Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-10-15
.FR|GHTFUL GRIMES COMMITTED BY
:. TURKS A AGA|NST ARMEN|ANs

| NEW YORK. Oct. l5.-Burial alive
OF babies in trenches with the bodies
of their mothers. who had been slaugh-
tered or allowed to perish from ex.
posure, was practiced by the Turks in
their work of exterminating the Ar
inenidns. 1t was declared here today
By the Rev. Henry H. Riggs, mis-.
'ionary OF the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions
to iiarput, Turkey, who recently came
lack to this country. trench was
dIS beside a camp Of Armenian WON.
IN. 70 said, and as they IL 4 death the
survivors were forced TO drag their
bodies to it and bury hem
The gendarms said they could not
take care OF the babies that were left
behind so many of those were buried
with their mothers" DR.. Riggs said.
When | visited this camp frequnet-
~ saw Turks wandering about among
the Armenians picking out pretty girls
and little children to take away to
their homes. Some mothers told us
that they had themselves thrown their
babies into the Euphrates River rather
than allow them to be taken to Mos.
lem homes. Many more threw them
selves into the river TO escape bond.
age of shame worse than death
About fifteen miles from Harput is
lake hidden from sight with many
ravines about it. We are told that
the Armenian exiles were being killed
and left in these ravines. Two Ameri.
cans investigated and brought back
photographs and actual facts. They
saw in a twenty mile ride 10000 hu
man bodies, most OF them killed by the
bayonet. With few exceptions they
were women and children and the
mangled condition OF their bodies
showed the horrible fate that has heen
theirs"
The story of the deportation OF the
Armenians of Harput, is one of per
| hdy, violence and murder" DR.. Riggs
went on, adding, "It is nearer TO the
truth to say the Turkish governmen nt
undertook the extinction of the Ar
menian population" After the issue
OF an edict for all Armenians to 60 -
Mesopotamia. he said. there came the
arrest of all the men of standing.
4. They were sent out on the road
tied together in groups of two to fv","
he said, driven and beaten by the
gendarms. or the first party 500, one
| young man survived to tell the story
OF what happened. The party was tax
en- into a ravine and ordered to sit
down, he told me. Then the gend.
armes climbed upon the surrounding
rocks and fred with their rifles into
the crowd of bound prisoners as long
as they showed signs of life.
The man who told me the story
succeeded in getting his knife and
cutting himself loose. AS he made his
dash for liberty he was followed by a
/ volley OF shots but got away unscath-
ed. All the other men of that and
similar parties were ruthlessly butch
cred
The women and children were then
started on the road toward Mesopo.
tamia in companies OF two or three
thousand. BY indirect routes they
were forced to wander about until the
summer heat and disease wasted away
the majority. No transportation was
provided. saw one old man who had
travelled 200 miles. start out to 90
the remaining $50 rifles caIr! ing on
his back his pack Jf quilts and clothes
and on top OF that his AGED. pasted
w,iC, who could not walk.
often the routes choscr took the
people over wate~lcss deserts where
Thousands pe;:.!c Cd froIH Thirst ]
pa scd through TI"h n region where
thousands of blcached skeletons on
each side of the way told the story Of
n waterless journey across the plains
in August.
THE people who passed through
Harput from the north usually spent
two or three days in camp within
sight OF my home. The sights we
saw there can never be forgotten.
They were absolutely without shelter,
day or night. from heat or cold The
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