The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-14

Kurdish tribes are intermixed with the Ar.
menians, sometimes outnumbering them, but
wherever they are the Kurdish shieks are
terror to the Armenians.
Since the Ottoman conquest the Armenians
have been subjected to the double yoke OF Turk
and Kurd. They are race Graded in ad-
versty, but whether harassed by kurd or
plundered by Pasha they have retained their
nationality and religion. With all their line
Qualities they have many of the vices engen.
dered by persecution and servitude, and In
trading and hnckstering they can outwit
New England Yankee. The very fact that
thew are so thrifty and that their shrswdness
in turning penny has made them the bankers
the usnrers and the moneyed men Of the East
has but emphasized the hostility against them
of the alien races.
The Armenians are swarthy and dark-eyed,
with the intense melancholy that stamps itself
on the faces OF oppressed people. For the
most part their features are regular, ana are OF
. pronounced Georgian type. Some OF them
would pass anywhere for native-born Ameri-
cans.
woman entered Gulesian Hall while some
of the boys were going over their lessons. One
of them. as soon as he saw her, started and
sighed heavily. Thinking be was Ill his
teacher made inquiry. when he drew his hand
across his throat indicating that his mother
had been killed and that the visitor reminded
him of her.
The Boston colony are . part of 400 Ar
menians sent into this country by Frances
Willard. Some of them are in New York. some
in New Jersey; some of them have found
homes in different parts Of the United States.
Twelve hundred of those who were taken to
Marseilles on French vessels were sent 10 Bull
garia q country that has suffered enough from
the atrocities OF tho Turks to make them very
tender toward the Armenians.
The CoDstantin massacre occurred on the
eve of the 18th anniversary of Sultan A bdul
Hamid's accession to the throne of Turkey.
1t is estimated that not less than five or SIX
! thousand Armenisns we're killed through sheer
hate of race.
IVAN Troshine, witness of some Of the hor.
rors attending the massacre, tells the story Of
two small Armenian boys who stood by while
an old mans brains were beaten out on the
planks in front Of the steamer-wharf, hall
paralyzod with terror, when ono Of the bud.
| econ men noticed them and said :, I" These also
| are Armenians." In q moment more the limo.
cent little boys were beaten to death before the
eyes of the officers and the horror-strickeu
passengers waiting for the steamer.
During the massacre, and for days following,
mauy Mahometans assured the Christians that
| the only chauce of escape from persecution and
religion Women begging that their children
| might be spared were told that it could only
/ be done by their promising to become Mahom
etans, aud poor little Armenian boys were cir
| cumcised publicly in the streets. Corpses lay
| in the cutters by the hundreds, hacked and
mutilated. and in the cemeteries the dead were
| thrown into long trenches. mangled and un
coffined. After the massacres some of thu
Turks, pleading the Mahometan Law, which
| directs the women to be divided" among
| Gods people when the men have been killed
entered Armenian homes and claimed tn,
daughters rs their share of the spoils
The families of the massacred mon dockei
| in numbers to the Galata Bridge. on their way
| to take refuge either on the boats will
| friends in other parts of the city. Hundreds o
them persisted who sought the boats, as nom
but the French and Persian vessels would rcs
| cue them. Pitiful, brok en-hearted groups the,
were, says Mr. Troshine. Weeping widow
huddled their orphaned children together. Of,
men feeble with the weight Of years. all il
their night clothes. tho women and girls GOV
cred with some faded shawl or pitiful fragmen