Evening star., 1909-05-06
.AOANA DEATH ROSTER
Murdered Armenians in Prov
ince Number $4,000.
WOMEN AND BABES LEFT
Broken Hearted Survivors Are
Homeless, Starving and Destitute.
MISSIONARY GIVES DETAILS
Rev. s. r. Trowbridge Says Govern
ment Acquiesced and Partici-
pated in Killings.

ADANA. Asiatic Turkey. April Is. via
Constantinople. May S.-The Rev. Ste
phen r. Trowbridge. missionary Of the
American board of commissioners for for
eign missions. estimates the number Of
Armenians killed in the province of
| Adana since the outbreak of the anti
| Christian rioting at 23.OOO
The missionary said today:
/ "a conservative estimate OF the Chris
| tians killed In the city Of Adana Is 5000.
This calculation is made up from the lists
| prepared by the priests and other officials,
| who give permits for burials.
| mot less than 10000 perished In the
towns and villages Of the province. This
figure Is based upon the full information
sent forward by the British consul.
"The surviving Armenians in the entire
province are largely women and children.
They amount to about 25.OOO souls, and
| are today without homes, shops, tools,
| clothing or bread.
| "A most pitiable and wretched multi
| tude is passing up and down the streets
of Adana like q lost people. They
throng the big factory yards, where a
dole Of flour is given out by the relief
| committee.
Crowds of broken-hearted women and
Il
to even greater misery in the city,
| More Details of Killings.
Mr. Trowbridge has written further
account of the events at Adana, especial
ly with reference to the attitude Of the
Turkish authorities. In this recital he
| says:
I'VE understand from consular tele
grams that the sublime porte assured
1
a slight outbreak had occur red at Adana,
with about fifty casualties and the burn
| ing of few houses. The porte declared
/ further that the Americans here were
amply protected.
| I'VE do not know the exact origin of
the struggle. l say struggle because this
| has not been a massacre in the sense
that the Armenians died without resist
ing. They fought desperately in self
| defense, and the fury of the Turks in
| creased In proportion as the Armenians
succeeded in Staying Mohammedans.
| For two days preceding the outbreak
there had been a bitter feud between
Moslems and Christians. In one vineyard
shooting was begun and hatred Mas
aroused April IL.
| IAN Armenian who had been beaten
shot one Of his opponents dead and
wounded two others. This man escaped
to Mersina and took passage on a vessel.
| 1.-The Turks in Adana then assumed a
menacing attitude which greatly alarmed
| the Armenians. The body of the Mosem
| killed in the vineyard was purposey
dragged to an open square and left there
| exposed by the Turks as fanatical chal-
lenge.
How Conflict Began.
"A rumor spread among the Arme-
mans April IA that massacring by the
Turks already had been begun. AS a
! demonstration of self-defense a volley
of shots was fired from the roofs of
Christian houses.
This in turn was interpreted in the
| MOslem quarters as an attack. 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 participate. in the
| cruel and indiscriminate assaults which
were thereupon made with fire, rifle and
| sword upon the entire Armenian COM
munity, including our Protestant congre-
CATION which. as body, has been wholly
| loyal to the government.
/ Two Christian prisoners who escaped
| from government headquarters, declared
| that horsemen came in at intervals from
| outlying towns and villages and reported
to the military authorities as follows:
.Hamidieh is finished, or 'Osminiyeh is
Finished meaning, of course. that the
| Armenian populations of these places had
been put to the sword. The military of
| ficials received this information a
matter of course.
"The further occupation of Mohamme-
| dan mnarets by regular soldiers began
shortly after noon of April IA. at the
| very outset of the struggle. These SOL
| diers kept up a cruel fusillade into all
| parts of the Christian quarter. They
] were shielded by the parapets of the
| mnarets.
There were no patrols of soldiers or
police all day Wednesday, the 14th. none
| on Thursday, and none even on Friday
at the real crisis, when Moslem mob fill
| ed the streets from here to the river.
surging against the walls of the girls
school. The government furnished US no
protection whatever.
Governor Shows Incompetence.
/ Continuing Mr.. Trowbridge related
how he had reached the governor of
Adana by a dash across the city carry
/ ing a Turkish flag and accompanied by
two Turks.
THE governor was running about in
dismay,'' Mr.. Trowbridge said. He could
scarcely give coherent answer to my
4 questions and demands.
II told him of the murder of Henry
Maurer and D. NJ. Rogers. American mis-
sionaries. He turned pale at my state
ment. although he must already have
heard of the killings.
i His answer was: We cannot be re-
!, SpOnSibe To this l replied: You must
he responsible: we have no other force to
rely on except the government. You have
completely abandoned US through this
crisis
The governor was SO alarmed and con-
fused that it clear that he had no
mastery of the situation. Prisoners and
soldiers-common Turks-were running i'm
and out of the governors audience cham
ber.
The governor finally conferred with his
commandant, who ordered $50 troops, un-
der Osman Bey. to be dispatched to the
American school,
On his way back to the mission house
Mr.. Trowbridge observed that all the
shops on the central square of .Adana
both Christian and Moslem, had been
looted. He related various examples of
the governments indifference to the
safety of the Armenians or it's participa-
8 ton In the killing.
..Armenians begging refuge at govern
ment headquarters were killed in the
market place Villagers who brought
prisoners to the government headquarters
We're asked: Why did you not finish these
gaours In the villages? Why have you
brought them here?"
4 Fifty Armenians were thrown into the
river above Adana and drowned. Through
out the fighting railroad postal and tele-