The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-05-27
George Rock, Resident Of Keno.
sha and an American Citizen
Killed in a Massacre
LEADER AMONG ARMENIANS
1913
Members Of Local Colony Of Armeni-
ans Get Details of Massacre in
\ 9ss Which Kenosha Man Was
@ Among First to Fall

George Rock, a resident of Kenosha
and an American citizen, was shot
down and killed by Turkish soldiers at
the home of his mother in the out
skirts Of Adana in Asia Minor on the
afternoon of April IL when the great
massacre of i, he Christians occurred at
Adana. Letters telling of the murder
of the Kenosha man by the Turkish
soldiers were received in Kenosha on
Friday and they have caused great in
dignation among the Armenians of the
city among whom Rock had been wide
ly known as leader.
Rock had left Kenosha last January
to 90 to Adana for a visit with his
mother and he had planned to return
to Kenosha early in June. Before
leaving for his native land Rock had
taken out his SECOND papers as an
American citizen jim the Circuit Court
Of Kenoshag county and his relatives
and friends in Kenosha will at once
take steps to have the state depart
ment Of the United States government
investigate his death and demand a
proper PREPARATION from the government
of rurEey. Rock was one of the best
educated of the Armenians who had
come to ik6nosha. He was devoted
Christian and was closely in touch
with the work which was being done
among, the ypeople Of his own country
by foreign missionaries, but he was
1ot active in this work and it is said
by his friends in Kenosha that he was
massacred not because Of his connec
tion with the work for the advance
ment of Christianity in Asia, but on
account Of the fact that was regarded
as a revoluhonist. Abraham Rock,
brother of the Kenosha man, met
death on the same day, both of the
men being killed at the home of their
mother.
Rock Is real name was George Vahan-
llaiyain, but when he came to America
six years ago he took the name of
George Rock and he obtained his
rights as citizen under this name
In Kenosha he was employed at the
plant of the Badger Brass Manufacture
ing Company as an expert rnachinist.
The letters received by the friends
of Rock in Kenosha tell of all the hor-
rors Of the massacre of the people Of
Adana by the Turks. Rock and his
brother had taken no part in the pres
ent troubles in Asiatic Turkey, but be-
fore he left Armenia to come to
America the Kenosha man, then a boy,
had been closely connected with the
party favoring the revolution and when
the massacre came he was one of the
first sought by the soldiers bent on
murder. Rock had been living at the
home of his mother near Adana and
fearing an outbreak he had kept off
the streets. He and his brother had
not arranged for their own defense as
they believed that the Turkish soldiers
did not know Of their presence in
Adana. At the time Rock was killed
he was sitting with his mother and a
Turkish soldier rushed into the house
and shot him twice. He fell over into
his mothers lap and died instantly.
The brother, who was in another room
of the house, was killed in the same
way. The letters declare that more
than 10000 people were massacred in
a single day in Adana and that most
of these were either connected with
the Christian work in that. part of
Asia or were killed because they were
suspected of being sympathisers with
the revolution.
Grave fears were felt in the city for
the safety of Avad D. Margosian, the
keeper of the Armenian boarding house
az TCO W1SCOuSlu SlTSbG mere. Maf-
gosian had gone to Adana few weeks
after Rock and he had been active
in the work of spreading Christianity
in that part of Asia. Letters from
him declare that he escaped the mas
sacre and that he is now on his way
to Kenosha and expects to arrive here
early in July.
1t is claimed that many people who
were American citizens were slaught-
cred by Turkish troops, but it is
thought that Rock was the only other
Kenosha man to meet this fate. Sew
eral other local Armenians were in Asia
at the time of the massacres, but it is
thought, that they escaped although
definite reports of their safety have
not been received.
The city attorney inclines to the