The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-10-01
Members of Faculty of Ana
tolia College Among More
Than 1,200 Slain
GIRLS AND WOMEN
SOLD INTO SLAVERY
Story of Ferocity Told by the President
of the College, an Eye Witness of
MasSaccres.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1.-The slaughter
with axes of all the Armenian faculty
members OF Anatola college, Mansovan
Northern Asia Minor, together with POO
others, by Turkish peasants, whose pay
for the work was the privilege of strip
ping the clothing off their victims bod
les, is described by Rev George f. White,
president of the college, who recently re
turned to this country The massacres
were committed at night by order OF the
Turkish government, he said, the Arme-
mans being sent out in lots of hundred
or two to their doom and their bodies
rolled into prepared 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, Dir. White
said.
The situation for Armenia became ex-
cessively acute IN the spring OF 1918,
when the Turks determined to eliminate
the Armenians question by eliminating
the Armenians The Armenian question
ARISES from political and religious causes.
ON the preteXt OF searching for de
seTting soldiers. concealed bombs, weap-
!ons, seditious literature, or revolutionists.
the Turkish officers arrested about POO
Armenian men at Marsovan.' accompany
ing their investigations by horrible bru-
talitIcS. There was no revolutionary ac-
tlVlty in our region whatever
/ The men We're sent ont in lots of one
or two hundred in night deportations' to
the mountains where trenches had been
prepared Coarse peasants, who We're em-
ployed TO do what was done, said il was
a pity to waste bullets, and they used
axes
/ Then the Turks turned on the women
and children, the old men, and little
boys. Scores OF oNcarts were gathered
and in the early dawn as they passed, the
squeaking OF their Wheels left memories
that make the blood curdIe even now
I Thousands Of women and children were
swept away Wherey Nowhere No desti
nation was stated or intended Why.
Simply because they were Auncnians and
Christians, and were IN the hands of thg
Turks
Girls and young women were snatched
girls sold at Narsovan for from = to s
each | know, because was able I,
ransom three girls at the price OF $40.
The misery, the agony, the suffering
were beyond power OF words to express
almost beyond the power Of hearts t,
conceive In bereavement, thirst, hunger
Loneliness, hopeIessness, the groups wer,
swept on and on along roads which ha,
no destination
Il received word from Ambassador Nor
genthau that our premises would not b.
mterfered with. Next morning the che
Of police came with armed men and de
manded surrender OF all Armenians con
nceted with the college, girls school an,
hospital We claimed tile right to con
troll our grounds as American citizens
More than two hours we held then
.at bay, They brought more armed men
They again demanded surrender Of tn
Armenians | refused. They challenge,
me for resisting the Turkish government
They said any one who did SO was habl
, TO immediate execution.
They broke open our gates, brought il
, loX-carts, and asked where the Armenian
: were. refused to tell They wen
through the buildings, smashing dow
: the doors Then our Armenian friends
feeling that further attempt on our par
to save them would bring more harm
probably than good, came forth, professe
themselves loyal Turkish subjects, an,
offered to do what was required
:. An OK cart was assigned each family
! with meagre supply OF food, beddine
! and clothing. The mother sat ON tn
load with her children about her; tn
father prepared to walk beside the cart
offered prayer, and then the sad pre-
i. eesslon carrying = persons from the co
; lege and hospital moved away
These teachers were men OF character
+, education. ability, and usefulness, sever
OF them representing the fine type {
graduates from American or Europea
universities. The company went in safe
ty for about so miles Then the men wer
separated from the women, Their hand
were bound behind their backs and the
were led away. The eight Armenian men