The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-04-02
THE POWERS LOOK ON
MISSIONARY WRITES OF THE AWFUL
DoINGS IN NORTHERN SYRIA.

DOJNGS IN NORTHERN SYRIA.
Total determination of the Armenians
Aimed at by the TurIs-One shiase
Saved by Turning Moslem-Terribie Tale
Told by a Refugee.
The following letter has just been re-
ceiyed in Washington from one OF the
most prominent missionaries IN north
ern Syria. His name is withheld at his
request. He declares that he would be
murdered at once were his identity re-
vealed:
sis the world aware of the fact that
a whole nation is being destroyed IN
these regions as fast as regular troops,
armed with repeating rifles and aided
bv thousands of Kurds, Circassians and
other Bashi Bazouks can do the work:
It is plain that nothing less than the
complete determination Of the Armenl-
ans is aimed at. Every new tale of hor-
ror that comes in from day to day con-
firms this. Fancy the Sioux massacre OF
1862, with the governor Of the state
Sioux, the head of the general govern
ment a Sioux and the whole army COM
posed of Sioux That would give you
faint idea of the state of things in Tur-
key.
II have written you about Marash.
Besides the 81 Protestants slain, we
now learn there were thousands of Greg
rian victims. I have just talked with a
man who escaped from the villages near
Kharput. He got away and traversed
the country between here and Kharput
by knowing the Kurdish language and
travelling as Kurd The story he tells
us is terrible. In the rich plains near
Kharput there are scores Of Christian
villages, with from so to 1000 houses
in each. He witnessed the sacking of
nearly all of these villages, with the
massacre Of more than half their popu-
lation. 1t was the work at Marash on
much larger scale. There was absolute
~ no provocation and no resistance.
The door of house is broken in, vol
ley is fired into the screaming, huddled
group of occupants; one or two perhaps
escape past the soldiers. usually to be
slain in the fields; the house is plumber
ed and then set on fire, and dead and
wounded burn with it. That has been
the end of thousands of happy Christian
homes.
Zone village saved itself by turning
Moslem. My inform ant saw the people,
with their two priests at their head, 60
ing to the mosque for worship. Such
instances of apostacy. however, are very
rare.
GAS he passed Kharput he saw the
Christian quarter in flames and the
houses of the American mission burn
ing. He came on to Malatia (the ancient
Melitene). Not house in the Christian
quarter was standing. Very few of the
inhabitants were alive. In the khan
there he met about 30 wounded men,
with women and few children.
They were the only survivors of cara
van 200 strong that left northern Syria
for Kharput seven weeks ago. One Of
my friends and his boy started with
them, and both have persisted. First the
travellers were surrounded and robbed
near Ell Oghlou, six hours this side of
Marash. Then they went on their way
to the northeast, having secured zab-
itch or two to go with them. When
within a day of Malatia, they were
stopped by large band of Kurds. These
asked the zabtichs where they were TAX
ing the men. up to Kharput, was the
answer. Don't You know that all the
Giaours up there have been killed?
These are to go no farther; we have or
ders. With that the onslaught began
A hundred and fifty dead bodies were
left in the road. The man s testimony
is corroborated by other evidence. With
out doubt that caravan was destroyed.
The design is to utterly exterminate
the Armenian people. And yet Europe
looks on and makes no decisive move!
81 have positive information that the
| Zeitun Christians took up arms simply
in self defense. They have not yet been
subdued Three armies are closing in
On them-one from the Marash side,
one from Geben and one from Gaoksyn
| (ancient Cucusus). But all these have
bad defiles to go through in order to
reach even the neighborhood Of the
town. The troops have foolishly burned
all the villages near them and are In
great suffering, living in tents under the
pitiless storms of rain and snow. Woe
to Zeitun if they get in Neither man,
woman nor child will be spared. -
New York World.