The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-04-08
TURKS MASSACRE
MISSIONARIES

Tifis, MAerh rs via Petrograd aud
London. kilograms and letters
reaching here from Urumiah In
northwestern Persia describe the sit.
uation of the Americas Presbyterian
mission stationed there as depse-ate
Turkish reg ular troops and Kurds arc
prosecuting and massacring Assyrian
Christians. Harry p. Packard. doc
tor OF the missionary station at Cruz
miah Of the board Of foreign missions
OF the Presbyterian church, Fisi {
bis life in q successful effort To pre-
vent fTightful massacre at Geogta-
pa, whsre 5000 made their last
stand. They had fought for three
days and all their ammunition was
gone. At this juucture Dr. Packard
unfnrled an American flag and ad.
vancsd between the lines. His act
resulted In the saving OF all but 800
OF the Assyrlans, who had been burn
ed in q church. Fifteen thousand
AssyTian Christians have taken ref.
uge under the protection of the
American mission station, while q
600 are at the French mission. A
dispatch received at Tifiis from Cru.
miah yesterday declared that 20
Turkish regular troops had entered
the mission, hanged the orthodox
bishop, Mar Ella, and four orthodox
clergymen and beat and insulted u
missionary named Allen. Shortly be
fore the 90 refugees had been dragged
from the French and executed de-
spite fearful pleas OF the nuns.
AT Gulpashan the Kurds were par
ticularly cruel. This was the last OF
of l0S Assyrian villages 10 hold out
and 1t was occupied u month ago.
The kurds ordered all the Assyrian
males into the street, tied them in
groups OF Ave, marched them to ths
grave yard and killed them barbar.
oulsy, 10 the last boy. Girls babies
and Older women we're then executed
with great atrocity, while the young
er women were carried away as slav.
les.
AS a result Of the war IL, 600 AZ.
sYrians are taking refuge In the CAS-
casus, some 1900 Are described AS in
imminent danger at the Urumlah
mission, while 10000 are dead or
missing. Furthermore much prop.
erty has been destroyed. The Assyr.
ians fought their assAilRnts bravely
aud as long as they had ammunition
they we're victorious. The mission.
aries are uDtiring in their efforts TO
help the people and they are spend.
ing money to this end freely. In
Urumiah they are disburAing the
equivalent OF $500 daily. Disease is
prevalent among the refugees.
Tie situation at Urumiah already
has been taken up by the United
States. Secretary Bryan has tele.
graphsd American Ambassador Nor
gentbau at Constantinople to seek
protection for the missionaries and
refugees, Previous dispatches from
Bjufa, Persia, have described the
danger but none of them have given
so much detail as the message from
Tliiis. The American missionary
station at Urumiah is maintained by
the board of foreign missions of the
Presbyterian church In the United
States. The station was established
as long ago as 1885; Is control was
transferred to the Presbyterian board
in 1871. The work has gone on there
without serious Interruptions or mis-.
hap to the missionaries. The fnrce
normally at Urumish consists Of i've
clergymen and one physician, with
their wives and four single women.
Dr. Harry p. Packard, mentioned
in the dispatch from Tihis as having
risked his life to prevent massacre
Of native Christians near Urumiah,
formerly live in Pueblo, Colorado.
Mrs. Packard is a daughter OF the
Rev. Frank T. Bsyley, pastor Of the
Plymouth Congregational church oi
I Denver.
Letters received by relatives OF Mr..
and Mrs. Packard several weeks age
describe conditions In Persia as criti.
/ cal