The Cairo bulletin., 1909-05-03
AMERICAN WOMAN MISSIONARY
m ADANA WRITES ACCOUNT
OF MASSAcRES.
FIRE THREATENED HOUSE
Women and Grls--Government
Allowed Turks and Arme-
mans to Fight 1t Out.

Adana, May 2.-Elizabeth ). Webb,
missionary of the american board
from Bunker Hill, Ill., has written
narrative Of her experiences during
the first days Of the massacres here,
when the girls school TO which she
is attached, was in the greatest dan
ger and the lives of the students
threatened. She says: Firing be-
gan April 81, and on account of the
disturbed condition we were afraid to
send the day scholars home. Mr..
Chambers attempted to secure guards
but found it impossible to get through
the mob.
"As night came on the fires flared
in all directions At nine o'clock inI
walked the British consul, who had
come from Mersira. He left three OF
his own guard of Turkish soldiers.
In State of Siege.
Throughout the night we seemed in
a state of siege. In the morning our
guard discovered that men in minaret
houses, whose fire they had been re-
turning, were Turks and friends. The
guard then insisted on leaving, climb
ed the wall and ran away. Meantime
the fires and shooting increased at
every point.
AT last the consul passed on and
spared us one man. Fires broke out
in adjacent streets and it appeared
that our building would be destroyed.
We women and the girls, carried
water, the men cut down the fences
and outbuildings. We were Mortified
to learn that Rogers and Maurcr ha
been shot while fighting the fir1. |
They were brought into our dining |
room. Maurer was already dead, and |
Rogers only lived a few minutes.
our guard disappeared and | said |
to the girls. We have done all we can,
now let's pray It was a terrible
situation Women and girls practi |
cally alone; mulderous mob out |
side with knife and bullet for the Ar
menians and the torch for their
homes.
BRUSH ConSu1 Snot'
THE flames finally died down, but
the fires in all parts of the city and
the sound of shooting continued. Tho
British consul had promised us a
guard but the afternoon and evening
passed and none came. The follow
ing day we learned that the consul
was shot in the arm.
THAT night young men from the
Gregorian protestant community pa
trolled the streets around our build
ing Great crowds of soldiers, Zab
ties, Bashibazooks. and rabble. bent
on plundering. had gathered in the
rear of our house for attack. Our only
dependence was the volunteer guar'i
of young Armenians. Suddenly they
came up. Our Armenians called out
we are brothers. don't fire., and ask
ed one man to confer with us, but in
stead of one, hundreds came and de-
manded that we give up our arms.
Girls Transferred.
I'VE decided to take the girls to
Mr. Chambers house across the
street. Refugees covered everywhere
inside and outside the house. We adj
ded to the number more than hui
dred Our girls and teachers were
colmest of all.
Miss Wallace Mr.. Chambers ana
an Armenian preacher attempted to
cross the street to the school and the
mob shot the Armenian dead. Not
single Armenian would they leave
alive. After a long delay 130 troors
came to our relief Then the dreadful,
work stopped We hear that because
of the disturbances at Constantinople
the Officials of Adana did not know
which side to join, so permitted the
Turks and Armenians to fight it out.