The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-11
EXILE AND HORROR
FOR CHRISTIANS
$4,000 in Northwestern Persia Have Suf-
fered Greatly Through the Horrors
of the Great War-Turks
Invaded Their Country.

ing and exile to more than $4,000 or
fenceless Christian people in northwest
ern Persia according to a statement Civ
en- out by newly organized Persian wal
relief committee The invasion Of Per,
STA and the capture by Turks and Kurds
of the cities Of Urumia Tabfi2 and 9TH
er cities which had been held BY Rus.
! sian troops, drove the Assyrian and Ar
/ menian people, in fear of massacre, eth
err out Of the country into Russia or into
I the American missionary compounds in
4 Ummia and Tahri2. The fight from
Urumia began at midnight on Jan. 2
4 the people having only a few moments
notice Of the approach Of the Kurds and
( the need of flight. Rev, ]. d. Barnard,
missionary OF the archbishop of Cam
! terburv's mission of the Church of Eng
1 land, who left Urumia with the refugees
! in view of the approach Of the Turkish
! troops, writes: practically the. entire
Christian population OF the Urumia rlan
and neighboring districts were in fight
as we left As far as the eve could
reach in both directions was a constant
stream Of refugees, sometimes SO dense
that the road was blocked. II was a
dreadful sight, and one ] never want to
see again. Many old people and children
died ON the way"
Most Of the refugees who fed to Rus
STA made their way to the city OF Fiflis.
The long journey Of the thousands of
fleeing people was made from UrumAa
in the depth Of winter with no provision
for the Journey. afoot through snow and
rain and cold. One of the refugees, John
MoOshie a naturalized American citizen
and superintendent of the day schools IN
the Urumia plain, writes from TiAis
During the ten DAYS journey we have
witnessed a long chain of men, women
and children from Urumia to Diouira,
most Of them walking in cold and mud,
without food or shelter We have seen
many women and children dead on the
way. as they could not endure cold and
fatigue. The Christian inhabitants of
Tahriz and Salinas have left except
those in Tabriz who are protected bv Tire
American consul
From Tabriz. Rev Frederick y ,Te--
sun writes Everyone is seeking shelter
with rs. French. Belgian. Swede. Aus-
trian, German, Turkish, Armenian and
even Moslems. The Armpnians are In
0ithl Af'tltt anu tAFl NbAlF 'iitNAN Alif
Kurds and their coming We have been
advised nv our consul to withdraw from
our other properties and 10 concentrate
here in the school compound. We have
permission to receive Europeans and our
own people among the natives. For two
days refugees have been coming in. All
our school buildings are given over 10
them. AT benches have bsen taken out I
and people are coming all day long
bringing rugs, provisions and bedding. /
Some refugees from Maraeha have ahso /
mtclv nothing. Some have walked the 4
80 or 90 miles in the winter cold and /
blizzard, leaving everything, leading or
children
The American consul ia Tabriz, Gordon /
Paddock cables Appeal Red Cross and 4
friends telegraph money aid many thous 4
and destitute refugees"
The American consul az Tiais cables
Fifteen thousand Persian Christian 1
refugees Caucasus. Local authorities do I
ing best bat funds needed return them +
home Fourteen thousand refugees mis-
sion premises Uumia destitute. Fifty
thousand dollars urgently needed. Iclc
graph funds Tabriz."
For over - years American Chris.
tans have carried on missionary work
among these people 10 northwestern Per
sa and for the Jast generation Angi
Fan missionaries from England and Ro
man Catholic missionaries from Frame
have worked among them. The disaster
which has now fallen upon The people
falls upon them an indiscTiminatcly ami h
Includes many Moslcms that have been
subjected to the same hardships and los.
ls their Christian neighb0rs Relief
unds sill . distributed wherever there
Is greatest need without regard 20 sect
n nationality
The American missionaries Of north
western Persia are 40 al their posts and
IHre Oiled their compounds aud build
ug- with refugees. a relief committee
ias been organized rs Tabriz under the
American consul and M. :. Kauuemau
" D.. Res, Robert M. Iabaree Of Tabrz
has gone o. Ti1is 10 work With a local
committee af leading native Christians /
Relief n THz uII g. supervised 81 /,
DIS committee Mr. iaharee and the !
American ocnsnl II
Of en- those throughout thf world Who
ra suffering au ser0Hat ~ the war. none
ave suffered mere ~ n greater un0
HHra than thCse thousands of pour pre-
D. gh1 mte been driven from thFir
aues o. tha dEfth 81 winter aud BIT
amalees ass destitute HhFt uust a.
au.f fr a o. cities - uEh thrr I
ate #a3 aHI THAT the Turks aud
.rrs arr ~ D. utElrauuu from
'asu uf D. rtaT 30 ther Or
tfHra ua ESQ e1ah'el rs ra-astab
d tuaf, T uea e. ufrerf atl
uaa8 IS net
naat tfr aFass
AT committee rFtE Eairt e
rae1nas tr
era
Base Z
fhf
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81
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