The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-07
TURKS SHAY WITH NO SHOW OF MERCY Over 23,O0O Christians Killed
 During Outbreak AMERICAN TELLS STORY 
 Re9erend Stephen Trowbridee Relates Horrible Story of Massacres of
 Innocent People by the Fa-
 natical Moslems.
AMERICAN TELLS STORY

sloHdIy ol tHe Afnerlcan D0ard or con- msssioners for foreign missions, esti- mates the number of Armenians killed in the province of Adana since the out break of the anti-Christian rioting at 23,000. 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.
 Not fewer than 20, 900 perished in the towns and villages of the province This figure is based on the full informa- ton sent forward by the British consul
 "The surviving Armenians In the en- tire province are largely women and children. They amount to about 25,O00 souls, and are today without homes, sh ops, tools, clothing or bread. A most pitiable and wretched multitude is pass ing up and down the streets of Adana, like a 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 children are coming in from the country to even greater misery in the city"
 MT. Trowbridge has written further account of the events at Adana, and particularly with reference to the atti- tude of the Turkish authorities. In this recital he says: We understand from consular telegrams that the sublime porte assured the ambassadors at Con- rta had occurred at Adana, with about 50 casualties and burning of a few houses, and the porte declared further, that the Americans here were amply protected.
 We do not know the exact origin of the struggle. say struggle, be- cause this has not been a 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 a bitter feud between Moslems and Christians In one vineyard shooting was begun and hatred was aroused on April 12. An Armenian who had been beaten, shot one of his opponents dead and wound ed two others. This man escaped to Merslna and took passage on vessel.
 "The Turks in Adana then assumed a menacing attitude, which greatly alarmed the Armenians. The body of Moslem killed in the streets was pur- posely dragged to an open square and left there exposed by the Turks as a fanatical challenge.
 "A rumor spread among the Ar menians on April IA that massacreing by the Turks already had been begun and as 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, and the word spread like wlldfire that the Armenians were in re- volt and must be crush ed.
 Subsequent events have shown clearly that the Adana government acquiesced if 1t did not actually participate in the cruel and indiscriminate attacks made with fire and rifle and sword upon the entire Armenian colony, including our Protestant congregation 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 out lying towns and villages and reported to the military authorities as follows
 'Hamidieh is finished" or 'Osminieh is finished meaning otherwise that the Armenian populations of these places had been put to the sword The military of l.i h. LoF course.
 The further occupation of Mohamme- dan minarets by regular soldiers began shortly after noon of April IA. at the very outset of the struggle. These soldiers kept up a cruel fusilade into all parts of of the Christian quarter. They were shielded by the parapets of the minarets. There were no patrols of soldiers or po- lice all day Wednesday, the 14th; none on Thursday, and none on even Fri day at the real crisis, when a Moslem 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, MT. Trowbridge related how he reached the governor of Adana by a dash across the city carrying the Turkish flag and accompanied by two Turks.
 1.-The governor was running about In disnay," MT. Trowbridge said, and could scarcely give a coherent answer to my questions and demands. I told him of lne murder of Henry Maurer and D. NJ. Rog- CTS, American missionaries He turned pale at my statement, although he must already have heard of the killings His answers were: I cannot be responsible.' replied You must be responsible; we have no other force to rely on except the government. You have completely aban- doned us through this crisis.
 "The governor was so alarmed and confused that it was clear he had no mastery of the situation. Prisoners and soldiers were running in and out of the governors audience chamber The gov ernor finally conferred with his command ant, who ordered 150 troops under Osman Bey to be dispatched to the American school"
 On his way back to the mission house MT. Trowbridge observed that all the shops on the central square of Adana, both Christian and Moslem, had been footed. He related various examples of the governments indifference to the safety of the Armenians or its partcipa- ton in their killing. Armenian refugees at government headquarters were killed In the market place. Villagers who brought in prisoners were asked:
 "Why did you not finish these giaours in the villages? Why have you brought them here?"
 Fifty Armenians were thrown into the river above Adana and drowned Throughout the fighting railroad. postal of.
 It is MT. Trowbridge's conviction that a plot existed to destroy the 5O,O0O Ar meflians in Adana province. and that of