The Washington times., 1918-11-10
Continued from tGst Sunday.
HAP TER XIII.


IN. the hands of Agha Bekran-the slave dealer Of
Moushl
Ten thousand Armenian girls, delicate, refined
daughters of Christian homes college girls young school
teachers daughters of the rich and the poor have
perienced the of that same feeling that
me that day when realized that was captive in the
house of this notorious slave dealer of MOush.
We who had been stolen by the Sheikh Zlan, told
last Sunday from the church in which my mother and
her party were hiding, driven into damp, evil
smelling room in Bekrans house It was the donkey
roomthe room the street floor of the house in which
Bekran kept his donkeys and goats 1t room from
which there could be escape and in which we could
not even lie down for fear of being trampled upon
Bekran left us in the donkey room all night In the
morning his hamma porter in to feed the ami
mails When he had finished this task he ordered Us to
follow him.
Bekran awaited us in the selamlik shuddered when
saw him-he was so old and wthered and cruel looking
negress waited upon him. He sat cushions on the
floor in the old fashion The selamk was barren and ILL
kept Everywhere there was dirt Bekran flowing gar
ments of rich texture, were ragged and trayed
Yet knew Bekran must be very rich-from the profits
the helplessness of the Armenans had brought him.
We fell upon our knees before him-then we bent into
the posture Of the Mohammedans-we wanted much to
make him listen to pleading had suffered much,
thought surely could persuade this old to let me
90 to my mother again But Bekran did not speak
His ewes roved over u.s. could feel them. He signed to
the hamma and the lifted to feet by one,
that his master might height our size and judge
of atracteness Then he gave another sign and we
taken the inside court through stone door
way and into large where there were number OF
other Armenian girls with here and there Crcassian
q Russian from the Caucasus, among them.
Soon the mammal into the room with figs and
bread could not eat neither could any of the four girls
who had been of my mothers party from Ourfa Few OF
the others ate eitheras all had but recently into
the hands of Bekran and too downcast When the
mammal that who were late corners into the COM
H. OF &c No will
time at the BATH He then compelled to cleanse our
selves we'll could of the marks of nights in
the sand and in the donkey with water from stone
tub in the courtyard.
Two men servants who came into the court while we
were bathing then joined the hammal Together they
made stand in long line The girls who had been IN
the house when arrived saved from the whips the
hammal and his men carried by telling US what to DO
They told that to be marched out into the
street Just were-unclothed- to the public slave
market of Agha Bekran
There could be escape. To break away from the
line would instant death at the hands of passing
gendarme, or capture by soldiers citizens. We were
at least protected from that by Beans servants The
slave market in old, abandoned khan stand
ing almost in the centre of the city Often In its history
this khan had served this purposeit famous,
afterward learned during the first days of the Sultan
AbdulHamid depot for the auctioning of Crcassan
girls Here it is Said the agents of rich Turks from
all Turkey from the European provinces to bid
for their choice of young women captives.
When the protecting influence of the European nations
lost because of the war; and the persecution of the
ArmenianS began the slave market again established
-patronzed mostly by the military officials and the
local pachas who liked to send Christian girls presents
to powerful friends in circles in CONSTANT
nople.
At the khan some of the girls were left standing on
the walk at the side of the roador sitting the ground
against the outer wall. One of the servants squated
near, keeping his eyes upon his masters "wares." In
side was large Here sat Agha Bskran waiting for
customers He paid attention to The mammal gave
US no heed either inside the door, he sat
on a small dvan the entrance and called out to
passers-by
All morning purchasers came. As each one spoke to
Bran the porter would clap his hands and made
to gather in circle around Bekran and his customer.
Many Of these purchasers and many girls were sold
but only for few pennies apiece There too many
in the market to demand large pricesl When girl
sold she remained until servant to take her away
Late in the afternoon of the second day customer