The Detroit times., 1908-07-11
PERSIAN RIOTS OF
IN 7 ERES To
MRS. DEAN
DETROIT WOMAN JUST BACK
FROM SCENE OF RECENT DIS
TuReANcEs RECEIVED LET
TIERS FROM FRIENDS.


ave. this city. returned missionary
from Persia. was sent 10 that
country By the Presbyterian
Foreign Missionary board In
1865. but returned 10 this
country some four years ago. has been
In the very places where the massa-
cres OF thousands OF people took place
recently and Is familiar with the
causes leading up TO this revolution.
as we'll as with the habits and Gus
toms OF this people Mrs. Dean re-
Gently received a letter from mis-
sionary friend In Persia who gives
something OF an idea OF the approach.
ing horrors.
This letter was written May 20 in
Urumia. Persia. and says in part:
Yesterday and today the markets
have been closed because OF the panic
which brought so many women and
children 10 the city for protection.
Mahomet Bey. the noted Kurdish rob-
Der who. with his men has been ter
rorizing the people OF the Baranduz
villages all winter. depressing and
robting at his own sweet will. was
killed last week by his nephew.
Outiawry rampant.
Immediately his men sought re-
venge. the murderer was killed and
two or three villages were burned and
plundered, so that every one from
the surrounding villages fed and
came fiocking TO the city with their
goods. Report says that 10 people
were robbed on the Geogtape Road
yesterday the robbers being the sol
diers who have come TO the city TO be
with the governor. Conditions here
are not so bad as your news papers
report. but they are bad enough. Han
nah OF Sarabon was here this morning
telling OF the fear in Charbosh. They
have watohnien In the village at night.
and she cannot sleep for fear. Yes
terday she was among the Jews when
the Hawar' was cried and the mar
kets closed, 30 she hurried back TO
Charbosh."
When we first went TO Urumia,
where the Fish seminary for girls is
located" said Mrs. Dean In speaking
OF conditions In Persia, ut was con-
sidered disgrace for girl to be
able 10 read, so IL was very difficult
TO get the women into the schools.
We went there TO teach the nominal
Christian sect known as Anestorians.
We were obliged to prepare the books
in their own language, which is the
Syriac, similar TO the Hebrew.
In Persia there are about nine mil
lion Inhabitants and OF those eight
million are Mohammedans. The re-
mainder are Jews, Greeks, Armenians
and Anestorians. So II became neces-
sary for the missionaries TO prepare
- 1.v h.
people were accustomed to. Since We
first went there the ideas have
changed In regard TO the education OF
the women and now Il Is considered
an honor for the girls and women to
know how to read. even the married !
women coming to school In the sem |
mary there are about 20 girls and |
about an equal number In the boys |
school in Urumia.
Peculiar Uprising.
"As to the causes that led up to |
the present massacres, the people OF |
Teheran demanded a constitutional |
government and before the father OF
the present shah died. he signed the !
constitution. The son, Mahomet Ali. |
agreed 10 II. The people. however. |
feared that he would not carry out |
his fathers wishes in the matter and |
there was an uprising just before |
left the country, The people fed to
the English legation in Teheran and |
were under the protection there until
the request for a constitutional form
OF government had been granted.
They did not resort 10 force. but
refused TO do anything in the line OF
business until tf51r requests had
been aeceded to- Business was at
standstill and the people refused to
take up their work until the matter
was settled.
The present shah Is educated and
many people says he is very good
man, but I do not believe he possesses
the latter qualification. There are
very few intelligent men in Persia
They may speak three or four Ian.
guages, but they are ignorant OF what
the other part OF the world Is do
ing"
"As general proposition. the posi-
ton OF women In Persia Is very low
In some instances. OF course. the wife
is treated very well, but one man may
have a number Of wives and then put
them away. The man may have
number of wives TO assist him with
the heavy work In the summer, but
L.. ~.