The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-05-07
Story of the Massacre
Told by an Eyewitness
Armenians Shot Down by American Missionaryss Side
While Begging Official to Protect Them-"Adana
Was Help Military Commander Craven

Adana, Asiatic Turkey, via Con-
stantinople. The Rev. Herbert
Adams Gibbons, of Hartford, Conn, a
missionary of the American Board of
Foreign Missions stationed here and
at Tarsus, was an eyewitness of the
scenes of terror and destruction at
the centre of the Moslem uprising.
He gives the following story of mas
sacre, rapine and incendiarism:
1.-The entire vilayet of Adana has
been visited during the last five days
with terrible massacre of Armen-
ians, the worst ever known in the his
tory of the district The terror has
been universal, and the Government
Is powerless to check the disorders.
Adana, the capital of the province,
has been the storm centre.
Conditions have been unsettled
for some time past, and there has
been animosity between Turks and
Armenians, owing to the political ac-
tfvity of the latter and their open
purchasing of arms.
Early last Wednesday morning,
while was in the market, l noticed
that the Armenians were closing their
shops and hurrying to their homes.
An Armenian and Turk had been
killed during the night. and the
corpses were paraded through their
respective quarters. The sight of the
dead infiamed the Inhabitants, and
crowds at once began to gather in
the streets armed with sticks, axes
and knives. A few young Armenians
assembled in the centre of the COW
cred market and began firing revolver
ch mr. nj oiy xYe ~ IA
the morning the crowd had begun the
footing of shops.
Military Commander in Seclusion.
''The military commander of Ada
ma was by my side in the market
when the firing commenced. He had
not the courage to endeavor to dis
perse the mob; he returned to his
residence and did not venture out
for two days.
William Chambers, Field Secre-
tary of the Young Mems Christian
Association, and myself proceeded to
the Konak and found bowling mob
demanding arms with which to kill
the Giaours. We then went to the
telegraph office to summon the Brit
ish Consul. On the steps of the
building we saw three Armenians
who had been killed. 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 managed to make our way
into the next room, where we made
reservations to the Vail. This Of
fetal said he could do nothing. He
was afraid for his own life, and he
made no attempt to protect US. Some
how we managed to get to the inte-
rior of the Konak, where we re-
manned at the side of the Govern
ment officials for the next forty-eight
hours.
THAT afternoon the situation grew
distinctly worse. The Armenians
withdrew to their quarter of Adana,
which is situated on a hill, and con-
verted the houses that held advanta-
geous positions into fortresses. Here
the fighting went on for two days,
during which the Armenians succeed
ed In beating OF their Turkish as
sailants.
British Woman Cares For Wounded.
"Wednesday evening Major Daugh-
ty-Wylie, the British Vice-Consul at
Mersina, arrived at Adana and estab-
lished headquarters in the house of
the dragoman of a wealthy Greek