New-York tribune., 1915-03-26
IMERICAN FLAG
SAVES LIVES
OF ASsYRIANs
n, Packard Faces Death
At Hands of Turks in
Urumiah, Persia.
CHRISTIANS CRUELTY
uASSACRED BY KURDS
cseen Thousand Natives Take
psfuqe in Presbyterian Mis-
sion-20,000 Missing.

~sjs via Petrograd). March 25.-
.j.grsms and letters reaching here
~ ~ Urumiah, in Northwestern Per
i.scrihc the situation Of the Amer
PRESBYTERIAN mission stationed
as desperate. Turkish regular
-. - ard Kurds are prosecuting anc
..ss,rjng Assyrian Christians.
rsTrv ?. Packard. the physician Of
.,;ssionary station at Urumiah OF
posrd Of Foreign Missions of the
,,.byterian Church. risked his life in
w.: s'~.,,;:essful effort 20 prevent a fright
y ,sssacre at GcoGtapa. where 5000
-..yisrs made their last stand. They
s'Ttopcht for three days, and all their
t.-rrition was gone. At this juncture
=. paekar5 unfurled an American flag
"a advanced between the lines. His
= ,ssuItca p the saving of all but POO
-. Assyr.aus. who had been burned
ehurcs.
r,i,een thousand Assyrian Christians
~, taken refuge under the protec-
:. n the American mission station,
~. 1000 aye at the French mission.
Esnatch received at Tif1is from
1--ish Yesterday declared that sew
~ Turkish regular troops had en-
81 the mission, hanged the Orthodox
s,isn. Marc'ia. and four Orthodox
,-zrr,en and beaten and insulted a
.,sionarv named Allen. Shortly be-
=. his sixty refugees had been
..rred from the French mission and
,..S,ed in spite of the fearful pleas Of
2 nuns.
Massacred at Graveyard.
4. Gulrashan the Kurds were par
..,i,rlv crue.. This was the last of a
"a al lO3 Assyrian villages TO hold
I. and II was occupied a month ago.
:. Kur6s ordered all the Assyrian
,,.s into the streets. tied them in
ms of Eve. marched them TO the
--svarI and killed them barbarously
~ last boy Girl babies and older
zen were thcn executed with great
,-,tjtv. while the younger women
rrs carried away as slaves.
,s result of the war 10000 As
r-,,s are taking refuge in the Cau-
,.vs some 1900 are described as in
--inent danger at the Urumiah mis-
~, while 10000 are dead or missing.
T--bermore. much property has been
l.r,oyed. The AsSyrians fought their
Wul .nts bIavely. and as long as they
nd ammunition they were victorious.
The missionaries are untirlng in
tsr efforts 20 help the people, and
iey sre spending money TO this end
freely In Urumiah they are disburs-
n he equivalent Of S400 daily. Dis
us 5 prevalent among the refugees.
Washington. March Continued
,1Orts Of menace 10 lives Of American
-i.,onaries and refugees at Urumiah,
Prsia. have aroused the activity of the
;z,e Department. Although only one
Zeal Communication on the subject
a, been received, Secretary Bryan
ui to-day that diplomatic and con-
ru officers in Persia. Turkey and
i.ssis have been apprised of the cir
--s,ances and asked for any vail
i,s information
Nothing was heard by the depart
r,, on the subject to-day from Am
.ssssdor MorCenthau at Constanti-
,',ls who yesterday was directed by
he department TO urge the Turkish
rTsrnment 20 afford protection to
americans az Drumiah, where an up
rang against an American mission was
reported 10 have occurred.
The American missionary station a
Urvnish is maintained by the Boar