The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-04
From 10000 to $4,000 Lives
Taken in Religions Name.
Details of Atrocities i'm Asiatic
Turkey Coming In.
VILLAGES WIPED OUT
In One Town Of 4, 900 Less Than
100 Are Left.
Girls Are Being Traded for
Horses and Guns.

Tarsus Asiatic Turkey, Saturday
April 24.-(via Constantinople. May ~
Authentic details of the atrocities
committed by the fanatical Moham-
medans in the villages and farms in
this district are now coming into Tar
sus with sickening abundance. The
worst particulars of these narratives
cannot be mentioned, but they set forth
without doubt that at least 10000 per-
sons lost their lives in this province
and estimates place the total casualties
at $4,000.
Villages like Osmanieh, Bazsche, Ha-
madieh. Kara Kristian, Keoy and
Kezolook were actually wiped out
Each of these places had population
from 500 to 600 people. In one town of
1000 people, there are less than 100 left
nearly all women and children. 1t was
the same thing with the hundreds OF
chiftlikes. OF farms, that dot this wide
and fertile plain. The slaughter was
unsurpassing. Even Greeks and Syrians
We're struck down with the Armenians.
Entire families were burned to death In
their homes. Hundreds of girls and
women were maltreated and carried OFF
to the harems.
The correspondent was informed that
at one place a party of 100 Armenians
surrendered to the soldiers. The pris-
oners were taken to an open field
where the women were ordered to
stand apart from the men. Every one
of the men was then shot. In many
cases they went to death with their
women clinging to them. trying to save
their lives. A large number women
were wounded because Of their per-
sistence.
Sixty men who were brought down
into this district from Hadjin are now
held as slaves.
Trade Girls for Horses.
Young Turks around Tarsus are to-
day trading Armenian girls for horses
and modern repeating rifles. The entire
ten days seem to have been an in
sensate orgy of lust and violence in
the name of race and religion. In the
massacres of II years ago there was nc
such desire to kill women and children
as has been evidenced in the last 10
days There have been numerous in
and children with deliberation and
there are other instances where wo-
men were brought out one by one and
shot down, the bystanders clappine
their hands at each fresh execution.
The local authorities are giving four
cents a day for each refugee in Tarsus
The government allotment is being
supplemented from funds Of the
American mission. The local officials
say they are soon going to discontinue
their contributions. and if this is done
there will be a famine.
The yard of the American mission
house looks like a prison pen. When
the captain of a French man of wal
at Mersina came up to Tarsus with a
number of officers on visit he called
at the mission house.
My God.'' he said, this is terrible
Where do all these people sleep?'
The men wander around all night
trying to keep warm. The women and
children sleep at night on the floors OF
the school rooms. Few of them have
beds.
In the meantime, the Moslems, in the
wasted country roundabout are pastur-
ing their horses and cattle on the green
crops of their Armenian victims.