The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-07

| ADANA. Aslatlc Turkey, Wednesday,
April %, via Constantipople, May c.
missionary Of the American board Of
commissioners for foreign missions, esti-
i mates the number of Armenians killed
| in the province of Adna since the out
| break of the Christian rIotinG at
| $4,000. The missionary said today;
ga conservative estimate Of the
| Christians killed in the city Of Adna
is 1000, This calculation is made up
from the list prepared by the priests
and other officials, who give permits
for burials Not less than 5000 perished
in the towns and villages Of the prov
ince. This figure is based upon the full
information sent forward by the British
consul.
"Tbc surviving Armcnians in the
entire province are largely women and
children. They amount to about %
900 souls, and arc today without homes,
shops, tools, clothing or bread. A most
pitiable and wretchcd multitude is pass
ing up and down the streets af Adana
like lost people. They throng the big
factory yards, where dole Of -four is
gwen out by the relief committee.
Crowds of broken hearted women and
children are coming in from the coun
Detailed Recital.
Mr.. Trowbridge has written further
account of the events at Adana and
especially with reference to the atti-
tudc Of the Turkish authorities. In this
recital he says:
"Wc understand from consular tele
grams that the sublime porte assured
the ambassadors at Constantinople that
a slight outbreak had occurred at
Adana, with about fifty casualties and
the burning Of a few houses; and the
porte declared further that the Amcri
cans here were amply protected.
s''Wc do not know the exact origin
Of the struggle. ] say struggle, be-
cause this has not been massacre in
the sense that the Armenians died with
out resisting. They fought desperately
in self defense, and the fury of the
Turks increased in proportion as the
Armenians succeeded In Staying Mo
hammedans. For two days preceding
the outbreak there had been bitter
feeling between MOslems and Chris
tians In one vineyard shooting was
begun and hatred was aroused on April
IL. An Armenian who had been beaten
shot one Of his opponents dead and
wounded two others. This man escaped
TO Mersina and took passage on YES.
sci
"'Thc Turks in Adana then assumed
threatening attitude, which greatly
alarmed the Armenians. The body of
the Moslem killed in the vineyard was
purposely dragged to an open square
and left there exposed by the Turks as
fanatical challenge.
Armenians Fired Volley.
GA rumor spread among the Ar.
mcnians on April II that massacreing
by the Turks already had been begun,
and, as n demonstration of self defense,
d volley of shots was fired from the
roofs of Christian houses. This in turn
was interpreted in the Moslem quarters
as an attack, and the word spread like
wildfire that the Armenians were in
revolt and must be crushed
"SubseQuent events have shown
clearly that the Adana government
acquiesced. if it did not actually par
ticipate, in the cruel and indiscriminate
attacks made with fire and rifle and
sword upon the entire Armenian colony,
including our Protestant congregation,
which, as a body, has been wholly loyal
10 the government. Two Christian pris-
oncrs. who escaped from government
headquarters, declared horsemen came
in at intervals from outlying towns and
villages and reported to the military
authorities as follows:
- Hamidieh is finished. or Os-
minych is finished, meaning. Of course.
that the Armenian population of these
places had been put to the sword, The
military officers received this lnfor-
nation as matter of course.
Christians Shot Down.
"The further occupation of Moham-
medan minarets by regular soldiers be-
gan shortly after noon of April IA, at
the very outset Of the struggle. These
soldiers kept up cruel fusillade into
all parts of the Christian quarter. They
were shielded by the parapets of the
minarets. There were no patrols Of
soldiers or police all day Wednesday,
the 14th, none on Thursday and none
on Friday at the real crisis. when
mob filled the streets from here
to the river. surging against the walls
of the girls school. The government
furnished us no protection whatever
Continuing, Mr.. Trowbridge related
how he had reached the governor Of
Adana by q dash across the city, carry
ing a Turkish flag and accompanied by
two Turks. 'FThe governor was run
ming about in dismay," Mr.. Trowbridge
said, land he could scarcely give a
coherent answer to my questions and
demands l told him Of the murder Of
Henry Maurer and D. NJ. Rogers,
American missionaries, He turned pale
at my statement. although be had al
ready heard of the killings His an
swers were: q cannot be responsible.
To this ] replied. You must be respon-
sibic; we have no other force to RELY
on except the government You have
abandoned us through this
crisis.
sI'rLo ,-nrorror r-or 90 ,1 !