New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-29
TURKS AND KURDS
CRUCIFY CHRISTIANS
Hundreds Massacred in
Urumiah-Fire Torture
for Many Preachers.

Details Of the massacre Of native
Christians at Urumiah. Persia py
Kurds. received yesterday by the
PRESBYTERIAN Board OF Foreign MIS-
sions, state that not less than 800 nave
been murdered there, and more than
1000 have persisted by disease. The
attacks, it would appear, have not been
confined to Kurds, but have been made,
in at least one instance, by IurKlsh
soldiers. Crucfxion and burning
Christians alive have been revived, mis-
sionaries reported TO the board.
The attack in which Turkish soldiers
were the assailants was made upon the
American Mission and the French
Roman Catholic Mission.
II is reported that the Americans at
Urumiah had been forced TO pay S4O,--
600 as a ransom for refugees who had
fled to the mission for protection.
These and other Urumiah matters
were related in two letters received
from DR.. W. S. Vanneman, Of Salem,
n. j.. head of the Presbyterian Mission
Hospital at Tabriz. Because OF the
censorship, DR.. Vanneman wrote to his
wife on March II, who is now in this
country, rather than to the board d.
rectly. His letter was sent, in part,
to the board by Mrs. Vanneman. He
said:
about ten days ago the Kurds in
Salinas, with the permission OF the
Turkish troops, gathered all the Nes-
torian and Armenian men remaining
there, it is reported, about 500. Four
hundred were sent to Khosrova and 400
to Haft Dewan, under the pretense OF
giving them bread. They were held
a few days and then all of them tor
tured and massacred. Many OF the
women and children were taken away
and i'll treated.
Eve are anxious about Urumiah. A
letter dated March /, from DR.. Shedd
Cthe Rev. DR.. W. A. Shedd, of Marietta,
Ohio, came through by messenger two
DAYS ago. He said things were getting
worse. Gulpashan, which hitherto had
not been disturbed by the Kurds, as it
had not fought against them, had been
plundered and ruined Fifty-one of
the most prominent men were taken
out at night to the cemetery and shot.
The women and girls who could not
escape were violated. This was done
by the Turkish soldiers.
ave hear that the mission in Uru-
miah has been forced to pay $4,000
as a ransom for the refugees and we
fear it is true. DR.. Shedd writes that
not less than 800 had been murdered
in Urumiah."
In another letter DR.. Vanneman
wrote:
ave are more anxious than ever
about Urumiah. On March II Turkish
troops attacked our mission and the
Roman Catholic mission and took five
native Russian priests from our COM
pound and treated them badly. The
gates of the Catholic mission were
burned and they were all in great dan
ger.
Some of the native Christian
preachers have been crucifed and some
burned, but these were of other de-
nominations. Dr. Absalom's son "a
native physician, who had been buried
three years, was taken up and dis
honored.
"If the Russian troops should be
withdrawn again every Christian would
have to leave Tabriz.
81 do not believe the real condition
of affairs is comprehended in Amer
lea. 1t is practically the extermina-
ton Of the Syrians (Nestorians) and
very bad for the Armenians also. The
only hope IS occupation by Russia"