The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-27

in Van, where the prison doors were
thrown wide open and all prisoners
liberated. His description of this in
cident is graphic He says:
The news of the marvellous change
of politics in this country has reached
you and doubtless many of you are
wondering how the new order is affect
ing us here in Van. The whole change
has come with such lightning rapidity
and so absolutely Unexpectedly that
even till now we often ask ourselves
whether it is really true or not. Dur
ing the whole of last winter we were
in daily fear of a massacre and when
the outbreak on the part of the Turk
ish rabble did take place it was general
ly considered most fortunate that the
number of victims did not exceed more
than from fifty to one hundred Arme-
mans. The only reason that the loss
of life did not reach an appalling num-
Der, is probably due to the personal
efforts of the commander of the troops
and the three consuls who are located
here. After this massacre the govern
ment poured thousands of troops into
tut City anu DSSdu d SCdl
for Armenian revolutionists and the
arms and ammunition which they had
concealed in the city. One leader and
about ten associate revolutionists were
betrayed and taken from subterra-
mean cavern. and two other leaders with
four associates were surrounded in a
house not more than five minutes dis
lance from us and after a desperate
fight succeeded in breaking their way
through the troops and escaping. At
the same time as this latter occurrence
shots were fired from neighboring roofs
at people in our premises and | person
ally extracted a rifle bullet from DR..
Raynold s house. But what change
since another freedom day was added
to those of America and France-Amer-
lea, July 4; France, July IA, and now
the granting of constitution to Tur-
key.
After the granting of the constitu-
ton general amnesty for political
prisoners was declared and this latter
was broadened to include practically all
classes of offenders, including those
with life sentences and others who
were subject to capital punishment.
Miss Rogers and / had the great good
fortune to De driving by the city prison
when the prisoners were being released
and such a sight one may not expect
to see more than once in a lifetime.
Turkish prisons are by no means seats
of luxury and [ could well understand
the almost overwhelming joy of the pale
faced men as they came into the free
air, many after years and years of I'M
bearable suffering in the vile holes that
have been dignifed by the term of pris-
sons. 1t was most interesting to see
how the unlocked for deliverance affect
ed different individuals; some ran and
leaped and shouted in an abandon of
joyousness; some were quiet and seem
ingly almost depressed and sad under
the terrible strain of the contemplation
of the miraculous escape and the chang
ed possibilities of their future lives;
yet others were secretive and fearful,
walking with a quick nervous step,
constantly casting furtive glances from
side to side as if more than half ex-
pecting that the doors which had so
recently expelled them would outstrip
them in the race and enclose them in
blackness darker than ever; this last
class was quickly lost from view as at
the first opportunity they would quietly
break from the crowd moving along
the main road in the gathering twilight
and lose themselves in the deeper
shadows of some by-way or alley. And
then the mothers and fathers lining
the road. eagerly seeking among the
hundreds of faces, and then shout or
a sob and the first frantic embrace
WELL it was a wonderful sight, and [
think that something just such as this
must have been in the mind of Isaiah
when he used just such a picture in
heralding the coming of the Messiah
''to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound.''
Last Sunday we were invited to a
memorial service in one of the native
churches, IN memory of the hundreds
and thousands who have persisted in
past years, the victims of the insati-
able hatred of the leaders in the regime
which has just passed, we hope never
to return. Speeches were made by
Turks and Armenians, the chief note
of which being ''iberty for all classes
under the constitution. It was very
strange sight to see, hobnobbing with
the Turkish officers apparently on the
most friendly terms, three Armenian
revolutionary leaders who three months
ago were hated and feared and bounded
by the Turks almost to a man. At that
time little scraps of red paper were
distributed freely among the crowd. A
short time ago the distribution of such
papers or even the possession of one
might have meant life Imprisonment