The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-06
Final Estimate on Number of
Slain in Adana District
Is Placed at $4,000 While
$4,000 Still Survive.
ARE WITHOUT HOMES
Those Who Escaped Are Mostly
Women and Children.
The Armenians Fought Desper.
ately in Self Defense.

4
Rev. Stephen r. Trowbridge, a mis-
sionary of the American board of COM
missioners for foreign mission. esti-
in the province of Adana since the out
break of the anti-Christian rioting at
| $4,000 The missionary said today:
"A conservative estimate of the
| Christians killed in the city of Adana
is 1000. This calculation is made up
| from the list prepared by the priests
and other officials who give permits
for burials. Not less than %, 900 perish
ed in the towns and villages of the pro-
| vince. This figure is based upon the
full information sent forward by the
| British consul.
The surviving Armenians in the en-
| tire province are largely women and
children. They amount to about $4,000
! souls and are today without homes,
shops, tools, clothing or bread. A most
| pitiable and wretched multitude is
| passing up and down the streets of
Adana like a lost people. They throng
/ in the big factory yards. where a dole
of flour is given out by the relief COM
mittee. Crowds Of broken hearted wo-
! men and children are coming in from
the country to even greater misery in
| the city,
Mr.. TroWbridge has written a furth-
| er. account of the events at Adana,
especially with reference to the atti-
I tude of the Turkish authorities. In this
recital he says:
| I'VE understand from consular tele-
| grams, that the sublime porte assured
| the ambassadors at ConStantinople
| that a slight outbreak had occurred at
! Adana, with about so casualties and
the burning of few houses, and the
| porte declared further that the Ameri-
cans here were amply protected.
Armenians Fought Desperately.
| do he ;oi,
of the struggle. 1 say struggle because
| this has not been a massacre in the
sense that the Armenians died without
resisting. They fought desperately in
self defense, and the fury of the Turks
increased in proportion as the Armen-
ians succeeded in Staying Mohamme-
dams. For two days preceding the out
break there had been a bitter feud be-
tween Mosiems and Christians. In one
vineyard shooting was begun and
hatred was aroused on April II. An
Armenian who had been beaten shot
one of his opponents dead and wound
ed two others. This man escaped to
Mersina and took passage on vessel
"The Turks in Aadan then assumed d
menacing attitude which greatly
alarmed the Armenians. The body OF
the Moslem killed in the vineyard was
purposely dragged to an open square
and left there exposed by the Turks as
a fanatica1 challenge.
"a runOr spread among the Armen-
, ians on April IA, that a massacre by
the Turks already had been begun and
as a demonstration of self defense, g
volley of shots were fired from th=
roofs of Christian houses. This move
ment was interpreted in the Moslen
quarters as an attack and the wore
spread like wild fire that the Armenians
were in revolt and must be crushed.
Subsequent events have shown
clearly that the Adana government
I tca OF aof, ,o1I
ticipate in the cruel and indis-
; criminate attacks made with fire and
rifle and sword upon the entire
Armenian colony. including oul
protestant congregation. which as G
body has been wholly loyal to the
government. Two Christian prisoners
who escaped from government head,
quarters declared horsemen came IL
at intervals from outlying towns and
villages and reported to the military
| authorities.
Put to the Sword.
'Hamidieh is finished or 'Os.
| minyeh is finished meaning OF
course. that the Armenian population
of these places had been put to the
sword The military officers received
this information as a matter Of course
1.-The further occupation of Mo
hammedan minarets by regular sol
diers began shortly after noon O
April II, at the very outset of tn,
struggle. These soldiers kept up
cruel fusillade into all parts of th'
Christian quarter They were shielded
, by the parapets of the minarets
There were no patrols of soldiers Of
police all day Wednesday. the four
: teenth, none on Thursday and non,
1 on Friday at the real crisis, when {
Moslem mob filled the streets from
f the walls of the girls school. Th'
, government furnished us no protection
5 whatever"
Continuing, Mr.. Trowbridge related
how he had reached the governor o
Adana by dash across the city
i panied by two Turks
s'The governor was running about il
dismay." Mr. Trowbridge said. "ant
: he could scarcely give a coheren
told him of the murder of Henr,
Maurer and D. NJ. Rogers, American
missionaries. He turned pale at m.
statement, although he might hav'
already have heard of the killings
His answers were:
= "sI cannot be responsible To thI
I replied:
Governor Was Frightened.
...You must be RESPONSE Bile. We hav'
n no other force to rely on except tn
: government You have completed.
d shandDued us through this crisis TIL
V Governor was so alarmed and con
:. fused that it was clear that he hal
s no mastery of the situation Prison
: ers and soldiers, common Turks, wer
t running in and out of the governor
audience chamber. The governo
: finallr conferred with his command
: ant. who ordered $50 troops, unde
e Osmen Bey, to be dispatched to tn
e American school
On his way back to the missio'
g house, Mr.. Trowbridge observed tina
4 all the shops on the central square o
2 Adana- both Christian and Moslen
3 had been looted He related severa