New Britain herald., 1915-10-05
LOCAL PASTOR
 RECEIVES APPEAL
Former Persian Resident Writes Of Terrible Conditions in Urimah

John Odishoo of Urimah, Persia, former local resident in a letter written to Rector Harry I. Iodley of St. Marks church gives a clear idea of the terrible devastion caused in that country by the Turkish army. The letter is as follows:
 Russians Were Kind.
 Tt is almost something out of the extraordinary to be writing to you these few lines. It is certainly Gods sole guidance that I am still living. You have doubtless read in the pa- pers of the great catastrophe in Uri- nah. I cannot possibly tell you a fraction of what has happened to us in this land of fanaticism. For a long period of Russian occupation of Uri- nah the Christians here had enjoyed tranquility and almost equality. The Russian had led us to the point where we could justly claim our rights. In other words we were gradually ex- tracting ourselves from the snackles of slavery and bondage. In conse- quence to these movements the Christians had reached to high grade of prosperity. But along with this movement there was another Mohammedan movement of hatred and jealousy going on. They were planning and expecting a chance to pour their revenge upon the poor Christians. This chance came to them two months after Turkey had declared war against Russia. Owing to the Russian military tactics in the region of Kars, it was announced that the Russian force occupying Urimah would withdraw and they withdrew. The Christians being terrified by this sudden movement of the Russians and afraid of the Mohammedan ven geance partly ran off with the Rus sians and partly not being able to leave their homes were left behind. The pandemonium began when the Kurdish horde began descending into the. plain of Urimah. A couple of days iater the Turkish army came. Then the Persian Mohammedans joined hands with both the Turks and Kurds. A Janaad was declared for the general massacre of the Chris tions. The devil began with his dia- bolical work. It is d long story. No human tongue can present to the world an exact account of the catas- trophe.
 Girls Sold as Slaves.
 Today every Christian village has been burned and turned into ashes. All property gone. Men, women and children butchered in cold blood. Thousands of Christians have been forced to become Mohammedans Hundreds and hundreds of our girls have fallen into the whirlpool of shame, taken away and sold into slaV- cry The world has never seen such an episode so horrible and beastly since the creation. The Moslem na,. reached to their hearts desire. They had planned to exterminate absolutely all the Christians in this section of Persia. But God wouldn't allow them to go quite that far.
 People Starving.
 have been abolutely ruined. My house razed to the ground. All my property taken away. Not a cent left. Absolutely on the point of starvation. For exactly five months I have been almost insane. The Turkish authori- ties were hunting me. l was warned by my friends to hide else I would mount the scaffold. So I hid myself. For four months I never saw sky light, lying in an underground cellar, and praying to God earnestly day and night to deliver us from this hell on earth. Then I fell sick for one month. I was so sick that I could not recognize anybody almost uncon- scious. Again God saved me.
 The Christians are in an awful condition. There is no bread to eat no clothes to wear, no house to live in. Hundreds and hundreds are daily furnishing of hunger and hard times.
 I am as badly situated as any of them. All the money I had earned has been taken by the Turks. My house burned and destroyed, there is no habitation left. Absolutely on the verge of collapse. I beg of you to ex- tend a helping hand, please make an anneal to the church For the salcn