The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-04-30
WOMEN AND CHILDREN TORTUR.
ED BY MOSLEMS.
Fanatics Tear off Christians Limbs
and Gouge Out Their Eyes.

! i
Il Mersina, April 23.-The local All,
thorities at Mersina, Adana, Berejih
and the other towns suffering from
| the massacre of Christians are direct.
i W responsible for the extent of the
Horror according to the foreign naval
officers who are rushing here to aid
in putting down the uprising.
Hordes OF fanatical Mohammedans
were armed by the authorities under
the pretense that their services were
needed to restore order, where as the
real purpose was to permit these arm
Led men to render greater service to
the bands Of murderers. No sooner
were the Mohammedans armed than
they joined the rioters and turned
their guns against the defenseless
| Christians.
The Armenians here resisted for A s.
hours before being overcome and
butchered Hundreds of Armenians
were killed In this city alone and
other hundred terribly wounded, in
Guiding women and children. The
limbs of many women and children
were cut off, eyes gouged out and
other unspeakable barbarities prac-
ticed for the sheer delight of witness
ing their sufferings. The same condi-
ton prevailed in all the other towns
and there are now thousands of pita
bly, wounded Christians who were not
permitted the mercy of death by their
torturers. Medical and surgical at
tention is being denied these people
and they are suffering slow and agon-
izing deaths.
Parts of Mersina resemble a sham
bles. The Christian quarter was de-
stroyed by fire and the entire surviv-
ing population of this quarter is
homeless and shelterless. Starvation
faces thousands of people in this and
other towns, as the food stores Of the
Christians have been destroyed and
the Mohammedans will not share
their stores of provisions. The sailors
are trying to relieve the suffering in
the coast towns, but their food supply
is limited.
Smyrna, April ga small force
of British bluejackets from the ships
at Mersina started out today for Had
jim, nearly 100 miles to the north,
where number of missionaries, in
Guiding five American women, are be-
lieved to be in the greatest peril.
One thousand Young Turgish
troops, who landed here last evening,
started inland today determined to
put an end to the massacre. The
Is believed to be wholly in
as the Asia Minor troops
are all reactionaries in revolt against
the Young Turks 1t would not be
If the Young Turks detach-
ment met a crushing defeat. The hor-
rors OF massacres are daily increas-
Ing. AT least 10000 Armenians and
Christians of other races have been
butchered and the crime wave is still
rampant in many sections. All foreign
missions except those in the coast
towns are endangered. Many foreig-
srs are believed to have been killed.
Constantinople, April 23-The gen
erals OF the besieging army sent a
formal demand today for the surren-
Ter OF the palace guard of 5000
soldiers, threatening In case OF re-
.usal to force the abdication of the
sultan at the point Of the bayonet.
This action was taken In pursuance
II last evenings joint conference at
San Stefano, on the western outskirts
u Constantinople, between members
IT parliament and the army leaders,
which decided to depose the sultan
Ind to make his brother, Rechad Eff
endi, the ruler.
The entrance Of the entire army in