The Washington times., 1918-09-15

Someone whispered this close at my side.
turned and it was the wife of the Badvelli
Abner our preacherteacher who had been neghbor
in Tchemesh-Ge dzak When the of city were
taken to be massacred the Badvells wife left 10
care for her aged mother who i'll in bed with typhoid
fever, ard three chidren-a baby little girl of three
and a boy who five. She had begged the Turks to
let her remain in her home to for her mother but
they refused They made the aged leave her bed
and take to the road with the rest of She died the
first day
During the first days we were the road tie Bad
vellis wife very courageous and led prayers
every night when the guards would allow to pray
But Just after left the Ham, where the Armenian girls
of Keban-Maden killed, | told last Sunday her
little boy died The guards had compelled her to leave
her baby at the river crossing have told before ard
her little girl the last of her children i'll in her
arms When passed the bodies of the Armenans from
KebanMaden laid along the road, the Badvelh S wife
suddenly lost her mind
"God has gone mad tell you-mad-mad-mad! -
This time she shreked it aloud and in among the
others in company crying the terrible thing she
went woman tried to stop her, to take the little girl
out of her but she fought ercey and held on to
her child
have heard how sometimes sickness like the plague
will spread from person to another with fatal quick
ness Tha: how the madness of the Badvelli wife
spread through refugees. 1t seemed hardly more
than a minute before the awful cry taken up by
scores, hundreds, of women whose minds already
shaken by their inability to understand why they
should be made to suffer the things they had endure
the hands of the Turks.
X was the mothers of young children mostly, who
gave in to the madness Some of these threw their chill
dren the ground and screaming out of the line
and into the desert. Others wild with their children
hanging to their Their relatives tried subdue
them, but powerless God has gone mad - they
shouted and broke free.
think there than 200 women whose minds
gave way under this sudden impulse, stirred by the
crazed widow of the pastor
The Zaptieths who i'll charge of could not
understand when the bedlam broke loose They thought
there revolt of the They charged in among
swinging their swords and guns right and left
shooting point blank Many killed wounded
hOpeessly before the soldiers and Zaptehs understood
Then the guards greatly amused, and laughed
See they said; that is what your God Isle is
crazy We could only bow our heads and submit TO
the taunt. Some of the women recovered their
and very sorry and asked forgiveness Those who
could not be managed the Zaptieths killed.
1t was now several days since left Tchemesh-
1000 had died already. Many of the pretty girls had
been stolen. | have described before Every minute
were afraid Musa Bey the Kurd cheftan would again
ride down upon And there other Kurdish bands
in the neighborhood.
We had been told we were to 20 to ArabIro but soon
after leaving the Han the other side of the Karasu
(rver) we changed direction. 1t was apparent we
were headed in the direction of HaSSan Chelebi small
cSty south of ArabkrO None of guards would give
us any definite information
The LaptlethS made us march in a line. but
one or two families abreast. The line of weary strag-
gers stretched far could see both ahead and
behind We had but little water the Zaptiehs would
not allow us TO springs streams but compelled
us to purchase water from the farmer Kurds who came
out from the Kurdish villages along the way. The vii
layers demanded sometimes Ira (nearly So cup for
water and always the boys we sent out to buv il were
sure to receive beating well the water We who
mad money with us had 10 share with those who had
Sometimes the villagers would sell the water collect the