Evening star., 1909-05-01
FATE OF MISSIONARIES
How Maurer and Rogers Died
Told by Eyewitness.
FELLOW-WORKER'S STORY
Three Men Were Extinguishing Fire
at Girls School.
TWO WOUNDED IN FUSILLADE
Stephen r. Trowbridge Prepares Ac-
count Of Assassination for
Turkish Government.
TWO WOUNDED IN FUSILLADE

CoNsTANTINoPLE. May 1.-stephen
r. Trowbridge, missionary Of the Amer
lean board of commissioners for foreign
missions. was the only American or Eu-
ropean to witness the killing in Adana
of D. NJ. Rogers and Henry Maurer. fel-
low-missionaries at Adana.
He has supplied the following account
of the occurrence. dated Adana, April "a.
TO representatives of the grand vizier, and
has written 1t out also for the mission
board at home. Mr.. Trowbridge says:
Firing and fighting began April IA be-
tween Moslems and Armenians. which re-
suited in a number of casualties on both
cendiaries were at work, for several dis
tricts of the city were covered by clouds
of smoke. which rolled out far into the
country, where vineyards and country
houses also were burning.
All night long the reports of firearms
rang out from all sides. The roofs and
parapets of houses, minarets, windows
with shutters and other ambuscades were
used. The most persistent and dangerous
fusillade came from one of the minarets
on the border Of the Armenian quarter.
Flames and Bullets.
THE next morning. April IL. the conf1a-
grations had spread to such an extent
that we were obliged to watch closely
the environs of the building of the girls
school and the residence Of William N.
Chambers. All the streets were deserted
and the firing from ambuscades was kept
up all the morning.
"A fresh outburst Of smoke near the
girls school showed that we were threat
ened by fire. The wind famed the flames
and drove them from house to house In
our direction.
''Mr. Rogers was guarding the home of
Miss Wallace and the dispensary across
the street from the school. 1t was clear
that the large school, building OF brick
and wood. was In danger.
I'VE spent the morning In ripping off
projecting woodwork and the porch posts.
forts to put out the flames must be
undertaken.
up to that time no one had dared TO
go on the streets because Of the shooting
other by Armenians. Moslem piIlagers.
armed and In desperate mood, were loot
ing the houses opposite the buildings on
fire.
''Mr. Maurer and took crowbar and
an ak. and crossed the street to destroy
the wooden porches. shutters and stair
ways OF the houses between the fires and
the girls school. We carried pals of
water, which we threw wherever we saw
flames breaking out.
'.AI this time there had been no sign
Of any effort on the part of the govern
ment authorities to stop the rioting, pill
lage and burning. No soldiers or police
men had appeared, nor had any pumps
or apparatus for fighting fire been brought
out.
THE only news we had of the soldiers
was the calling rife fire from the min
arets. This shooting, apparently. was d.
rected at the houses where the Armenians
were resisting by return fire.
Moslems Promise Safety.
when / first climbed to the roofs near
the flames armed Moslems appeared on
three sides within close range. When
they understood that I was not firing on
them. but had come to work against the
flames. they lowered their rifles and as
sured me with many pledges that might
go on unmolested.
Then three Turks appeared at the
windows Of a house just across the street.
After assuring me of my safety they
dropped back again to their work of
plunder.
Back OF that house. in a well protected
position. was a turbaned Moslem, cover
Ing these looters with his rife and firing
frequently to protect them. Two other
Moslems appeared suddenly on my left.
but, perceiying my purpose, they bade
me feel no concern.
In the meanwhile Mr.. Maurer who
carving In natl In -
yard OF the girls school, came up to me
and made use OF a crowbar in throwing
down wall. one side OF which was
burning fercely. We worked with pals
OF water. the crowbar and the ak for
over an hour.
1T seemed that we must have help.
We repeatedly begged some Armenian
young men, who were lurking around
lem fire. to put away their arms and
come and save the school building.
The real danger that pressed upon our
minds was not the possible loss Of the
building. but the perilous situation in
which our American friends. the hundreds
Of Christian refugees and the eighty
school girls would find themselves in case
the building burned.
I'm every direction there was rioting
and shooting. There was no refuge ex-
cept possibly In the Protestant Church,
some distance away, and even this was
threatened from three sides by the con-
fagration.
$50 we came back to the school and
asked for volunteers. Mr.. Rogers came
at once. He had been in Miss Wallace s
house and did not know how close the
fire had come. He carried water back
and forth three times.
Mr.. Maurer was using the crowhar
against wall. i, higher uu on the roof,
was pouring water on places just CATCH
ing fire.
We had thus worked a consdera BILE
time without being harmed by the Mos
lens. when the Armenians al the other
end of the street commenced firing on
the houses where the looters were at
work Suddenly two shots rang out not
more than eight yards from where we
were working.
Two Mortally Wounded.
'Mr. Rogers. who was in the street
bringing water. was mortally wounded
He called to me by name. and then fell
In the middle OF the street.
'The other bullet hit Mr.. Maurer In the
left lung near the heart, wound that
caused him to suffer great pain The
crowbar fell from his hands. He then
climbed down the ladder and collapsed
at the side of Mr.. Rogers.
Immediately after these two shots sew