The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-02-12
MEN HEWED TO PIECES.
FANNY ANDREWS SHEPARD WRITES
AGAIN FROM A,NTAB.
Persecution OF Christians Turkish
BrutaIities Almost beyond
Belief.

The following deeply interesting
letter was written by Mrs. f. d
Shepard, M. D., nee Andrews, o.
Aintab, Turkey, to Miss Rebeccs
Krekorian, an Armenian lady now
i'll America, aud we'll known fol
her remarkable temperance ant
humanitarian work in her native
land. 1t is another tale of the Ar
menian atrocities:
AINTAB, Dec. IS, 1895.
MY DEAR REBEccA-I cannot
describe to you the wre,ched con-
dition of the poor people here now.
1t is said that about 5000 in this
city are today dependent upon
charity for food and clothing and
not less than 500 killed. Hundreds
of houses and shops have been pill
LACED and hundreds of families lett
without food or clothing. Many
have lost their houses which are
being torn down by Moslems or
seized by the soldiers to STAY in.
All trade and work is stopped
the men dare not go out of their
houses, except in the christian
quarters; many rich families have
become poor; merchants are ruined.
Mrs. Balios and her son were burn
ed in their own house. Many
prominent men are thrown into
prison. Balios was there, but very
sick with wounded hand, so they
allowed him to be brought to the
hospital under bonds.
The hospital is full of the wound
ed. The schools are all stopped and
school rooms full Of poor people
who have no homes The Third
Church was pillaged. Services are
now being held in the First Church
and the Gregorian Church morning
and afternoon, very fully attended.
The people have nothing else to do
but pray and they crowd the
churches and pour out their souls
before God. 1t is estimated that
$50, 900 persons are reduced to abject
want by the recent massacres
throughout Turkey.
HUNDREDS ARE STARVING.
Oh! the thousands of widows and
orphans that are crying to God to-
day! Hundreds of families are sure
to starve and freeze this winter,
however much help comes from
outside for them. This poor Ar
menian nation, prosecuted and OPP
pressed before, lies crushed and
bleeding and ready to die! The
horrible things done in the massacre
make one feel that Turkey is not
living in the Nineteenth century,
but in the most barbarous snd cruel
age Of the past. Men hewed to
pieces, beaten to death, bodies left
in the streets for dogs to eat, OF
dragged to the caves and stones
thrown over them. The killed in
the market were thrown into the
moat of the castle and buried all
together. Women and children
in the houses were not killed,
but many wounded and clothing
torn from them, while the
rugs, bedding. boxes of clothes,
dishes, everything was taken from
them. Earrings were torn from the
ears of women and girls, tearing the
flesh with them. Sick people had
their beds and covering taken from
them. One poor woman begged
that they leave a covering for the
baby a. least-a man slashed slice
from the baby's cheek, threw it to
her and said that they would leave
that for the baby One man is said
to have mingled the blood Of three
men he killed and drank it.
CHRIST OR DEATH.
Many were told to choose be-
tween Christ and death and Islam
and life. No doubt, many to save
themselves, chose the latter. Many
more Christians would have been
slaughtered had not their Moslem
friends protected them, but some
treacherously made a show of pro-
lection only to give them up to be
killed by the mob later.
1t is now more than a month
since the first outbreak, but every
thing is yet at standstill. This
week a few weavers tried to work
at their looms, but were SO ill-treat-
ed by the Moslems they had to flee
home again. Only few who have
looms in their own houses can ven
ture to weave what little material
they have on hand.
Oh when will peace be again
established, and what will become
of the poor Armenians till then?
Everyone is yet living in fear OF
more to follow. 1t is condition
of living death.
The Christian quarters are closed
up, or the gates that are still open
guarded by soldiers. l am glad
you have been saved from seeing
the terrible condition into which
Aintab and nearly all our large
cities have fallen.
Poor Marash Nearly all of the
Christian houses burned out. But
may the Lord show you how you
can help your poor people where
you are.
You know my working woman.
Her house and everything in it was
taken, with sixty-6ve others in
that district Twenty-six men
were killed there that morning.
Miriam, the teacher, is in the city
with her aunt's family among the
homeless in the schoolrooms of the
church. Do what you can for your
poor dying people. 1t makes me
heart-sick to see the misery and
wrechedness, and then to think it
is to be worse and worse as time
goes on. Many are saying death
is better than this kind of a life, "