Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-05-05

Adana, Asiatic Turkey, via Con.
stantinople. = The Rev. Herbert
Adams Gibbons, of Hartford, Conn, 8
missionary of the American Board Of
Foreign Missions stationed here and
at Tarsus, was an eyewitness OF the
scenes of terror and destruction al
the centre Of the Moslem uprising
He gives the following story OF mas.
sacre, rapine and incendiarisn:
1.-The entire vilayet of Adana has
been visited during the last five days
with a terrible massacre of Armen-
ians, the worst ever known in the his
tory of the district. The terror has
been universal, and the Government
is powerless to check the disorders.
Adana, the capital Of the province,
has been the storm centre.
Conditions have been unsettled
for some time past, and there has
been animosity between Turks and
Armenians, owing to the political ac-
tiyity of the latter and their open
purchasing of arms.
"Early last Wednesday morning,
while I was in the market, noticed
that the Armenians were closing their
shops and hurrying to their homes.
An Armenian and Turk had been
killed during the night, and the
corpses were paraded through their
respective quarters. The sight OF the
dead infamed' the Inhabitants, and
crowds at once began to gather In
the streets armed with sticks, axes
and knives. A few young Armenians
assembled in the centre OF the COW
cred market and began firing revolver
shots into the air. BY II o'clock IN
the morning the crowd had begun the
looting Of shops.
Military Commander in scclusion.
"The military commander of Ada
ma was by my side in the marker
when the firing commenced. He had
not tho courage to endeavor to dis
perse the mob; he returned to his
residence and did not venture out
for two days.
civilian Chambers, Field Secre-
tary of the Young Mems Christian
Association, and myself proceeded to
the Konak and found bowling mob
demanding arms with which to Kill
the Giaours. We then went to the
telegraph Office to summon the Brit
ish Consul. On the steps OF the
building we saw three Armenians
who had been killed. Their bodies
had been mutilated. While we were
in the telegraph Office a mob burst
into the room where we were and
killed two ArmenianS before our eyes
The unfortunates were supplicating
the protection of the Vail when they
were struck down.
1--WE managed to make our way
into the next room, where we made
RESERVATIONS to the Vail. This Of
f,cial said he could do nothing. He
was afraid for his own life, ana ne
made no attempt to protect us. Some
how we managed to get to the lnte-
rior of the Konak, where we re-
NAMED at the side of the Govern
ment officials for the next forty-eignl
hours.
"That afternoon the situation grew
distinctly worse. The Armenlans
Withdrew to their quarter Of Adana,
which Is situated on a hill. and con-
yerted the houses that held advanta-
eaous positions into fortresses. Here
the fighting went. on for TWO days
during which the Armenians succeed
ed in beating off their Turkish as
sailants.
British Woman Cares For Wounded.
"wednesday evening Major Daugh-
ty-Wylie, the British Vice-Consui al
Mersina, arrived at Adana and estaD.
lished headquarters in the house OF
the dragoman Of a wealthy creek