New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-10-05
AXES EMPLOYED TO
MURDER ARMENIANS
Brutality Of Turks Described by
Anatoia College President


day by the Rev. George E. White
president of the college, recently re.
turned to this country. The massa
cres were committee at night by or.
i der of the Turkish government, he
! said, the Armenians being sent out ir
lots of a hundred or two to their doom
and their bodies rolled into prepared
burial trenches.
lone 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.
1.-The situation for Armenia became
excessively acute in the Spring of 1915
when the Turks determined to elm
mate tho Armenian question by elm
mating the Armenians. The Armen-
ian questions arises from political and
religious causes.
ION the pretext of searching for
| deserving soldiers concealed bombs,
weapons, seditious literature or revo-
lutionists, the Turkish officers arrested
about 1900 Armenian men at Marso-
van. accompanying their Investigations
| by horrible brutalities. There was no
revolutionary activity in our region
| whatever.
Called Out to Slaughter.
THE men were sent out in lots Of
| one or two hundred in night 'depor-
tauons' to mountains where trench
es had been prepared. Coarse peas
ants. who were employed to do what
was done. said it was a pity to waste
bullets and they used axes.
Then tho Turks turned on the wo-
men and children, the old mon and
the little boys. Scores of oxcarts
were gathered and in the early dawn
as they passed, the sdueaking of their
wheels left memories that make the
blood curdle even now. Thousands Of
women and children were swept away.
Where? Nowhere. No destination
was stated or intended. Why? Simply
because they were Armenians 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 50 to 81 each. I know be-
cause I heard the conversation of mon
engaged in the traffic. know because
I was able to ransom three girls at the
price of $4.4o.
1.-THE misery, the agony the suffer-
ing were beyond power of words to
express-almost beyond the power of
hearts to conceive. In bereavement,
thirst hunger. loneliness, hopelessness.
the groups were swept on and on
along roads which had no destination.
II received word from Ambassador
Morgenthau 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 more armed
men. They again demanded surrender
of the Armenians. I refused. They
CHALLENGED me for resisting the Turk
ish government. They said any one
who did so was liable to immediate
execution.
They broke open our gates, brought
in oxcarts and asked where the Ar
menians were. refused to tell. They
went through the building smashing
down tho doors. Then our Armenian
friends feeling that further attempt on
our part to save them would bring
more harm probably than good, came
forth, professcd themselves loyal Tur-
kish subjects and offered to do what
| was required.
IAN oxcart was assigned each fam
| ily with a measer supply of food. bed
! ding and clothing. The mother sat on
| the load with her children about her,
tho father prepared to walk beside the
cart I offered prayer and then the
sad procession carrying ~ persons
| from the college and hospital moved
| away.
| Men of Refinement Slain.
| "These teachers were men Of char
| acter, education, ability and useful
ness, several Of them representing the
fine type of graduates from American
or European universities. The COM
PAW went in safety for about fifty
miles. Then the men were separated
from the women. Their hands were
bound behind their backs and they
were led away. The eight Armenian
| members Of the staff of instruction OF
| Anatolia College were among the
| slain. The women and children were
| moved on and on. No one knows
| where and no one knows now many
| Of them ore still living.
THE government officers ploWeQ
the Armenian cemetery in Marsovan
| ana SOWeu IL Will SIdAA do a. o1 iAAHoA
! that no Armenian should live or die
| to be buried there. No Arm enian STU
| dent or teacher was left to Anatolla
| College and of the Protestant congre-
| cation in the city of $50 souls, more
| than 900 with their pastors were swept
| away. 1t was a government moVe-
| ment throughout--a movement against
! the Armenian people.
"These things are typical Of what
took place through the six provinces