Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-14
PLUNDERED BY THEIR PROTECTOR
Turkish Troops Robbed and Then
Murdered the Christians.

Turkish Troops Robbed and Then
Murdered the Christians.
NEW YORK, March 13.-The Armenian
Relief association has Just received from
Constantinople the following detailed in
formation concerning the recent massacre
at Birijik: Brink is situated on the
Euphrates, almost due east of Aleppo, ON
the line Of communication between Aleppo
and Mosul. 1t was famous city in ancient
times, belng one Of the two polr,s Of the
passage for the Assyrian armies marching
westward. and is still place of some impor-
tance. Birijik had about 300 Christian
houses, or, say about 900 souls in the midst
of Mussulman population Of about 5000
souls After the massacre at Ourfa on the
9th OF October, 1895, the authorities at
Birijik told the Armenians that the Moslems
were afraid of them, and that, therefore,
they Cthe Armenians) must surrender to the
government any arms they possessed. This
was during most rigid search being instl
tuted to assure the authorities that nothing
whatever in the way Of arms remained in
the hands Of the Armenians. This disarma-
ment caused no little anxiety to the Ar
menians, since the Moslem population was
very generally armed and was constantly
adding to its arms. In /ct, during the
months .of November and December, the
Christians have been kept within their
houses because the danger of appearing upon
the streets was very great.
Troops were called out by the government
to protect the people. Since the soldiers had
come to protect the Christians the Christians
were required to furnish animals for them
to carry their goods Then they were re-
quired to furnish them beds and carpets to
make them more comfortable. Finally they
were required to furnish the soldiers with
food, and they were reduced to state bor-
dering on destitution by these increasing de-
mands. The end came on the 1st of jan
uary, 1896, when the news of the massacre
of several thousands of Christians at Ourfa
by the soldiers appointed to guard them, in
cited the troops at Birijik to initiate this
crime.
The assault on the Christian houses com
menced at about 8 o'clock in the morning
| and continued until nghtfall. The soldiers
were aided by the Mosems of the city n the
| terrible work. The object at first seemed to
be mainly plunder. but after the plunder
| had been secured, the soldiers seemed to
make a systematic search for men, to kill
| those who were unwilling to accept Moham-
| mechanism. The cruelty used to force men
to become Mosems was terrible In one case
| the soldiers found some twenty people, men.
women and children. who had taken refuge
| in sort of a cave They dragged them
out and killed all the men and boys be-
cause they would not become Moslems. After
| cutting down one old man who had Thus
refused, they put live Goals upon his body
| and as he was writhing in agony they held
| bible before him and asked him mock
ingly to read them some Of the promises
in which he had trusted. Others were
thrown into the river while still alive, after
having been cruelty wounded. The women
and children OF this party were loaded W
like goods upon the backs Of porters and
carried off thus to the houses Of Mosleme
Christian girls were eagerly sought afte'
and much quarreing occurred over the ques
tion OF their division among their captors
| Every Christian house except two claimed
to be owned by Turks, was pluTderci