The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-03-31
SAVED BY i. S. FLAG
ahLdICAN FLAG HALTS TURKS In
CHRISTIAN MASSACRE
5000 AUSTRIANs SAVED
DR.. Packard, an American Doctor ia
the Service of the Presbyterian
Mission, Waves Stars and Stripes
Before Advancing Hosts Bent On
Letting Blood.

kilograms and letters received at
Tiflis from Urumiah, in Northwestern
Persia and transmitted via Petrograd
and London, describe the situation Of
the American Presbyterian mission
there as desperate Turkish regular
troops and Kurds are prosecuting
and massacreing Assyrian Christians.
Harry P. Packard, the doctor Of
the Presbyterian missionary station
at Urumiah, risked his life in a sue
cessful effort to prevent a frightful
massacre at Goegtaps, where three
thousand Assyrians made their last
stand. They had fought for three
days and all their ammunition was
gone when DR.. Packard raised an
American flag and advanced between
the lines.
His act resulted in the saving OF
all but two hundred of the AssyrianS,
who had been burned in a church.
Fifteen thousand Assyriar Christians
have taken refuge at the American
mission.
A dispatch from Urumiah said
twenty Turkish regular troops had
entered one Of the missions, hanged
the Orthodox Bishop, Marelia, and
four Orthodox clergymen and beat
and assaulted a missionary named
Allen. Shortly before sixty refugees
had been dragged from the French
and executed in spite of the tearf u
pelas of the nuns.
At Gulpashan the Kurds were par
~, -, I -
a total of one hundred and three AS
syrian villages to hold out, and It
was occupied month ago. The
Kurds ordered all the Assyrian males
into the streets, tied them in groups
Of five, marched them to the grave
yard and killed them b.rbarously to
the last boy. : Girl babies and older
women then were executed with great
atrocity, while the younger women
were carried away as slaves.
AS a result of the war $4,000 As
syrians were taking refuge in the
Caucasus, some 1900 are described
as in imminent danger at the Uru-
miah missions and 10000 are dead
or missing. Much property has been
destroyed. The Assyrians fought
their ascailants bravely, and as long
as they had ammunition they were
victorious.
The missionaries are untiring IN
their efforts to help the people and
are spending money to this end free.
ly. In Uruniah they are dis5ursing
the equivalent Of 4400 daily Disease
is prevalent among the refugees.
Such continued reports of menace
to lives of American missionaries and
refugees at Urumiah, Persia, have
aroused the activity Of the state de-
partment. Secretary Bryan states
that diplomatic and consular officers
in Persia, Turkey and Russia have
been apprised OF the reported circum-
stances and appealed to for any avail
able information.
Nothing came to the department
on the subject from Ambassador Nor
genthau at Constantinopie, who has
been directed by the department to
urge the Turkish government to af-
ford protection to Americans at Uru-
mis.h, where an uprising against an
American mission was reported to
have occurred.
The missionary named Allen, nen-
toned in dispatches from Tifis, Is
the Rev. E. T. Allen, brother Of
Mrs. E. v. Lunn Of North Yakim.,
Wash. He was once pastor Of a
Portland, Ore, church.
Mr.. Allen is a naturalized Ameri-
can. His wife and three children are
with him at Urumian A letter from
him in December said in part:
"The very people that we visited.
some months ago to help are now
bowling outside the city gates, wait
ing to shed our blood it they can
force their way in. There are thou
sands and SO d not have much
food" -..-.:
The American missionary station
at Urumiah is maintained by the
board of foreign missions of the Pres
byterian church in the United States
of America. It was established in
1885. -. ~ -
The force normally at: Urumiah
consists Of five cIergymen Ind one
physician with their wives and four
single women. :. - =,