Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-04-23
T0day's Telegraphic News
Terrible Slaughter of Armsnians and
Christians.

Christians.
Smyrna, April 23.-At least 20, 900
Armenians and Christians of other races
have been butchered and the crime
wave is still rampant in many sections.
All foreign missions, except those In the
coast towns, are endangered. Many
foreigners are believed 10 have been
killed. One thousand Turkish troops
have been sent to bring to an end the
wave OF crime.
Antioch and ErEerum are today re-
ported overiun with maddened Mos
lens, who are massscreing men, women
and children. The troops 10 these places
are the chief offenders. They them
selves are running down the Christians
and putting them 10 torturing deaths.
Children ere being hacked to pieces In
the presence OF their parents, who, In
turn, are slain. Women are being out
ragged and the cruelest barbarites prac-
ticed against the aged and in6rw.
That the sultan stirred up the Asia
Minor troubles now seen certain. En-
issaries from the sDltsn's palace arrived
at Adana, where the massacres began,
on the eve OF the slaughter and aroused
the MOhsmmedan population to re-
ligious frenzy by declaring that the
Young Turks intended supplauting the
Moslem religion with Christianity. The
sultan evidently planned for the Asia
Minor outbreak to coincide with the
uprising In Oonstsntinople.
TIE "sIaughter-pen" covers an area
OF hundreds OF miles, and many Of the
affected points are Isolated and cannot
be reached for many days even II troops
we're available. The pre-arranged
nature of the uprising iusures that it
will run a long and bloody course, be.
fore being suppressed.
Mersina, April 29.-The local suthori-
ties Of Mersns, Adams, Bsrj ik and the
other towns suffering from massacre OF
Christians are directly responsible for
the extent of the horror, according to
the foreign naval officers who we're rushed
here to aid in putting down the up
rising.
Hordes of fsnatical Mohsmmedsus
we're armed by the authorities under
the pretense that their services we're
needed to restore order, whereas the
real purpose was to permit these armed
men to render greater services to the
bands Of murderers.
No sooner were the Mohsmmedsps
armed than they Joined the rioters aud
turned their guns against the de-
fenceless Christians.
The Armenisns here resisted for 48
hours before being overcome and butch
ered. Hundreds OF Armenians were
killed in this city alone, and other hnn.
dreds terribly wounded, including wo-
men and children.
The limbs of many women and chill
dren we're cut of, eyes gouged out and
other unspesksble barbarities practised
for the sheer delight OF witnessing their
suffering The same condition prevailed
10 all the other towns and there are now
thousands of pilisblY wounded Christians
who were not permitted the mercy OF
death by their torturers. Medical and
surgical attention Is being denied these
people and they are suffering slow aud
agonizing deaths Paris of Mersina
resembles q shambles. The Christian
quarter was destroyed by fire and the
entire surviving population OF this
quarter Is homeless and shelterless.
Starvation faces the thousands in this
and other towns as the food stores of the
Christians have been destroyed and the
Mohsmmedsns will not share their stores
OF provisions. The sailors are trying to
relieve the suffering 10 the coast towns,
but their food supply is limited.
All the Armenisns in Osmanic and
Tar.us have been killed. There are
4, 900 refugees in the American College
at Tarsus.
New York, April 23.-The Oh rIstian
Herald received communication today
from w. w. Peet, the agent Of the
American Bible Society, at CONSTANT
nople, appealing for aid for the afflicted
Christians of Asia Minor. Mr.. Peet
cabled thst conditions In Asia Minor
have not been exaggerated in the least.
He says that thousands have been kill
ed, other thousands wounded and that
entire towns are without food and
shelter. The Christian Herald In its
issue today made an appeal for contribu-
lions to aid the sufferers. From Its con.
tingent fund it has already sent first
iustslment.