The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-22
By Aurora Mardiganian

them for intereesson in their behalf There at
that time American missionary at the hospital in
Egn who had been interpreter attached to the Amer
lean Embassy at Constantnople He procured permits
sion from the Muassarf to appeal by the telegraph to
the American Ambassador Mr.. Morgenthau, for the
Christian residents of the city.
In the meantime the rich Armenian women gave all
their jewels and household silver and other valuabes
the wives ofSthe Turkish officials and in this way OBJ
tanned promises that they would be moested until
word had from Constantinople The American Am
bassador secured from Taaat Bey the Minister of the
Interior and Enver Pacha the Minister of War; permis
sion for the Armenans of Egn to remain undsurbed in
their homes
There great rejoicing then among the Christians
of Egin few days later the first company of exles
from the villages the west reached the city their
way to the SOUTH They had walked for three days and
had been cruelty mistreaed by the Zaptieths guarding
them Their girls had been carried off and their young
had been the playthings of the soldiers. They
famshed also for water and bread and the Turks
would give them none
The Armenians of Egin were heart-stricken at the
condition of these exes but they feared to help them
The refugees camped at night in the city square
During the night the Zaptieths and soldiers made free
with the young women still among the exiles and their
deepened the pity of the residents In the
ing the Armenian priest of the city could stand it
longer-he went into the square with bread and water
and prayers The MutaSSarf had been watching for Just
such occurrence!
The Mutassarif sent soldiers to bring the priest
before him. He also sent for twenty of the principal
Armenian business and had them brought into the
where he and the priest AS the
Amenians arrived his soldiers set upon the priest and
began to torture him. to pull out his hair and twist his
fingers and toes with pncers which favOrite Turk
ISL torture The soldiers kept asking him they twisted
their pincers:
Dldn you advise them to resist Didn't you take
arms to them concealed in breadH''
The priest screamed denialS. The twenty men had
been lined side of the In his trickery the
Mutassarf had stationed his soldiers away from them
when the torture of the priest continued and his screams
died away into terrible grOans the Arnenians could
stand no longer They threw themselves upon the tor
turers-nOt TO assault Them but to beg mercy for the
holy man. Then the soldiers leaped upon them and
killed them all
The Mutassarif reported to COnstantinOple that it
was impossible to longer obey the Mnistrys orders to
allow the Armenians in Egin to reman-that they had
evolted and attacked his soldiers and that he had been
forced to kill twenty of them Talaat Bey sent back the
menian in the wOrd-no matter where he she isfOr
they all have heard of it. Taaat Bey's reply was:
'Ta-a-lim e AlmOn is amusing. Try il"
Ta-a-lim e Almon-"the Cult of the Germans"
Since that day the Christians of Armenia have understood
many thngs-Ta-a-im ell Amon!
Afterwards learned that those the days of the
execution of Belgian Christians by the German soldiers.
And. two years later, when ] crept into ErzerOum
from my refuge in the desert when the Russians came