The Penn's Grove record., 1919-03-07
WAR PRISONERS IN PERSIA
DR.. ". S. yanneman, Native of Penns
Grove, Held While Women
Were Taken

Miss Mary c. Nanneman, at the
,su. mas received from II Board or
s,s. MISSIONS OIL the Presbyterian
.blrcn. extracts from the Journal of
-. N. Jessup, at Iabriz, ersla, tell
na what the Christian missionaries
here suffered during the war. Her
orohew. Dr.. William S. Vanneman,
who spent his boyhood days on the
farm where DUPONT Powder Plant 2
is located, has been a medical mission
arv at Tabriz for twenty-eight years.
The northern part Of Persia, where
Tabriz is located, was under the rule
of Russia. When the government of
the Car fell, the murderous Turks
took charge and next to Belgium, the
people in Persia suffered more than
any other small nation.
The following extracts are from F.
N. .Jcssup's Journal, Tobriz, Persia:
While the Spanish Minister was
here he acceded to the request OF the
Turks to allow them to use our house
and all the school buildings for a
couple of weeks for some of their doc
tors. We protested, but he assured
us it was the best thing and that it
would insure our own persons from
being molested, and the property
would be returned in as good condi-
ton as when occupied. The result
was the day after the first party of
the Turks went out Doctor Vanneman
and | were arrested. They left the
morning of September Z and | at once
had our house cleaned and made prep
arations to fix up the school, SO that
we might open school the following
week. Sunday morning was start
inc for church when the word came
that the "commandant" was coming
to see US, so Doctor urged me to stay
and see him, "Agala beget" and
one or two Persian police. Instead of
a call as we supposed they demanded
to see the Doctors papers. They got
all Doctor letters from his family
fer the pes five years. Of my things
they got only a few unimportant notes
and a number of sermons. ! had NOV
cd over here to Doctors and had only
a very few things, but anyway they
were more interested in him than in
me. Then we went over to our house
was practically empty as they
had only moved out the day before.
Then they said We were TO come with
them to the COMMANDMENTS, the house
over the Mustashar Hannah. | said
it was time for Church and that they
were expecting me to preach, but they
it would only take five min
utes. We debated about going, but
decided the best thing was to go, as
there was little likelihood of the
sci being Of any assistance then.
So we went and from there were
sent to the house on the lane leading
toward B. Mehran's former house,
next to the house where B. Gazar
used to be. We were taken to an
empty upstairs room. 1t was then
about noon and they said we had bet
ter send home for some lunch, so we
did. Meanwhile A. Muggerdoon, the
dentist, was also brought in, and in
the afternoon the American lawyers,
B. Sedrak Makiar and B. Alexan, and
at sunset Mr.. Kalvalsky. AS after
wore on they told us we had bet
ter send for bedding as we would
spend the night there, so we followed
the example of others and sent for a
couple of kindergarten tables on which
we put our mattresses. Later we got
a couple of tables and a lamp and lit
tie by little accumulated a bath tub,
watering pot, wash bowl and quite a
lot Of property. But at first expect
ing every day to be taken to lagoon
baghe,' CD persian Cossacks quar-
tiers taken by the Turks for barracks)
to be examined, or to be set at liberty,
we were chary of getting many things
together. We were all six of us in.
one room. The Armenians were charg-
ed with making bombs, Kavolsky with
running a wireless and against us was
formed no charge. The Armenians
knew some of the petty officers living
in the building and we got acquainted
with them and with each other and
had reading and talking and games
and blessings and prayers and lots of
callers. Every day the wives of u
four comrades came to call and we
shared all our meals and had after
loon tea. And many other people
managed to come to see us, too, so
the first days were very cheerful.
Tuesday evening some officers of the
head Pasha came to see and interrog-
ate Doctor. I went along as inter-
prefer. There were two of them and
an Interpreter who spoke French.
They put their heads together and
very solemnly in Osman Turkish
asked questions. The young officer
repeated in French, translated into
English, and Doctor replied in Eng
lish, and it went back into French and
Turkish, or sometimes | corrected
them when he didn't translate right.
After asking questions about the hos
pital and missionary force, and
whether he had journeyed in Persia,
etc, at last they whispered to each
other, "Let US come to the point." So
they asked if he didn't have some
other work than being doctor, the
point being to get him to saw he was