete.
Literally naught remains. Our wounded
are many. / have eighteen under my
immediate care. There is only one doc
tor for the whole city; he has 800 and
cannot care for more.
tThe Government provides about 200
loaves of bread daily for the poor. But
all this kindness will come to an end
and utter poverty will be the lots of
most. The Protestant pastor, Rev. H.
A Abouhayatian, and several efficient
members of the church are among the
dead. An effort was made to secure the
body of the pastor for separate funeral
but failed
THE custom Of these affairs, so
general in Turkey, seem to be for one
party to rush ahead and kill This is
followed by another party which hur-
ries off the women and children to some
mosque, khan or some Moslem house
temporarily open for their reception.
Lastly, this operation is followed by the
stripping of the houses.
Markets are closed, and it is very
difficult to get some things much needed.
We have had but forty-five beds given
back to us of those plundered. and a
few pieces of copper. AS yet failed to
secure more, or instructions as to the
method of procedure to secure stolen
goods. The Government has large
numbers of beds, and much copper was
stored for return to the owners, but all
fear to stir, lest the end has not yet
come
To-day the long expected soldiers
have arrived-S00 or 1000. Our city
has been hitherto guarded (?) by resi-
dent soldiers. We must have your
prayers and your pecuniary aid How
are the people to live through this win
ter?"