Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-09-23
100000 ARMENIAN
REFUGEES VICTIMS
OF TURK DESP0TS
Trail of Victims of Massacres,
Famine and Disease Marks
Enforced Flight of Entire
Christian Race.
OTHER RACES MAY SUFFER
Greeks, Italians, Jews, Then
Germans Must Go, Says One
Moslem Authority-Too
Bloody For shiek.
OTHER RACES MAY SUFFER

New York. Sept. 2o.-Back of the
designation OF the Shiek-Ul-Islam,
spiritual head Of the Mohammedan
faith, missionary officials believe, lies
the greatest tragedy of the present war
The Sniek-Dl-Islam's resignation was
P protest against the treatment of the
Armeniars by the Turks.
When the curtain of secrecy is lifted
and the world is permitted to learn the
truth of what has TRANSFERRED in Tur-
key, it Is believed here that he most
horrible chapter in the history of the
"unspeakable Turk will be revealed.
Death List Staggering.
FROM information smuggled out of
Constantlnople by an American cor
300,0OO-the number may be 700, 600
Armenlans, have died from massacres
starvation and disease as the result of
the oppression of the Turks.
Enver Pasha n Talet Bey, the men
who now virtually control the dcstinies
Of every man. woman and child il
Turkish domains, are RESPONSIBLE for
this condition. Enver Pasha, when
asked why h Armenians were being
subjected to such terrible treatment is
reported to have replied:
Because it amuSes U.S."
ASSSAtt1S IliNeI dSild received llc
order "Ponr LIE Merite' at the hands Of
the German government. Nc was edu-
Gated in Germany.
John Reed, in a copyrighted story in
the New York World, writes:
in the region bounded by Samsun,
Marsivan, sivas and NAHUM, to the
borders Of Alsppo and Adanah and the
V1layets east to Persia and north to the
Black sea. the entire population was
sent out.
Men Robbed; Women Outraged.
Forced to pay $50 piastres ($S) rail-
way fare for Il short distance, or walk,
women, children and men, sick or we'll,
We're dubbed and whipped. As into a
box car, where they spent five days
without food unless brought with them.
Babies were porn in the cars, people
died in them. Many committed suicide,
throwing themselves from the train.
Men We're robbed and women vio-
lated by soldiers at every station. En-
tire trainloads went through towns
screaming in vain for bread. Men who
sent their women by railway and went
on foot with other women n children
too poor to pay were set upon by
bandits from the hills n robbed of
all they possessed. OF $4,000 who
started for Aleppo on foot, 1000 ar
rived.
Concentrated at Aleppo. Konia,
Alton and Kara Hissar, in shelterless
camps on the plain, the miserable ref
ugees We're forced to sell hat little
remained to them for food and clothing.
Girls and young, women were taken for
slaves; the rest We're driven out into
the desert, where they had neither
houses, water nor food.
Destroying Whole Race.
There We're few outright massacres
but it is plain to be seen that this sub
tie way was taken of destroying an
entire race. Pamphlets have been cir
culated melting the savage tribes and
soldiers against the Christians. tanning
the flames of the holy war.
In the American schools at Bardi-
FAC the Armenian girls, students and
teachers, were given their choice
whether to become Mohalnmedans or
not, but many We're sent to the ha-
rems. In Harput, Armenian women
were torn from the school, violated and
butchered by the soldiers and the mob.
At Marsivan the mob stormed a school.
struck the missionaries and deported
% girls.
Two American women, Miss Gage
and Miss Willard, went with them to
protect their charges, and when last
heard Of were safe at Sivas.
Men Teachers Killed.
Armenian men teachers at Alton
were taken into a field and their a
smashed with axes. In the Kara Hissar
school Armenian girls were deported
and outraged.
The American missionaries and dip
lomats won't talk. I got most of my
information from German doctors, mis-
sionaries and correspondents, but you
may refer to the American Board OF
Missions at Boston, where all the facts
are known.
High Turkish officials told me that
the Armenian massacres are part of a
deliberate scheme Of the committee OF
union and progress to expel all aliens,
cherished since the Balkan war. Greeks
are marked to go, then the Jews n
Italians.
They say all Christians must go.
They want the American school build
ings and property, and then, when the
war is finished, they will get rid of the
Germans. There is much feeling
against the Germans, but 1t is now sup
pressed.