Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-03

Intended only to frighten the crowd and II
possible to drive them away. Our Arme-
Mans called Ito those below: 'Wey ara
b. others; don't fire. and asked. them to
gGnd one man to confer with represent
alive OF our side.
This was agreed to. But instead OF
one man hundreds started to come. They
demanded that we give up our arms, but
with that angry mob this meant certain
death. Finally Mr.. Trowbridge talked
with them from window This, too.
failed. The greatest danger. of course,
was for the girls. and we decided to take
them to Mr.. Chambers house. Seemingly
without fear they marched out In order,
two and two, across the street to the
house Of Miss Wallace. the English nurse.
then through a hole in the wall which
had been opened for emergency. and
through the yard out into the street
again. where they reached the Chambers
gate
II cannot describe the crowd, the noise
and confusion in this house and yard.
Refugees covered everywhere. Both
house and court apparently had been
OVERLOOKING with refugees before our ar
than hundred from our house and about
80 girls and teachers. Our girls and
teachers were calnest of all.
Mr. Trowbrdge returned from the
school to say that the only, hope for
safety to any Americans seemed to be to
return to the school. staying there alone,
separated from the Armenians. He de-
ciared that we were powerless to save
the Armenians. 1t seems that after we
left the school Miss Wallace, Mr.. Cham
bers and a young Armenian preacher at
tempted to cross the street from Miss
Wallace's to the school. Just at this time
a mob rushed around the corner. The in
furiated Turks recognized the preacher
as an Armenian, and although Mr.. Cham
bers threw his arms about him and did
all in his power to save the mans life.
they shot him dead. Not single Arme-
Man would they leave alive. the assassins
shouted as Mr.. Chambers dragged the
body of the murdered preacher into the
building. You can see how powerless We
are
Miss Webb relates how Mr.. Trowbridge
persuaded four Seabites to go with him
to the government house to demand pro-
IectlON. W. OI lntlll ucScllcO HiIi oh
the way, declaring that they were afraid
of being killed by Armenians. Everything
was confusion at the government house
and after long delay a detachment Of
$50 troops was dispatched to the relief.
In concluding her narrative Miss Webb
says:
IT forgot to say that the British consul
sent message to the governor on Friday
that if this thing was not stopped he
would demand of the government and the
commander of the troops satisfactory
explanation. Whether or not they were
pcwerless to stop the dreadful work be-
fore this do not know, but anyway then
it was stopped. We hear, and it seems
quite possible. that because of the dis
turbance in Constantinople the officials
in Adana did not know which side to
join, SO they simply let things take their
course and permitted the Turks and Ar
menians to fight 1t out between them"
Miss Elizabeth S. Webb. who gives the
vivid narrative of the fighting at Adana
was sent to Turkey in 1886 by the Ameri-
can board of commissioners for foreign
missions. She was born at Bunker Hill.
H.. and later moved to Missouri. She
is graduate of Drury College, SPRING
field. Mo.