The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-29


Christians in Turkey
Mrs. Apyan says further that for
four years not church bell was heard
in Aintab and that only since the
signing Of the arnlistice have the
Christians been able to hold even
the simplest services.
Brother Went Mad in the Desert.
Another tragic passage in the letter
from Aintab brings the news Of the
death of third member of the Apyan
family. With his five sons he was
ordered to the desert. For some rea-
son or other they we're spared execu-
ton but were left to wander over the
burning sands without either food or
drink Maddened by the spectacle of
his children slowly dying of hunger
and thirst, Apyan went violently in
sane and was dubbed to death by his
Turkish guards. One of the children
survived the ordeal Of the desert, re-
turned to Aintab and brought with him
the story Of his father death.
Atrocities Are Unbelievable
In the way of information of more
general nature Mrs. Apyan IS letter
brings the details Of well-nigh unbe-
lievable barbarities in Armenia. She
writes that wealthy Armenian women.
who were believed to have swallowed
their gold to save it from the Turks,
were ripped open with sabers and prob
ed while still living for liras or gum
-eas. One in crowd destined for such
a massacre asked that she be killed out
right inasmuch as she had swallowed no
gold and could yield them no profit.
8 But there are others profits, =
said leering Turk as he dragged her
away to the marriage market. Here
she was sold for four lamb skins to a
beast of sixty who wanted an old one
for his harem.
In the journey which followed she
was hurried across the desert with her
daughter and number of other wo-
men, destined like herself to a life Of
shame. On the way they were COM
PEELED to walk and were given no food.
At one place where they stopped for
a few days her daughter sickened with
the fever. When her mother came to
her in the evening the child was sob
bling.
Mother she said piteously when
asked why she was crying, that wo-
man over there ate her baby when it
died this afternoon. Are you going to
eat me when I die2'
Mrs. Apyan insists in the letter re-
ceived in Kenosha on Monday that
that this and many other stories of the
same tenor are facts and not fabrica-
tion and that they happened in the
cases of many women who once lived
happily in Aintab and who went to the
desert, most Of them never to return
to the ruins Of the time beautiful
homes.
Another Rift n the Cloud.
In the midst of the sadness incident
to the news of the death of Mrs. Caz-
angian and of the younger Apyan, Mr..
and Mrs. Apyan received telegram
from New York announcing the arrival
of Mrs. Apyan brother, John Bor-
sian, who has been overseas with an
American medical corps for more than
twenty two months.
AS soon as war was declared Borsian
enlisted in order that he might be able
to fight against the Central Powers
who were allied with the pagan Turks.
He served most honorably along the
western front and has now been dis
charged from service. He will return
to Chicago, where he has established
a prosperous rug and carpet house. Be-
fore the end of the summer he is ex-
pected in Kenosha for a short visit
with the Apyans at their home on
Prairie Avenue.