The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-05
TURKS MASSACRE
 ARMENIANS AND
 LAY SIEGE TO VAN
Thousands of Peasant Fall Victims - Soldiers of
 Jevded Pasha

London, Oct. "Details of the siege of Van and the massacre of Armen- ians by the Turks are given in the current issue of the Near East, which fixes the resp onsibility for the crime on Jevded Pasha- It was on Jevded Pasha, also that the refugee AmeFi can missionaries, in the story of their sufferings recounted to the Associated Press correspondent at Petrograd this week, laid the guilt. Jevded is the supreme commander of the Turkish army, operating in this province.
 Vaan, the ancient capital of the Arm enian Ardzrundi dynasty, was oc- cupied by the Russian army in it's ad- vance in the Caucasus during the first week of last Maya. The Russian com mander, General -Ogaanesov, who is an Armenian, was assisted by six Ar
 nenian volunteer regiments under the Armenian revolutionary, Andranig, who had fought with the Bulgarians against the Turks in the first Balkan war. But long before Van fell to the Russians, JeXded Pasha started the work of rnassacreing the Armenian population.
 The massacre began at Shadokh, a a man was spared except those over SO years of age. Of the women, the m ore comeIy were carried away by Jevded,s soldiers and Kurd tribesmen. The massacre was carried out system atical1y in the entire province. of Van beginning with the outlying village. NGreat care was taken to prevent 4ru- more of this from reaching the capi- tai.
 There was living in Van city at that time Prince Ishkham, Armenian, who had formerly been useful to the government in settling troubles be- tween the Turks and the Arm menians. He was asked by Jevded to go to the villages and try to reconcile the con tending parties Jevded addressed the Prince in a, letter as his ''dear friend-,' The Prince. unaware of the plot. started out with a number of advisers. The entire party was slaughtered by a, party of Jevded's h horsemen while taking lunch at a cof- fee house.
 At this time also there was in Van an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament by the name of >Vrarnian, who was invited by Jevded to call on him at headquarters. On arrival at headquarters Vrarf1ianN was arrested, a large stone was tied to his feet and he was thrown intq a lake and drown ed
 The Russians were now reported on the advance. Talaat Bey published aswarning against the Arm menians par ficipating on a penaltty of dire pun ishment: But the story of the massa- #crein the isolated parts was carried by survivors, and the Arm enians pre- pared to sell them selves as dearly as possi b1e, the peaceful element well as the reVoIutionaries Jevded then called on the Armenian Bishop to visit him The Bishop refused. Thereupon Jevded descended upon the ssrebeT1ious''f city of. Can with an army of 8 ,0oo sssssAr-lzs4 and Kurds and called on the people to lay down their arms, surrender without conditions and trust to the clemency of the sul- tan. This offer was made through the Italian consul.
 Of the 5o.0e0 Armenians in Van. only 450 were 4armed425O with rifles and the rest with revolvers. For 29sl days this handful defended the city, On the 30th day., General Ogaanesov arrived with his Armenian volunteers and Russian regulars and the Turks retreated.
 Conditions were at that time fright ful, as the only doctor in the city to look. after the sick and wouhded had been Dr. Allen. an American mission ary. But with the Russians came help, and doctors and nurses soon arrived from Tifffs, Committees were appointed to aid the sufferers, and the peasants started in to till the fields and rebuild their homes.