The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-18


If the two American headquarters in
New York of all the Christian refugees
from the sword of the Turk in Europe
and in Asia Minor, and sits down at
one of the restaurants little deal
tables. will be served with black Sy-
rian coffee by a giant of a man, whose
ouipt dignity makes the service seem
= condescension, whose eyes are al
most as dark as the contents of the
coffee cups, and whose face is liter
arv covered with scars. He is man
of nearly seven feet, who looks what
he is-one of the national heroes of
Svria-Eelies Zoriek, the only one of
TAG Zorieks who has managed to es-
cane death beneath a Turkish yata-
CHAN.
Zoriek's story, from the time he be-
came a national figure in Syria until
he fed to this country to become an
American citizen, is full of thrilling
adventures and encounters with the
turk. 1t is a story of bloOdshed and
death. and is typical of the life story
of many a Christian under Turkish
rule whether he be Macedonian or
H.
It is known to every Syrian the world
over.
The beginning goes back fourteen
wears Then it was that Zoriek was
living in Mazah, a Christian town just
outside of Beirut, where he ran res
taurant and, as far as is possible IN
that country, was at peace with all the
world. But no man knows when the
sword will sweep through Syria, and
50 when the Turks suddenly began a
massacre in Mazah one day Zoriek was
not unprepared. Neither was his en-
ploye. Eelies Halibi, now one OF
Svria's most famous national heroes.
Both men, armed with modern repeat
ing rifles fought their way for hours
through the streets of the town. They
fnaIlv succeeded in escaping into the
omen country, but they left trail OF
dead and wounded Turks behind them
to show the direction in which they
had fed 1t had been bad day for
the Turks, and Zoriek and Hallol hao
made it so.
When they had thus extricated them
selves from the trap of their assAilants,
Zoriek and his companion maze
straight for the mountains of Lebanon
and went into hiding in their lnacceS-
Sible recesses.
Then began a bloody contest of SIX
years duration between Zoriek and ms
puGSuerS-One man against FAii
The Turks made the first move. They
straigbtwav threw Zorieks father into
prison, with the hope of making him
reveal his sons hiding place. But no
amount of abuse and fogging could
make the old man betray his boy al
ready hailed as an outlaw by his fell
low cOuntrymen, the word outlaw,
among Syrian Christians being synon-
ymous with the term hero, for no man
Tl-sl NVv711 h0 h
fed from the wrath of the Mohamme-
dan and spends his years in making
reprisals on the enemy.
Zoriek, who was surreptitiously kept
IN money and ammunition by wealthy
Christians, who were likewise his in
formants, heard of the outrage against
MS father and retaliated. One day ne
stole forth from his mountain fortress
and suddenly swooped down upon some
OF the officials who had been instru-
mental in prosecuting his family. AL
most in the time it takes to tell it.
more than one Mohammedan was
stretched out on the ground by Zoriek's
vaughan. and he himself had lehped
oack into his cave before the enemy
could recover from its surprise and Of
Ter decent pursuit.
After that no Turk could tell when
or Where Zoriek would strike. He was
their dread by day and he crept into
nItir dreams by night. He played the
P7N OF the proverbial flea. One day
~ was here in a small village taking
pIool vengeance for a wrong inflicted
~ Mohammedans upon a Christian:
ule next. he was coolly shooting down
muse OF his pursuers who had VEN
luFed into the Lebanon Mountains; and
81 Hlshttall he was in hiding in
+tltudlY Christian house in Mazah, con-
aiIihg with his followers. and in tile
rl OF night slipping away, unob-
-, gu even by his hosts, no one knew
nl5'her' Little wonder that Moham-
insldh men and women, to say moth
We u children, shrank instinctively
49, H they heard the name of Zoriels.
ol,a earned how he had swooped down
Gu night upon the torturers of a
SSmIStian woman. and left death be-
ann HIIl or how, half a hundred miles
/, er down the valley, he had bold
a%,pPedfed in a hostile village and
of b. handed brought succor to those
~ ~ Ialth who were in distress.
an a, SIX years Zoriek led the life Of
tba+ 'eIlser. They say in Syria that in
~ time nearly two score Moham-
r.sns fell dead at the crack of his
~ g and that he was never in danger.
40 IN HIinself modestly declares that
Ia o as he knows. he has the right
St. my fourteen notches in his gun
far, r. ana he points to the scars on his
tbo. % attest his statement that more
tbo e'-1 one Turkish bullet found it's mark
van and more than one Mohammedan
,aShan or scimitar struck true
1os, last this exciting life tir5d on
Ts..A; He wanted to live in a home
c,, ,l5,'d OF cave He knew that he
Me iu rot set himself up anywhere in
&c. native land. so he determined to
to,,l me country for America. Looking
tr,'s @Iu thls end, he one day net some
o. -S'Worthy Christians at an appoint
pace and arranged his escape.
rar,.g ' al was ready and the pre-ar-
On t signal given Zoriek appeared
WIZ me sea coast Just outside Beirut.
vteiI1. a rowooat, stocked with pro-
Rms b.. mad been placed for him.
A a., ne was not TO get away without
o-rc,a,l. pattle. Somehow. the Turkish
p,a ,e "a had got wind of his contem-
read, escape, and just as he was all
bore ay 10 10 embark a party Of soldiers
foIlo,,. oown upon him. The fight that
Zorisl,,o was one Of the most bloody n
tan, -,s experience The giant Chris
Turks t .I did such damage among the
"a oo,. ma, those who were not stretch