Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-05
TURK ATROCITIES
ARE UNEQUALLED
Acts Of Slaughter, Robbery, 0utrag-
ing Women, Torture in Armenia
Surpass All Crimes.
WHOLE VILLAGES DEPoRTED


tary evidence OF the atrocities i'm
flicted by the Turks upon the Ar
menians was made public tonight by
the committee formed by Char'es r.
Crane, Cleveland II. DODGE and
others to investigate the acts of the
Armenian massacres. and which also
is taking steps to aid sufferers.
The committee states that the evil
dence was collected from sources
that are unquestioned as TO veracity
and authority OF the writer's, but for
obvious reasons their names cannot
be given and in most caseS lames
Of towns and cities must be con
cealed.
Quotations are given In the COM
mittee's report from twenty-four
sources. some OF which describe In
detail instances where ArLenians
have been put to death. women vio-
lated and children slaughtered. Of
robbery, torture and death by star
walton, and Of terrible privations en-
dured in long marches to the de-
serted regions to which the Ar
menians have been exiled-crimes
described by the committee surpass-
ing lin their horror and cruelty
anything that history has recorded in
the last 1000 years
KfIIfmu NJ AToIe.
The idea OF direct attack and mas
Hacre, carried out IL former times"
says one authority. writing under date
OF August 3. has been altered somewhat
In that the men and boys have been de-
ported IN great numbers and disappeared
en- route and later on the women and
children have been made 20 follow. For
some time stories have been prevaien.
from travellers arriving from the Interior
OF the killing OF the males and OF great
numbers Of bodies along the roadsides
and floating In the E1phrates river: OF
the delivery 90 the Kurds by the gem
darmes accepting the conveys OF women
and children. OF all the younger mom-
bers Of the parties; Of unthinkable out
RACES committed by gcndarmes and
Kurda. and even the killing OF many
victims
AT first these stories we're not given
much credence, but as many OF the refu-
gees now are arriving no doubt
longer remains Of the truth OF the
matter"
Describing under date OF June 90. the
Wholesale deportation Of $500 Armenian
Inhabitants OF Zeitoun 70 the Konieh re-
gion. Alepho and places In Mesopotamia,
one VIZ ter gives the text OF the Turkish
government order giving orders for the
expuisions.
The Turkish order.
II reads;
The commanders OF the army, OF in.
dependent army corps and OF divisions
OF the army. in case Of military neces-
sity and In case they suspect espionage
or treason, win send away. either singly
or in mass. the inhabitants OF VILLAGES or
towns and install them In other places"
Whole villages were dcported at an
hours notice. says the writer. with no
opportunity TO prepare for the Journey.
not even In some cases 10 gather To-
gether the scattered mer bers OF the
family. 20 many little children were left
behind.
Driven with whip.
In many cases. says the writer. the
men were bound tightly together with
ropes and chains. Women with little
children IN their arms. or IN the last
days Of pregnancy, were driven along
under the whip like cattle.
her writer tells OF the cruel use
OF 80 bastinado In a certain PRISON
where Armenlans were held.
AT the time OF the Romano" he
writes. forty strokes were administered
al the very most; In thia place. however,
800. 80, SOC and even 500 strokes were
administered.
"A young man was beaten TO death
within the SPACE OF five minutos"
Another authority describes the uaf OF
the bastinado and fire torture In ths ef.
forts OF the Turkish authorities In an
unnamed town TO extract information
az 10 arms in the possession OF the
Armeniaps telling of the expulsion Of
the Armenian inhabitants. be writes:
They 1.-THE men were sent Oft toward
. 10 groups of from thirty n $50.
Various reports have been circulated, the
only one generally accepted being that
: they were killed.
sees burial Mound.
Zone Greek driver reported seeing the
aAouAaa aiAAtf Wnttn thtg Wtlt buFlcI.
ION July s. before the order for the
expulsion OF the women was carried out,
- . went TO tho government 20 protest.
lie was told that the order came from
those higher up.
The panic in the city was terrible
fhe people felt that the government
was determined 70 exterminate the
Armenian race. Many OF the eonyicts
OF the prisons had been released ana tho
mountains round = wer- :. Of out
laws II was feared that tie women
and children were taken home direct
from the city and left 10 the mercy
OF these men.
The women believed they were going
10 worse than death. and many carried
poison in their pockets 70 use II neces-
sary."
In nearby Niilage says the writer.
he Was informed By a reliable witness
that torty-fiye men and women we're
taken q short distance from the village.
the women violated and the men shot.
"A number Of bodies OF women ana
children have lately been thrown up by
the sea upon the sandy beach below the
walls Of the Italian monastery here IN
and were buii,d BY Creek women.
nnrn anofhar rar..rs