Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-28
STORY OF ADANA MASSACRE
American Eye Witness Gives Graphic
Account of Bloody Riot.
THOUSANDS DEAD IN STREET
Pedestrians Have TO Pick Their way
Amona Bodies of the Victims,
Including Women and
Mere Babies.
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
CoNsTANTINoPI.B, Aprl a.-There
was a fresh outbreak Of fanatics and muir
der last night at Adana, accompanied by
lootinE and ~incendlarism. The situation
there il critical.
ADANA. Asiatic Turkey, April n, via
Constantinople, April H.-Rev. Heroert
Adams Gibbons OF Hartford, Conn. 2 mAs
sionary Of the American Board OF Foreign
Missions stationed here and at Tarsus' was
an eve witness OF the scenes OF terror ana
destruction at the center Of the hosien'
uprising. He gives a. follows the first
graphic story Of the series of massaores,
rapine and incendlarism.
THE entire vilayet of Adsna has been
visited during the past five days by q ter
rible massacre OF Armenians, the worst
ever known in the history of the district
The terror has been universal. and the
Government is powerless to check the dis
orders. Adana, the oapital Of the province
has been the storm center.
Conditions have been unsettled for some
time and there has been luminosity between
Turks and Armenians owing 70 the polti-
cal activity Of the latter and their open
purchasing Of arms.
early last Wednesday morning. while
1 was in the market. ] noticed that the
Armenians were closing their shops and
hurrying to their homes. An Armenian
and a Turk had been killed during the
night and the corpses were paraded
through their respective quarters. The
sight of the dead inflamed the Inhabitants,
and crowds at once began to gather In the
streets armed with sticks, axes and knives.
A few young Armenians in the
center OF the covered market and began
firing reviewers into the air. By IL o'clock
in the morning the crowd had begun the
looting of shops.
THE military commander Of Adana was
by my side in the market when the firing
commenced. He had not the courage to
endeavor to dlsperse the mob; he returned
TO his residence and did mot venture out
for two days.
Murders In Cold blood.
william Chambers. field secretary OF the
Young Mems Christian association, and
myself. proceeded to the Konak and found
a bowling mob demanding arms with which
to kill the Giaours. We then went to the
telegraph office to summon the British
consul. On the steps of the building we
saw three Armenians who had been mas
sacred. Their bodies had been mutilated.
While we were in the telegraph office a
mob burst into the room where We were
and killed two Armenians before our eyes.
The unfortunates were supplicating the
protection of the vail when they were
struck down.
I'VE manage to make our way into the
next room. where we made representation
to the vail. This official said he could
" E - - 49,. me.
and he made no attempt to protect US.
Somehow we managed tn get to the interior
of the Konak, where we remained at the
side of the government officials for the
next forty-eight hours.
THAT afternoon the situation grew dis
tinctly worse. The Armenians Withdrew to
their quarter OF Adana, which 10 situated on
the hill and converted their houses that
held advantageous positions into fortresses.
Here the fighting went on for two days
during which the Armenisns succeeded in
beating off their Turkish assailants.
OmciaIs Arm MoaIemH. -
"Wednesday evening Major Daushty-
Wylie, the British vice consul at Mersina,
arrived at Adsna and established head
quarters in the house OF a draGomsn of a
wealthy Greek resident. where many refu-
1 AVV9 q Wi WV ~
British vice consul, VINO was brought into
Adana under fire on Thursday attended
personally many wounded women and
children.
"Adana was a hell. The bazaars were
looted and set on fire. There was con-
unuous and unceaslng shooting and kill
ing in every part Of the and fires
ragged in many quarters.
"Moslems from the neighborhood began
pouring into the city. and Notwithstanding
our vehement protests, the vail distributed
arms to these men, alleging that they were
Turkish reserves.
Major Daughy- Wylie. at the head of
troops which he compelled the vail to sup
ply, went to the railroad end of the toWn
and was successful in preventing the
villagers from coming into Adana. Later.
while the major was attempting to pacify
the town, he was shot and disabled"
Missionaries of the Central Turkish
mission had assembled for a district con-
ference in the center OF Adsna on the day
Of the outbreak. They received and pro-
tected hundreds OF refugees in the Amer
lean seminary for girls, and courageousIy
endangered TO pacify the warning elements
Thursday Daniel Miner Rogers and
Henry Mauren. American missionaries
were killed under treaeherOus cireum'
stances.
o Friday the Armenians yielded, since