Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-23


headlong pursuit of their victims
Three minutes from the time Mr.
Wingate heard that the trouble had
begun, he saw the mob in full chase
through the streets and a man stabbed
to death close to our house, while
the roofs and made raids on every
house in their way. tracking it with
ruin, fire, blood and death. He kept
his post on the roof of our house and
by his persuasions kept the mob from
attacking our own house or any that
butted against it, for we live on a
corner, and some three or four houses
connect with it. The neighbors, fly
ing before the mob, made for him and
he helped them up the ladders TO our
roof, and sent them below while he
kept the mob at bay. The rioters
kept saying to him, ''you go down; we
won't touch you; you are a Protestant;
but go down" They didn't want to
have such an unsparing critic report
their proceedings to the world, but he
held his ground, except when a soldier
ordered him off and took aim at him.
He says he did go down for a few
minutes then. The deeds of violence
were few in his vicinity compared
with those in other parts of the city,
and we can we'll believe, as the people
about there do, that his standing there
was the cause of their being spared
their homes, their property and their
lives. They are full of gratitude just
at present, but we know the race too
we'll to flatter ourselves that acts of
ingratitude and even treachery may
not come to US from the same men
who owe him everything, but his brav-
cry and sympathy will never be for
gotten by hundreds of Armenians.
Do you blame me for being proud of
my Henry? He took in about hun
dred and twenty men, women and
children, ted them, cared for them,
sympathized with them and guarded
them and their homes as far as he
was able. 1t was a fearful strain on
him and | never knew him to be so
utterly exhausted as he was when |
neyt saw him last Thursday.
While these things were going on in
the city we were living in the greatest
for ourselves. Some Tales merchants
were in the city when the riot broke
out, and made their escape on their
horses, running for their lives By
the time they reached here fires were
seen started III many places through
the city. Wasn't | thankful when /
received a note from Henry the next
noon telling me he was safe! He was
glad | wasn't there to endure the
strain of those fearful hours, but it
was no little strain to be here and
have him there and not know whether
he was safe or not. We watched the
progress Of the flames with anxious
hearts, but we know that they af-
forded very little evidence of what
was goin on, for the houses there are
all built Of stone and it is almost i'm
possible fOr the houses to burn at all,
and it was only by a liberal use of
kerosene that these fires were started.
Then we were in mOmentary eXpecta-
ton of an outbreak here in Talas, and
if the Kurdish troops, of which we
kept hearing, should descend upon us
we feared they would not respect
American citizens. DR.. Dodd and Mr..
Fowle watched all that night and
early the next morning they hustled
us out of our houses, to get us within
the strong walls and behind the
barred windows of the girls school.
They had heard that the nearest vii
lage had been attacked and that our
turn was coming next, and when they
saw horsemen actually approaching
from the direction indicated, we were
told to run, and that we did with
wildly beating hearts. The horsemen
proved to be government soldiers, of
whom there is nothing to fear in the
first stage of an outbreak, but later on
they may be as cruel as any of them.
For at least five days this has been
the program, a scare and then reas-
surance, but it is very upsetting to
ones work and plans, not to speak OF
the effect on nerves and health. Be
sides the missionary families, many
of the families of the neighborhoOd
have been admitted to the school for
greater safety, and since Talas hasn' t
been attacked yet there is every pros
pect that it VIII be, and the family
increases rather than diminishes.
We reckoned up 154 persons on the
grounds today, over so Of whom are
here to seek refuge. We have 10 SOL
diers quartered here to protect US.
We have been able to take our meals
at home but till last night we slept at
the school every night. You can
imagine the trouble it is to the
teachers and to the routine of the
school to have such a horde take pos
session of their rooms. There is a
whole family in each room which for
merly had but one occupant, and the
teachers sleep in the dormitory with
the girls The school room is in
requisition as soon as the pupils va
cate it. It doesn't begin to be as
crowded as our house in the city has
been for nearly the same length of
time. There they had barely room to
squeeze into the rooms, and we're glad
enough of so much room. The boys
of the boarding department of the
high school live at little distance
from our house and we're in great dan
ger during the riot. The kindness OF
their Turkish neighbors saved them
from being torn to pieces by the mob.
There is a strong feeling among the