The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-27


Cleveland. o.. Feb. 2s.-Secretarv
Tr0woridge. Of the Cleveland Armenian
relief committee, yesterday received
from Constantinople the following
translation Of letter written by a lead
I ing Armenian Of Shepik, near Harpoot,
Turkey:
The calamity which has befallen
! Shepik occurred on Saturday. Deem
| Der >. The plundering company that
! attacked Us was lead by Saru Chicheg-
! lee OShloo, who, wi6 four hundred
armed followers, came upon the village
! and fired upon ii until noon. After
wards some of the leading men Of the
village went TO learn what was their
purpose in plundering After consul
tation, hundred Turkish pounds were
paid as ransom, but they would not
go. They said, You must give Us your
watches as we'll We gave these. but
sun they would not go. You must
give US your weapons also We gave
these, but still they would not go. We
are going to take the grain, the oxen.
and the cattle. They took them, and
were still unsatisfied. We are going
TO hunt through your houses and take
whatever pleases us This they did
and went off with all the valuable
things.
When day became night we thought
the dahSer had passed. and that we
We're safe but in vain. The nexr morn
ing the Turks and Kurds from the sur
rounding villages attacked us. and tbev
threatened to kill US if we did not leave
our houses. So we went outside. and
they entered and plundered. For eight
Gays they burned the houses as they
emptied them. Only ten or twelve Of
the poorer houses were not burned. but
the doors and windows were carried off.
ana even the rafters of some were taken
out and carried away. After this they
rushed upon the women and children
and took off their shoes and clothing
On the eighth day, as they had finished
tnelr work, they came to us who were
on the banks of the stream. Thew killed
Brother Baghodos' son and Pastor Mel
con, on the other side of the stream. he
cause they would not change their reIi-
glon. 1t became night, but they came
with lanterns and selected forty-five of
the young men, saying that the govern
ment wished them. Knowing what
would befall them, they asked for an !
hours grace. They prayed and sang
they asker forgiveness of each other !
they kissed the hands of their parents I
ana parted with tears, with the expec- |
tatlon or never again seeing each other. /
Iaklng them TO deSolate place half an 1
hour distant, they were threatened with 7
ceath II they would not change their re- /
ligion. They all with one voice agreed (
in saying boldly, We will not deny orr |
religion. We are ready to die for our |
Savior's love- Only five succeeded in
making their escape, but the remaining
forty became martyrs. Ny son Sam /
uel was among the forty-five, but he es-
capped with four others, and hid in a
cave for ten or twelve days. My young /
est son, twenty-five years old, was one /
of the killed. "
How heartrending was the sight. /
A week before We were in our homes,
comfortable, and having our friends /
about US but we were deprived of every |
thing-houses. furniture, beds. food |
clothing. After wandering about for 4
several days, and remaining hungry.
we put aside every fear and went TO the I.
city (ArabkiD for help, but in vain.
IWlce the government sent us grain for
bread, but it was only enough to make
two and half loaves for each person
(about the amount given TO a soldier
for days rations). and this was to last
as ten or twelve days. Many were at
last Obliged to go to Egin to find food.
and am thankful to say that they gave
help; but with all the villages about
them plundered, to which shall they
render help?
All that we have is common proper
ty. We have returned to our village
and are crowded into the ten remaining
houses There are no doors; there are
no windows; there is no bread; there Is
not even an earthen dish in which we
could cook anything If we had il. We I
nave no money, no beds; We sleep on the
dry boughs of trees. Many of our mum.
Der become sick and as many as ten
nave died from cold and exposure and
munger In this state we need your
pity. Please find some way of provid-
ing US with at least bread until winter
passes. May God pity all the poor suf-
ferers in this desolate regionr'