St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-05-01
CRUCIFY AND BURN NATIVE
CHRISTIANS IN PERSI-
AN TOWNS.
Massacre Of 500 BY kurds, and At
tacks by Turkish Soldiers
is Reported.

Massacre Of 500 BY kurds, and At
tacks by Turkish Soldiers
is Reported.
New York, April 2S.-Details Of
the recent massacre of native Chris
tians at Urumiah, Persia, by kurds,
received today by the Presbyterian
board of foreign missions, state that
not less than 500 have been MURDER
ed there, and that not less than 2OOe
have persisted from disease. The at
tacks, it would appear, have not beer
confined to Kurds. but have been
made, in at least one instance, by
Turkish soldiers. Crucifixion and
burning of Christians alive have been
revived missionaries reported to the
board.
The attack in which Turkish sol
diers were the assailants, according
to reports received by the board, was
made upon the American mission
and the French Roman Catholic mis-
sion. Five native Russian priests,
the reports assert, were taken from
the American mission by the Turks
The missionaries stated those men
were treated badly" and added that
it was not known to them whether
the priests were hanged.
A report had reached the Presby-
terian missionaries at Tabrlz that
Americans at Urumiah had been
forced to pay $4,000 ransom for
refugees who had fled to the mission
for protection. That report, it was
stated, had not been confirmed.
Those and other matters pertain
ing to Urumiah were related in two
letters received today from DR.. w. S
Vanneman of Salem, N. j., head OF
the Presbyterian mission hospital at
Tabriz. Writing from Tabriz March
IA, DR.. Vanneman said in part:
About ten days ago the Kurds in
Salinas, with the permission of the
Turkish troops, gathered all the Mes
torian and Armenian men remaining
there, it is reported, about 500.
They were hsld few days and then
ali Of them tortured and massacred
Many of the women and children
were taken away and i'll treated
This happened day or two before
the advancing Russian army to0W
Salinas.
1--WE are very anxious about Uru-
miah. A letter dated March ! from
DR.. Shedd (Rev. DR.. ". A. Shedd, OF
Marietta. Ohio) came through by
messenger two days ago. He said
things were getting worse. Fifty
one Of the most prominent men OF
Gulpashan were taken out at night
to the cemetery and shot. The Wo-
men and girls who could not escape
were violated. This was done by the
Turkish soldiers.
Forty men had been taken from
the Roman Catholic mission in Uru-
miah city, kept prisoners few days
then were taken at night two miles
from the city and shot.
Under dae of March FL, DR.. avn
neman wrote as follows:
1--WE are more anxious than ever
about Urumiah. On the nth, Turk
ish troops attacked our mission and
the Roman Catholic mission, and
took five native Russian priests from
our compound and treated them bad
". The gates Of the Catholic mis-
SlOQ WGI0 VOIAOuS 0AA tASy WIZ go
in great danger. We received word
from Ambassador Morganthau that
orders had been sent to Urumiah to
protect Christians, but the order was
Just too late. We are working to
get all the remaining Christians away
from Urumiah.
Some Of the native Christian
preachers have been crucified and
some burned, but these wer Of other
denominations.
IF the Russian troops should be
withdrawn every Christian would
have to leave Tabriz.
II do not believe the real condi-
ton Of affairs is comprehended in
America. It is practically the ex-
termination Of the Syrians (Nesto-
rians), and very bad for the Amer
can also. The only hope is occupa-
ton by Russia. .