The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-27
CRUELTY OF THE TURK.
DR.. BsrsoOm Tells Of the Oppression Of
Armenlans.
FEARFUL TRAGEDIES OF HIS OWN LIFE
dcreJ-Uis own Narrow Escape
from Savage Dcspots.

interested duulcnces yesterday. lie u5-
liyered lecture at the Young Mems Chris
tian association rooms at p. M and at
a. appeared before the congregation Of
the First Presbyterian church. Rev Tar
SOON is au easy fluent talker. has a
good command of the English language
and, withal, handles his subjects SO clcv-
erly and SO convincingly as to make a
deep impression on those who hear him.
The larger portion Of his afternoon adj
dress was devoted to the good work being
done by the American missionaries in
Turkey. the immense disadvantages under
which the Armenian people labor and the
terrible persecution Of the Turks
His remarks Mt the church last night
were not based on n text. He expressed
In The beginning desire to tell to the
Christians OF America the suffering of the
Christians who lived in his country. and
to more convincingly give these facts he
reviewed his own life. IL revealed TO MS
congregation a romance OF dramatic inter-
est It was recital of episodes fraught
with danger and menace. He said that In
his early life. having been born and reared
in Constantiuoplc he received his edu-
cation In the schools of that city Later
on he graduated in the Roberts College,
ard afterwards was educated for the miu-
was after he had graduated that the trag-
eay Of his life began His father was in
well-to-do circumstances, but he was one
OF very happy family of many brothers
and sisters. At the day of his graduation
the governor OF the city requested twenty
young men TO compete in lecture con-
test and he was one of the twenty. The
prize was not a rich one, but 1t was the
contest that stimulated him to his best
efforts, and rs 4 result of this he re-
ceived the first prize. Feeling the natural
pride and enjoyment, the consequence OF
so important achievement, he returned 10
his home and confded to his mother what
he had done Within few hours after
this his house was visited by Moham-
medan priest and six Turkish soldiers.
He was ordered TO join his interests with
the faith of the Turks, and refused. He
was urged by the priest, who intimated
that so brilliant a young man should not
waste his genus on Christian dogs aud
| sim he refused. He was then offered
| wealth and riches, along with position and
| prestige to become a true believer. but
| still held out against the prayers of his
| Turkish visitors. They left the house,
| and on their departure he went to his
mother and told her that he feared his life
| was in danger. She wrote at once to his
| father to Use his influence to secure pass
port for her sons departure from the land.
| Before a reply to this letter was received
the first result OF his adherence TO Chris
/ ;iauity was felt. Walking the streets OF
Consiantinople the next day, he was sur
rounded by a crowd Of Turks They were
| armed with swords and knives Their
| leader, priest. caught him by the arm and
asked him IL he would become a Mohamme-
dan. He refused. and was asked second
time. and still refused, saying as he did so
that he admired them for their fidelity 10
the cause they believed to be the right
: one. but he must also cling to the creed he
believed to be right He said that he
could die and leave this world and it's s0r-
rows, but he cnuld rot renounce hts re-
| ligion and his God These were bis last
words. The man behind him, who held
a knife, plunged 1t into his back and he
fell forward on his face.
~
He said that he never knew how long
he lay in the street, but he was after
ward found by the Turkish police and
carried to the hospital lie lay there for
nine hours, when his friends found him.
and he was carried TO the Christian hos
pital. No one expected that he would live.
| Ills mother was beside him and prayed
that God might spare his life, and God did.
lie lay for fifteen weeks and slowly re-
covered, In tho meantime his father ar
rived in the city and placed his son under
the protection OF the English embassy.
To further protect him he was carried on
board an English ship, ana had been there
but n short time when a boat armed by
Turkish sailors, rowed out TO the ship and
commanded the captain to give up his
charge, as he could not leave the country
without permission OF the sultan The
captain refused 10 give him up, whereupon
the commander of the boat threatened II
the prisoner was not given up within siN
hours his ship would be fred upon ly
Turkish gunboats. The captain was some
| what puzzled, and the speaker game upon
the deck and offered 10 give himself up "a
lhe Turkish crow, The captain refusei
to allow this and addressed the comman l.
or Of the boat, He said that he was an
English captain and that his charge had
been given him nv the English minister
That tho Turks might kin him and pail
down the English flag, but only by ST., i
a proceeding could they gain possession
| of his charge. The ship sailed and not
shot Was fred
Reaching America the speaker said he
entered upon his mission. In Boston he
spoke az the fremont Temple, Much IN.
terest had been attracted by his adventures
and the Boston newspapers published a
I | fun account OF his sermon and also pub
along with stenogranhic report Of his
| remarks. Within a week after this the
8 Turkish minister at Washington sent 70,
him, He visited the capital and the min
4 i6ier asked MN N the reports al published
were true. 20 which he replied they we're
: The minister said he would send copies ot
= the paper 10 the sultan, Later on secur-
y ing a pulpit in Washington, he repeated
b his attack upon the brutality of Turkey
+ and his remarks We're published in all
: the papers OF the city II was shortly after
: this that he received letter from hi.
mother, saying her life was threatened
and she feared FOR the lives of his father
and brothers and sisters. He determined
to return. Friends urged him to renal,
at home hut the call OF the mother coult
not he resisted and he embarked upor
q what he expected would be a fatal vos age
e Al Alexandria, Egypt, he could not seeur,
L papers and was thrown into prison.
: AT this juncture the speaker described
? his fortunes, which consisted principally
> Of thrusting red hot irons in his flesh
u After months OF suffering he was released
, found his way into Russia, and secure,
. a passpart He sailed over the Black Sc.
!, and landed at ConstantiEople He was
u stopped by the harbor police aud refused
, 10 show his papers until he reached III,
Russian embassy There he threw himself
or the mercy OF the minister represent
ing the car, and was assured of protec
ton, He told the story OF his liio. an,
explained that his return was made TO Sc
cure the release OF his PARENTS, In few
= days, through the good graoes NJ the Rus
5 sian minister. he secured nermiesion "a
n rescue and carry with him his family I,