Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-05-12

beginning vI ---~ $500 -.
bered 10000 of the hundred and odd
thousand of inhabitants. When the
Greek war of independence broLe out,
the Chians did not ut first see that
they were called upon to take part.
they read the papers in their quiet,
easy .-oing way anil kept their passions
well ;;*:nder control. But when news
came that Greek blood was flowing on
the mainland they rose IN arms and
locked up the Governor in the castle
without doing him any harm. He
dispatched swift messenger to Con-
stantinople to say that he had fallen
into the hands OF the Phllistines and
that he was prepared to endure what
ever Allah might send.
The missive reached the hand OF
Kara Ali. the capondan pasba, or lord
high admiral, who was just then start
ing from the Golden Horn with his
fleet to chastise the Greek rebels. 1t
occurred to the capondan pasha that
it might be q good idea to drop in at
Scio on the way. He brought his
fleet to an anchor in the roads and
landed Is, 900 troops, chiefly ianissar:
les. These were joined by robbers
and adventurers from Smyrna, who
were ferried across the narrow strait.
The islanders were taken by sur.
prise. They had no military organ
ization and were unprepared to fight.
They offered submission at once and
protested that they did not propose
to dispute the Sultan's authority.
The capondon pasha pointed to the
castle where the Governor had been
imprisoned and quickly observed that
he proposed 20 give Scio lesson. He
let loose his soldiers, bidding them
treat the island like q captured city
which had been given up to sack.
The Turks went about the work de-
liberately. They took two months to
accomplish it. They began by hang
ing the archbishop, the heads of the
clergy and the principal citizens; Their
bodies were thrown into the sea ant
tioated round the Turkish ships until
they were eaten by fish. The capital
city, a score or more of fourishing
villages and the splendid churches and
converts built by the Genoese were
then burned to the ground. The peo-
pie were penned up in corrals, the
males being separated from the fe-
males. The former were killed to q
man; the latter after a judicious se-
lection had been made by the Turkish
army and navy officers, were sent to
Constantinople to be disposed OF in
the slave market. Gordon says that
the men who were slaughtered num-
bered 25, 200 and that 45, 900 girls and
children were sold as slaves. Certain
it is that the price of comely young
women declined fifty per cent. in the
slave markets OF the Levant during the
year 1922, which was the year of the
massacre.
Several thousand Chians, men and
women, took refuge in the clefts oi
the hills, and eluded pursuit. OF these
many starved to death; others were
taken off at night in boats by sympa-
thlzers from other islands. Quite q
number were bought or ransomed by
citizens of smyrna. Of those. who ex'
patriated themselves, the bulk wan
dered through the Mediterranean cities
IL state OF destitution, and for many
years Chian beggars invested the
streets of Genoa, Marseilles and Bar,
celona. Among them were women
whose countenances showed remains
OF marvellous beauty, destroyed by
hunger, cold and privstion.
Goraou says that there was time
at the close Of 1922 when OF the 80, ,00C
Christian inhabitants OF Solo in 1921,