Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-03
ARMENIAN SUFFERINGS.
go ations Found by the Relief commtee.H usbands ana
Cor o'o"' E.thars Killed and Wives and Children
Destitute.

nn,s,iran traveller carries away WIN
Ann 49,, visit to Constantlnople or me
ih e, is that OF the reliet work wnien
~, hr,,rican. English. Swiss ana or
uie H. lies of soc ely and OF the missions
man man n,saniz ID and are carrying on LOT
nav ,n1rtenance OF the thousands OF
,he aninn widows and orphans MADE
ii hy Tie horrible massacres OF inc
s,st Two wears. Until that time Tue ~.
pas, ,, , though ground down by heavy
,axes and by a constant system OF iesa
al aud SYSTEMATIC plunderlng, were
lille always TO provide ior the,l own;
Ernoal. industrious, and never aifaiu Vi
,,o,l ali had their little homes hea. as
,nose of tue famed Holland housewives,
and ali. even the humblest, were larry
comor,able. Their women were heve,
allnwed to go out as wagt-eaiheI pus
as their fingers we're rarely idie, ana as
,hev were remarkably expert boln win
The loom and the embroidery heeui.,
the fruits OF their industry, were oiteh
sold to satisfy some spe cialiy fapacious
calm of the tax gatherer or9to Pio''ue
for their children's educaton'
When, however, the long threateneu
blow fell, and the massacre at Sassoun
,rss sneedily followed at regular int rvals
W. ,hf Sul,an's bu,cheries in one village
her another. eliminating in the fearful
Laughter OF Constaniinope, Aug. 20 and
q, me country was left with fifty ihous-
and orphans and thirty thousand widows
and heIpless women, entirely homeless,
or with ruined, ravaged homes. from
vhirh everything had been carried even
TO the nails in the walls.
The situation was desperate one
Rroken in spirit, shattered ia health, be-
ri Of ali their earthly possessions, and
Win no Protectors left 10 wage the un-
,oual battle for them many succumbed
ofonre To the terrors of the situation,
vbile others struggled back 10 the greater
hfrrors OF an almost living death When
/, Constsntinople, by the combined IN
iervent,on OF the ambassadors, the mas
sactes had been stopped; the first relief
tothe imp I'VE rished pc ople in the villages
along The Golden Horn came from the
FIench Consulate. Among other gifts
/, kind thew distributed TO them rice;
bul SO completely had their homes been
ravaged. that they had no vessels to
cooE it IN. no fuel to make fire They
received change OF linen, aud at once
wished TO wash The blood stained clothes
ihey had taken off; but they had no wash
Tub. no soap. Many had escaped clad
only in their night clothes; and to these
remnants Of calico were distributed, but
ihey had no ihimbles, no needles, no
thread There was utter restitution such
as no pen can describe, and into this
lreach stepped the devoted missionaries
and self. acrifcing ladies among the
European residents. The quarters of
the city where the massacres had oc-
CURED were dislricted, and as funds
came in from Eui ope and America; food,
coihing, bedding and the most necessary
cooking utensils were bought and, dis,ri-
buted under the name of the Local
Relief Committee Sad and pitful,
indeed, were the scenes witnessed by
these ladies-during their visits--ex.
periencts OF which, we, in America, had
little idea.
Among a host of the incidents told
me by visitors, give just few, as in
stancing the condition Of the people that
made the organized relief work as car
RED on later, a necessity. amidst the
rows OF empty and devasted houses"
said one OF these heroic women. 1--WE
found now and then one in which all
the survivors were huddled together for
safety sitting crouched down upon the
bare floor. and living upon a ration of
Dledu utdlt oul ny tiic government. we
gave each small coin and also card
with her name written on it, and list Of
such things as she specially required,
and to d them to come and present their
card on Friday at the mission gate, when
they would get what they most urgently
needed. Many shook their heads in
credulously, thinking it another trap.
When we had visited about twenty
houses the Turkish police tried to inter
ieTe An officer offered to conduct me
TO the houses of the most destitute,
which offer | declined. They also ar
rested the Armenian youth who accom-
panied me and threw him into prison.
On the two days intervening before Fri
day managed TO get toge Their store OF
rice, cheese, cooking pots, bed covers,
etc., and hired an Italian to come and
keep order during the distribution.
expected the women at O'Clock, but
when threw up my bedroom window
soon alter 6 O'Clock, found a crowd OF
women already waiting at the doors.
began the distribution at once, but in A
lew moments the Turks and police were
on hand examining the bundle OF each
woman as she LETT the door. Soon the
Italian came; but in quarter OF an hour
came In pale as death and saving he
would on no account stay, as the Turks
had threatened to arrest him, and that
their curses as they passed were too
awful Tor human ears 10 hear. After an
hour man came to tell me that had
Deen cursed in the mo- que; but could
not send away empty the hungry women
who had trudged SO far for little food, /"
'Oh, the scenes of horror we came
upon in doing the relief work." said
another lady who has devoted herself
heart and soul to the caase. SONG
times we came upon loGely old men,
- passed 70 and SO years; their sons and
g'andsons slain, their relatives fled un-
aoie 10 burden themselves with such
% men in the fight; without food or
yea, and we wondered how soon the
angel who comes silently ard unbidden
would meIcifu ly put gentle hand upon
lhese lonely and forgotten ones. In a
snug, sweet little house. newly built Tor
newly married couple, founda lovely
young woman lying with a newborn
naoy IN an utterly barren room, but for
.ne mattress on which they lay. A we'll
lo'do couple had lived there with their
servant in perfect happiness up to the
Gay OF the massacre"
On Thursday the young husband
stayed home with his wife, who was
near her hrst confinement. In fear and
trembling they awaited the develop
ment Of results. Soon the mob appeared
auu 'heir house was one OF the first TO