River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-04-29
SULTAN'S TROOPS
SURRENDER ARMS
YlIdiz Garrison Taken by ConStl-
tutional Forces.
MANY KILLED AND WOUNDED
Ruler Practically Prisoner in His Pal
ace-Report Says $4,000 Have
Been Massacred-AmerI-
leans in Peril.

| OOHSLduLluOpl0, Apr. IO.--r OllOW lhS
| two days of hard fighting, the Yildiz
| garrison surrendered yesterday to the
| Constitutionalist forces. The COM
manders of these battalions began
| sending in their submission to Nah
mould Schefket Pasha Saturday night,
after many had been killed and
wounded, and the whole of the troops
| protecting the palace gave their for
NAL and unconditional surrender
shortly after dawn. Niaci Bey, who
| is called the hero of the July revolu-
ton, now is in command of the gar
| rison.
Sultan Abdul Hamid has been per-
| nitted to remain within the walls of
| the Yildiz Kiosk, where Saturday, in
company with his ministers, he waited
| for the outcome of the struggle be-
| tween his loyal troops and the army
of investment, each hour bringing to
| him word of fresh disaster.
1t has been stated, since victory
rested with the Constitutionalists, that
the sultan himself gave orders to his
| meM not to resist. Whether this is
true, it can be safely said of the
troops within the capital that they
put up stubborn resistance at all
| points, and the losses on both sides
are exceedingly heavy, for the length
of time the battle was in progress.
Parliament to Decide Fate.
A representative of the commander
| in-chief of the Constitutionalist forces
is authority for saying that the sultan
will be dealt with by the parliament
and that there will be an adequate in
quiry into the sovereign's alleged COM
plicity in the recent mutiny. Up to
the present the ministry has not been
dissolved, but Constantinople and a
number of other places have been de-
clared in state of siege.
Martial law prevails, and while
there is some uneasiness among the
people, order has been maintained
with a strict hand. The last garrison
to surrender was the Selimieh artil-
lery barracks, in Scutari, opposite
| STEAMBOAT. Four thousand men sta
| toned there with a hundred guns
threatened to blow the city into ruins,
but Gen. Schefket ordered up 60 big
guns and several batteries of machine
guns to positions which commanded
the barracks and the cruiser Medijieh
steamed out of range of the field
pieces and prepared for action.
Barracks Commander Surrenders.
The commander of the barracks
| thereupon submitted, and the artillery
men will be marched out as the
| troops of the other garrisons al
ready have been treated, and made
| temporary prisoners without arms, to
await transfer to outlying districts.
Following Saturdays terrific fight
ing, the city took on an aspect of
strange quiet towards evening. There
was some fear that there would be fur
Their fighting during the night, as the
forces of Gen. Schefket we're strongly
posted close to the palace. But be-
yond few scattering shots there was
nothing to disturb the peace of the
city
The proclaiming of martial law in
Constantinople and environs was fol-
lowed by a circular note which was
sent to each of the foreign ambassa-
doris.
Col. Galib, inspector general, has
been made responsible for the preser-
walton of order, and placards have
been posted about the city, requesting
the people to continue their business,
open their shops.
Report $4,000 Massacred.
The situation in Asiatic Turkey is
one of extreme gravity. How many
thousands have been massacred can
not even be estimated, because the
disturbances have been so widespread
that it Is impossible to secure details
Of the happenings during the past ten
days. The latest estimates of the
number killed in the vilayet of Adana
reaches approximately $4,000, and
thousands have been done to death in
the towns of other districts. The
state of siege which several of the
places are undergoing, has brought
the inhabitants to the verge of starva-
ton, and each day brings it's tales of
further atrocities and the depths OF
misery and despair to which the saw
agery of the fanatics has brought the
people.
American Property Destroyed.
Confirmation has been received of
the burning of the Armenian village
of Kessab. All the men and many
women and children have been slain.
The American property at Kessab was
destroyed. Miss Chambers, an Amer
lean missionary, is safe.
A British warship has been ordered
from Alexandretta to Suediah, where
| conditions have become worse. All
the property of the Christians at
Djebel Bereket has been destroyed.
The total loss is unknown, but it will
be enormous. Reports state that
Hadjin, in the vilayet of Adana, is
on fire. There are five American
women .quartered there, including
Miss Rose Lambert of Elkhart, Ind,
who has been sending out appeals for
help; Miss Virginia A. Billings and
Miss Bowman. The authorities have
refused permission to Messrs Lawson
and Chambers, also American mis-
sionaries, to go to their relief.