New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-16
LOOKING TO AMERICA FOR AID.
AN AMERICAN MISSIONARY DESCRIBES THE
PITIABLE CONDITION OF THE CHRIS
TIANS IN PERSIA.

las, eIeht years an American missionary to Persia
where his field OF labors lay among the Assyrlans
returned to this country about month ago. ana ~
making his headquarters at the General Theological
! Seminary In Chelsea Square. Mr.. Neesan IL an
Assyran by birth, and came TO this country about
fifteen years ago to be educated for his present
calling He is now American citizen He was
graduated from the General Theological Seminary
and in March 1889. he went to Persia as an Ameri-
can missionary, working In connection with the
English mission at Urmi. which works In the In
terests OF the American Church. and not as rival
to IT,
Mr. Neesan. when seen yesterday, Informed a
| Tribune reporter that the troubles between the
| Mussulmans and native Christians In the East han
not been at all exaggerated in the dispatches lie
said:
THE Armenans are prosecuted because they nave
aspirations toward becoming a nation ana wish 10
maintain their Individuality and In consequence
they are the object OF the especial hatred OF the
Turks which is directed against them more on TINS
account than because of their religious convictions
/ The unfortunate Syrans, although OF the same
race as the Armcnans, have no political AMBITIONS
and have no desrc to become separate nation
They are nevertheless. as rclentcssly prosecuted as
their cousins the Armcnians. and to-day there are
over twenty thousand OF them wandering over
Persia homeless and hopeless ana pursued by the
hatred of the Turkish Kurds who have destroyed
/ their property and driven them into exile. over
! one hundred OF their villages have beer ruthlessy
pllaged and many o, them totally destroyed.
AN APPEAL FROM THE METROPOLITAN.
"Jus, b..ore leaving Persia l received the follow
ing patAetic letter from tho Metropolitan OF the
| c,.rians OF the East, urging to lay before the
American nublic their condition. Here IL the letter;
! JAZZ
From the Metropolitan Palace, Prayers and Bless
1,r mSS Mar Khnen Ishu metropolitan Of the syri
ans Of the East to the reverend and exalted. ex-
| client I'm work and rich I'M good works. mat Is,
!
! Cof Canterbury. Peace and love- and peace fuii
love to YOU YOU m ae preparing to go to
our christian brethren In Europe and America, let
IT De no%w t nconIs because we have no one ike
! you lccause you are acquainted with az the con
GSns k on Sgr RfoP our erevanecs Your
We are murdered ro0ped ho ana Joors
Of sfrneers naked barefooted and hungry hated
ag gy man that has the spirit Of Cod make
! known to him our afiiic.ons, tnat ne may h ZIP
! hand let him help US through the government ana
he who has wealth in MS maqG let nun a nSp ms p
can Christians, In this winter our people VIII per
h Of hunger because S are n Srdmrb To- naugh You
! o beloved in every place you go, ana every one
moro viii come to me a comforting word, because
: ali our people thus think that the whole world J;
theV saw that IL is not that there are Chris
! ian kings. who have armies because me- Ca, say,
deenIsed Kurd would not be able to bring to
/ nought the Christian religion without command
i'T n the Mise these statements are sufficient.
August s. 1897.
APPROPRIATIONS OF THE KURDS.
This letter reflects the condition OF the Syrian
Christians In Kurdstan. scutheas! OF Armenia,
west of Irm Persia; especially the home and the
diocese OF the Metropolitan And all these cruel
ties are done by the Kurds and their leader, Sheik
Sadg. Since then | have received another letter
from His Grace. Mar khnan lsh'i' from which
gather the following facts
"First-That he has left his home and diocese
to the mercy of kurds and has taken shelter In
the Archbishops mission house In Crmi
.Second-That Sheik Sadg has caused the muir
der OF twelve prominent men Of his diocese and
one priest all OF whom were the relatives OF the
METROPOLITAN and that he has robbed two Villages
and has put a guard the frontier that none
should escape to Persia.
''Third-Ard he further states that unless Chris
tian Powers will bring pressure on the Sultan Of
Turkey to send this shek to exile. none Of the
Kurd istan Christians will be left.
"Sheik Sadig has magic influence two
millions OF Kurds. They obey him their king
His father and brother exlled seventeen years
ago. The former is dead the latter is still In exile
The people comprised under the general head
OF Syrians are subdv!ded into three different
groups The Assyrians come from Nineyeh the
Syrians from Damascus and the Chadeans from
Babylon but they and the same people. and
Of a quiet. peace-oying disposition. These
some photographs had taken of Syrian refugees
which the various missions In Persia aiding
and wish particularly to call your attention to
the large number OF young children among them
They robbed necessarily by the kurds, and In
many cases have attempted TO protect themselves
from further dcpredations by resisting force by
force; but II is hopeless and desperate effort
which is Invariably overcome by their fierce ard
warllke enemies
FRESH TROUBLES AT URMI.
The troubles OF the Christians In the East
beginning again. according to letter from the
lev Arthur Il. Ellington. written from the Eng
U.h mission house at Urmi on December TO- Il
likes thirty-hvs days for letter come from
there.
Mr. Ellington speaks Of serious troubles at
Urmi and the best way to explain them ucldly
Is to narrate their origin as | gather I, from his
letter II seems thar the Rev. VI. George the
Syrian Roman Catholic priest owed three Mus
sulmans a dcot. which they went to his house TO
collect The Mussumans were drunk on their ar
into his wine cellar. where on his return he found
them well nigh helpless lie persuaded them to
evening The Mussulmans became involved in quar-
rel Win some villagers and two were arrested
whit the third In endeayoring to escape fell into
n brook AMI. not daring to return. II Is supposed
ne wanaef for Without me citv pnt in b his nead
, ine and in the opinion OF the HakIm his death
was H. result OF the exposure following his in
lis death but himself There were no marks OF
When his death became known among the Mus
suman-. mob formed and many Syrians were
death. without any proper examination one OF
these syrians was speedily executed. and the mat
ter at once assumed serious form The Mussul-
man Governor then sent thrty-eight mamurs
occurred. They seized many women. and robbed
wonan's work is hard.
- rba fhpr Nrhn haa IN