The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-05-26

killing of missionaries and the slaugh-
ter of Armenians and the burning of
their homes. Miss Richter has visit
ed in North Yakima and expects I'LL
timately to makeher home here. She
has recently undergone hardships and
encountered the trials and dangers of
Missionaries who labor in foreign
lands. Writing under date of April
IS. from Adana, Turkey, where mis-
sionaries had assembled for the fif-
tieth anniversary of the Central Tur-
key Mission she says that some of the
workers had not arrived. They had
evidently got news of trouble and re-
turned to their homes where they
would be greatly needed. Those at
Adana for the meeting were:
Happiness was Brief.
Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge from Ain
tab, also Miss Norton; Mr.. MacCal-
lum, and Miss Ainslee from Marash:
Miss Salmond who has an orphanage
there under an English society: Mr.
Rogers, DR.. Christie and Mr.. Gibbons
from Tarsus and Mr. Maurer from
the Mennonite orphanage at Hadjin
These, with myself composed the out
side delegation. Tuesday evening we
were altogether at the seminary and
we were so happy to be together. We
enjoyed a half hour of social time and
that was the only time we were all to-
gether.
Tuesday evening Mr.. Chambers
told us he had been called out at 10
o'clock an Monday p. m. by some Ar
menians, TO go to the Vail (governor)
with them as they had been threaten
ed by Moslems. An Armenian had
been considerably annoyed by some
Turks and had applied to the Vail for
help, but without result. Finally. in
self-defense he shot two or three of
them. One was killed Another died
later. 1t is said the Armenian escaped
to Mersin and got away on a steamer.
For this offense the Turks said they
would take revenge"
ArmcniaDS were Fearful
Miss Richter then goes on to de-
scribe how the fearful Armenians
closed their places of business and hid
themselves in their homes where they
patrolled the housetops. The mission
aries went about to see If there was
real cause of trouble and to ascertain
If they could not mediate. They had
the assurance of the governor that
there would be no trouble and began
their mission conference but were
shortly interrupted by shots. the fright
of the seminary girls and the cries of
women in the streets. For two days
firing continued and it was unsafe for
any one to venture from home Dur
ing that time Miss Richter was locked
up in the seminary where many had
taken refuge. She says:
a British Consul Intervenes.
I'VE wanted to send to the COVER
ment office for soldiers to protect us
but with shots all around it was I'M
safe for any one to go out. At about
o'clock We heard a bugle and saw
someone on horseback with about 20
soldiers behind him. When he reached
us we found it was the English consul
Major Wiley, who is stationed at Tar
sus. He left us three soldiers and said
he would quiet things down. We saw
smoke in the city and felt a little I'M
easy so our men said they would keep
watch during the night. DIR. Chris
tie fought in the Civil war and seemed
pleased to act soldier again.
Fires All Around
Thursday there were more fires
around. Finally one came very near
the school. We could not go out on
the Verandah for we never knew when
a shot would come our way or wheth-
er Turk or Armenian was shooting.
We could not stand by with folded
hands and have the fires burn our
building. The fire was but a short
block away and nothing done to ex-
tinguish it. Our men tore down all
the wood on a small building in our
yard which was along the wall nearest
the fire. All the girls got busy put
ting blankets on windows and veran-