Evening star., 1909-05-04
WHOLE REGION LAID WASTE
Dead Estimated Between 10000 and
$4,000 Around Tarsus.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN PERISH
None Spared by Fiendish Turks Save
Those Reserved for Worse
Fate Than Death.

TARSUS, Asiatic Turkey. Saturday,
April "a, via Constantinople, May 4.-Au-
thentic details of the atrocities commit
ted by the fanatical Mollammelans in
the villages and farms in this district are
now coming in to Tarsus with Sickening
abundance.
The worst particulars of these narra-
tives cannot be mentioned, but they set
forth without doubt that at least 10000
persons lost their lives in this province.
and some estimates place the total cas-
ualty list at 25,OOO. Villages like Osman-
ich, Bazsche, Hamadieh. Kara, kristian,
Keoy and Kezolook were actually wiped
out. Each of these places had popula-
tions of from 500 to 800 people. In one
town of 1000 people there are less than
100 left. nearly all women and children.
1t was the same thing with the hundreds
of chiftliks or farms that dot this wide
and fertile plain.
The slaughter was unsparins. even
Greeks and Syrians being struck down
with the Armenians. Entire families We're
burned to death in their homes. Hun
dredS of girls and women were maltreat-
ed and carried off to the harems, where
the women were separated from the men.
Shot Down in Groups.
The correspondent was Informed that in
one place a party of 100 Armenians sur
rendered to the soldiers. The prison.
ers were taken to an open field. where
the women were ordered to stand apart
from the men. Every one of the men
was shot. In many cases they were shot
down with their women clinging to them
trying to save their lives. large num-
Der Of women were wounded because of
loi VT Uhn
brought down into this district from Had
jim are now held as slaves.
Young Turks around Tarsus are today
trading Armenian girls am6hg each other
for horses and modern repeating rifles.
The entire ten days seem to have been
an insensate orgy of lust and violence
in the name of race and religion. In
the massacres of fourteen years ago
there was no such desire to kill women
and children as has been evidenced in
the Iast ten days. There have been nu-
merous instances of the numbering of
women and children with deliberation,
and there are other instances where
women were brought out one by one and
shot down. the bystanders clapping their
hands at each fresh execution
The local authorities are giving today
cents day for each refugee in Tarsus.
There are about 1000 refugees here, and
this sum does not suffice. The govern
ment allotment is being supplemented
from funds Of the American mission. The
local officials say they are soon going to
discontinue their contributions, and if this
is done there will be a famine.
Sad Plight Of Refugees.
The yard of the American mission house
looks like prison pen. When the cap
tain OF French man-of-war at Mersina
came up to Tarsus with a number of Of
ficers on visit he called at the mission
house INV God - he said ssfhic 10 tor
rible. Where do all these people sleepY'
The men wander around all night try
ing to keep warm. The women and chill
dren sleep at night on the floors of the
schoolrooms. Very few of them have
beds. In the daytime the men take their
turn, usually curling up in the sunshine
outside. There have been four births at
the mission since the refugees came in
In the meantime the Moslems In the
wasted country roundabout are pastur-
ing their horses and cattle on the green
crops of their Armenian victims