Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-30
TURKS MASSACRE
MANY ARMEN|ANS
Rev. George E. White Tells How
Axes Are Used to Slaughter
Students in Schools.
GIRLS ARE SOLD At AUCTION
Carried Along Ways That Have
No End After Men Fall Vic
tins to Governments Orders.

"a u iIctIiDCIo " SuutOIGh
College. M%arsovan. Northern Asia
Minor. together with 1000 others bv
Turkish peasants. whose pay for the
work was the privilege Of stripping
the clothing OF their victims bodies,
was described here to-day by the Rev.
George E. White. president Of tho COL
lege. recently returned to this: conn-
try. The mas1acies were committed
at night by order of the Turkish gov
ernnent. he said. the Armenians being
sent out In lots Of 100 or zoo to their
doom and their bodies rolled into pre-.
pared burial 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 clint
nate the Armenian question by elimi-
mating he ATmenians. The Armenian
question arises from political and re-
lIgious causes.
On the prete1t of searching for de-
serting soldiers. concealed bombs.
weapons. seditious literature or reyo-
lutionists, the Turks officers arrested
about 1900 Armenian men at Marso-
van. accompanying their Investigations
by horrible brutalities. There was no
revolutionary activity In our region
whatever.
THE men were sent out In lots OF
100 or 200 IN night deportations' to
the mountains, where trenches had
been prepared. Coarse. pc ,sants. who
were employed to do what was done
said it 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 OK carts were
gathered, and in the early dawn as
they passed the s%queaking Of their
wheels left memories that make tho
blood curdle even now. Thousands OF
women and children were swept away.
Where? Nowhere. No destination was
stated or intended. Why7 Simply be-
cause they were Armenians and Chris
ttans and were in the hands OF the
Turks.
GIRLS SNATCHED AWAY,
SOLD AT MARsovAN For ~
Girls and young women were
snatched away at every urn on the
journey. The girls sold at Marsovan
for So TO 81 each. know. because /
heard the conversation of men en-
Gaged in the trafic-I know because
L was able to ransom three girls at
the price Of $40.
The misery. the agony. tho suffer-
ing were beyond power Of words to
cxpress-almos beyond the power of
hearts to conceive. In bereavement
thirst. hunger. loneliness. hopeless
ness. the groups were swept in and
on along roads which had no destipa-
ton.
II received word from Ambassador
MorEanthau that our premises would
not be interfered with. Next morn
Ing the chief of police came with armed
men and demanded surrender of all
Armenians connected with the college.
girls school and hospital. We claimed
the right to control our grounds as
American citizens.
More than two hours we held them
at bay. They brought moro armed
men. They again demanded surrender
OF the Armenians. 1 refused. They
challenged me for resisting he Tur-
kish government. They said any ono
who did SO was liable to immediate
execution.
opSi Jul SalcS, pTOuEnI
in OK carts and asked where the Ar
menians were. I refused to tell. They
went through the buildings smashing
down the doors. Then our Armenian
friends, feeling that further attempt
on our part to save them would bring
more harm probably than good, came
forth. professed themselves loyal Tur-
kish subjects and offered to do what
was required.
An oxcart was assigned Zach family
with a meager supply OF food, bedding
and clothing. The mother sat on the
load with her children about her. the
rather prepared to walk beside the
cart. | offered prayer and Their the
sad procession carrying seventy-two
persons from the college and hospital
moved away.
SLAIN TEACHERS GRADUATES
Or AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
These teachers We're men Of char
acter. education. ability and usefulness,
several of them representing the fna
type OF graduates from American or
European universities. The company
went In safety for about nifty miles.
Then the men were separated from the
women. Their hands were bound be-
hind their backs and they were led
away. The eight Armenian members
OF the staf Of instruction Of Anatolia
College were among the slain. Tho
women and children were moved on
and on. No one INC Tvs where and no
one knows how man. Of them are still
living.
The government officers plowed the
Armenian cemeteIJ in Marsoyan and
sowed 1t with grain as a symbol that
no Armenian should live or die to he
buried there: No Armenian student or
Teacher was left to Anatolia College.
and OF the Protestant congregation in
the city OF s5) souls, more. than 900
with their pastors were swept away.
It was a government movement
throughout--a movement against the
Armenian people. =
These things are typical OF what
llcontinqedT On FIfth P4Es.5