Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-10-03
TELLS Of HORROR
seen IN ARMENIA
Fiendish Work Of Turks. AuIes Of the
Kaiser, Described 80 World By
Returned Educator.

New York-The slaughter with
axes of all the Armenian faculty mem
I bers of AnatoIia college, Marsovau,
northern. Asia Minor. together with
1900 others BY Turkish peasants
whose pay for the work was the priv
iege Of stripping the clothing Off
their victims bodies, was described
here by Rev. George r. White, presi-
dent of the college, recently returned
to this country. The massacres were
committed at night by order Of the
Turkish government, he said, the AT
meuians being sent out in lots of q
hundred or two TO their doom and
iaI trenches
"One group Of our college boys
asked permission to sing before they
died and they sang Nearer My God to
Thee then they were struck down. %
DR.. White said.
The situation for Armenia became
excessively acute in the spring Of 1915
when the Turks determined to elm
mate the Armenian question by elm
inatiOug the Armenians. The Armen-
ian question arises from political and
religious causes.
"0n the preteEt of searching FOX
deserving soldiers, concealed bombs,
weapons, seditious literature OF reyO-
lutionists, the Turkish officers arrest
ed about one thousand two hundred
Armenian men at NIarsovan. accom-
panying their Investigations by hor-
=rible brutalities. There was no rev0-
lutionary activity in our region what
ever.
The men were sent out in lots Of
one or two hundred in night 'deport8-
lions to the mountains where trenches
had been prepared. Coarse peasants.
who we're employed TO do what was
done, said it was d pity TO waste bull
let's and they used axes.
Then the Turks turned on the We
men and children, the old men and
little boys. Scores of oxcarts were
gathered and 10 the early dawn as
they passed. the squeaking of their
wheels left memories that make the
blood curdle even now. The thousands
of women and children were swept
away Where2 Nowhere. No desti-
nation was stated or intended. Why?
Simply because they were ATmenians
and Christians and were in the hands
of the Turks
Girls and young women were
snatched away at every turn on the
Journey, The girls sold at MarsOvan
for from 81 to 81 each. ] know be-
cause 7 heard the conversation Of men
engaged in the traffic I know because
was able 10 ransom three girls at the
price of SAC.
THE misery, the agony. the suffer
Ing were beyond power of words TO
xpress-almost beyond the power Of
hearts 10 conceive. In bereavement, /
thirst, hunger. loneliness, hopeless
ness. the groups were swept on and
on along roads which had no destina-
ton
Z received word from Ambassador /
5dorgenthau that our premises would
not be interfered with. Next morning
the chief of police came with armed
men and demanded surrender Of all
Armenians connected with the college. I
girls school and hospital. We claimed
the right to control our grounds IS
American citizens
More than two hours we held them
at bay. They brought more armed /
men. They again demanded surrender +
Of the Armenians. / refused. They /
challenged me for resisting the Turk I
fish government. They said any one
who did so was liable 70 immediate I
execution.
They broke open our gates. brought 4
In oxcarts and asked where the Ar /
were. refused 70 tell. Theyl