The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-02-14
4 THRILLING STORY
OF TURKISH CRUELTY
STORY THAT RIVALS THOSE OF
ARABIAN NIGHTS
capt. w. HI. Laurene, 18 Years ,
Prisoner I'm Turkish Dungeon
Tells Graphic Story

An interesting visitor in town is
Capt. w. H. Laurene, for 18 years q
prisoner in Turkish dungeon. and
the story he tells of the cruelt!es he
suffered at the hands of the Turks,
takes one back to the days of the
Spanish Inquisition.
capt. Laurene bears credentials
from prominent men in this and 9th
er states, and the other data in his
possession leaves no doubt as to the
authenticity of his experiences.
Capt. Laurene's father was an aide
TO the French Ambassador at Wash
lngton and came to this country in
1860. few months after his mar
riage Capt. Laurene was given a
commission in the French army and
returning to France was sent to
turkey during the uprising in 1895.
He was captured by Murad Bey and
remained a prisoner in a Turkish
dungeon until L &C. 3, 1915, when re-
leased by Gen. LeMarie after the
battle Of Ambola.
He was three times wounded dur
ing the fight and the numerous scars
he carries on his body tell of the
hardships and cruelties he suffered
while in the hands Of the Turks.
Capt. Laurene's wife was a dau-
ghter Of Sarah E. Pope, a niece of
the late Chief Justice Pope of the
South Carolina Supreme Court. His
wife and child, thinking him dead.
abandoned the old home. and since
his release from prison Capt. Laurene
has not been able to locate them.
While searching for his lost wife
and child Capt. Laurene is making
lectures telling the people of this
country Of the cruelties practiced
upon christians by the Turks.
Capt. Laurene's description of
Turkish atrocities makes ones blood
run cold. He says he has seen Turks
OF gigantic size seize little children
and cut their throats, while parents
have been murdered in the presence
OF their children and their bodies
horribly mutilsted. There is no law
In Turkey. says Capt. Laurene; every
man is law unto himself; husbands
and fathers are murdered and their
wives and daughters are violated;
property Is seized without due pro
cess Of law and the slightest protest
means the death penalty.
Capt. Laurene has a story which
rivals all those of the Arabian Nights
for his story takes one back to
the country OF harems and of orien-
tai splendor, but Capt Laurene's
tale does not deal with the splendor
Of the Turkish kingdom. On the
contrary. his story is one Of cruelty,
OF wandering, daily search for loved
ones lost in the past. His story is
enough to make the blood of any
christian boil against the barbarities
of Mohamedans.
What would you do, man, if you
were shut up in prison for almost
score Of years, finally released to
find your wife and child lost so far
as tracing them is concerned-im-
agine your longing to again embrace
them, to fondle them as was their
due and yours-imagine the expect
ant search with constant hopes OF
what tomorrow might bring forth,
even as the aged prospector hoped
in his Intellectual efforts to find the
lost Banana. Can you imagine such
n chain of human circumstances? II
one is Of christian blood, one must
sympathiZe with this unfortunate
Continued on page eight