The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-15
Turks Externrinating Race,
Says Missionary From
War Zone.
SEES 10000 BODIES
IN 2O-MILE JOURNEY
In Is Months $4,000 Meet
Death at Hands of
Enemies.

New York, Oct. l4.-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
inenians. 1t was declared here today
by the Rev. Henry H. Riggs, mission
ary Of the American board Of COM
nlissloners for foreign missions to
Harput. Turkey. who recently came
back to this country. A trench was
dug beside a camp of Armenian Wom-
en-. he said, the survivors were forced
to drag their bodies to it and bury
them.
'"The gendarmes said they could
not take care OF the babies that were
left behind so many of those were
buried with their mothers" DIR. Riggs
saids When l visited this camp
frequently 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 them
selves thrown their babies into the
Euphrates river rather than allow
them to be taken to Moslem homes.
Many more threw themselves into the
river to escape bondage of shame
worse than death.
Found 10000 Bodies.
About Is miles from Harput is a
lake hidden from sight with many ra-
vines about it. We were told that the
Armenian exiles were being killed and
left in these ravines. Two Americans
investigated and brought back photo
graphs and actual facts. They saw
in twenty mile ride 10000 human
bodies. most Of them killed by the
bayonet. With a few exceptions they
were women and children and the
mangled condition of their bodies
showed the horrible fate that had
been theirs"
The story of the deportation of the
Armenians of Harput is one OF per
fidy. violence and murder" DIR. Riggs
went on adding, TT is nearer to the
truth to say the Turkish government
undertook the extinction of the Ar
menian population After the issue
of an edict for all Armenians to go to
Mesopotamia, he said, there came the
arrest of all the men Of standing.
Survivor Tells Of Massacre.
"rhey were sent out on the road
tied together in groups of two to five
he said, driven and beaten by the
gendarmes. OF the first party OF 800.
one young man survived to tell the
story of what happened. The party
was taken into a ravine and ordered to
sit down. he told me. Then the gen.
darmes climbed up on the surround
ing rocks and fired with their rifles
into the crowd Of bound prisoners as
iong 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 q
volley of shots but got away un-
scathed. All the other men of that
and similar parties were ruthlessly
butchered.
Aged Man Carried Wife.
"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
tho majority. No transportation was
provided. l saw one old man. who had
travelled 200 miles. start out to go the
remaining $50 miles carrying on his
back a pack of quilts and clothes and
on top of that his aged. pals!ed wife
who could not walk.
"Often the routes chosen took the
people over waterless deserts where
thousands perished from thirst.
passed through such - region where
! thousands of bleacheG skeletons each
side the way told the story of water
less journey across the plains in Au-
| gust.
Like Wolves in Eunssr.
The people who pas ed through
Harput from the north l. sually spent
two or three days in camp within
sight of my home. The sights WI
saw there can never be forgotten
They were absolutely without shelter
day or night. from heat or eeld. The
air was unspeakably foul frGm dead
bodies lying near. AS we api roa ached
the women and children came around
MS like hungry wolves. all restrain
lost in the one desire for a piece o
bread.
The sick and dying lay around un
der the blazing sun with no one t.
care for them, waiting for the end. On
place I saw a row of twelve dea,
women and children who had bee
sContinuoA m pava EypnvN