The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-01
Native Pastors in Armenia
Slaughtered.
Details of the Frightful Mas
Sacre at Diarbekir.
Pastor Abashe and % Of His Flock
Killed at Kulturbul.

BOSTON, April "details now reach
here OF the way in which tue native pas
tors among the Armenians in Turkey
have been included in the massacres.
ssThe storm OF destruction which broke
upon Diarbekir, Nov. ], 1885," says
correspondent, "was not confined to that
city, but spread over most OF the pro-
vince. The Kurds rose up and slaughter
ed and plundered the Christians, saying
that the Sultan bad issued an imperial
order 10 that effect.
"Saturday evening, Nov. 2, the inhabi-
tants Of Kutterbul, East of Diarbekir, took
refuge from the Kurds In the large stone
church of the Jacobite Syrians, TO which
they had already moved their household
goods. Fugitives from three other VII
lagos also taken refuge there. That
night the Kurds, with some men from
Diarbekir, surrounded the church and
began to shoot into the high narrow win
dows by which it is lighted. Abasha
Yakob, pastor OF the Protestant Church
of the Village, was the first one struck,
but his wound was not serious.
ssSeeing little effect from their efforts
to dislodge the people, the kurds broke
up part OF the vaulted stone roof and
first throwing In fire brands through the
opening, then poured kerosene down the
blaze. at the same time firing their guns
into the defeDseiess crowd of men, women
and children.
ga frantic rush was made for the door,
but II was locked. AS is the case with
most OF the old churches, In order TO pre-
vent their desecration by being used as
stables for horses, the door was very
small, only some four and half feet
high, by two ana a!half wide. After much
effort 1t was finally broken down and the
smok testified, the fiames-scorched, terror
stricken crowd poured out from the mar
row egress, only to meet the deadly
shower of bullets from the surrounding
Kurds.
ssIn the crowd was pastor Jurjis
Khudhersh, an Antesbalian, a graduate
from the theological seminary in 1868,
for some years pastor OF the church in
Mosul, later engaged In evangelical work
in Egypt, whence he had but recently
come to visit relations. AS he came out
he was recognized as one OF the clergy,
seized. thrown down and dubbed. Fire
brands were then thrown upon him and
was restored to partial consciousness by
the pain. He began to crawl away, he was
ciubbed again, drawn back and burned
to ashes.
"The next to suffer was pastor Hanoosh
Melki of Karabash, three miles east OF
Kutlurdut, a ciassmate OF Pastor Jurjis,
an earnest worker and especially efficient
as an evangelist. The Kurds attacked
the village November 2and were repulsed.
That night the unarmed villagers took
refuge In dove cotes outside the village.
On the day following Sunday the kurds
returned and began their work OF de-
struction, including the dove cotes.
"The kurds found pastor Hanoosh and
demanded money of him. He had only
some bread and taking loaf from his
bosom he gave II to one OF them. They
were enraged at this and he was struck
down by q sword and killed before the
eyes of his wife and children. His body
was then stripped aud his family plunder-
ed. The third to fall was Hasena Sehda,
son CT one of the first pastors, member
of the last theological class and a preach
or of much promise.
"The fourth victim was pastor Abashe
of Kulturbul, wounded I'm the church
Saturday night, before the roof was
broken door and made his way to house
day ne searched for his family and found
them, his wife uninjured, one child
killed, q married daughter lying in COR
ner fatally wounded in.attempting to pro-
tect her husband who was killed, the
eldest son severely wounded, while a
younger daughter had been carried away
captive. Out OF his congregation OF 161
souls, 98 went with him into eternity,
and Of the 63 remaining, Is were wound
ed and most are scattered abroad.
''Half the pastors have fallen, not ac-
cepting deliverance; half of the chucrhes
are scattered one third OF the missionary
out-stations are destroyed"