Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-11
REIGNs YET
TRIP THROUGH BLACK
SEA REGION DANGEROUS
American Officer Tells Thrilling Story
of Escape From Hands OF
Desperate kurds.

. Armenia by bands OF kurds. Tartars
and Turks is illustrative Of tho law
less conditions existing throughout the
Black Sea countries:
While fraueht with extreme danger,
the members OF the party We're neither
robbed, stripped OF their clothes and
turned adrift to make the best of their
killed. as often happens to other cara
vans. because of the magic name o:
1t was the mind OF Shamii Bcy. chief
tain OF the .nomad band entrenched
against the Arinenians at the village
or kuip, which saved the lesser mem
oers OF the mission from the custom
AIRY fate of captured caravans.
shamil Beg came TO the knowledge
fashion For three weeks they mad
been travelling from Constantinople
intent .n, on really seeing the lands OF
ASIA Minor as these lands have prob
ably not yet been seen by outsiders
Ihey had come up from dusty Aleppo
ny rain across the north strip of the
shifnWcrlnS MeSopotamian Desert until
reaching Mardin, the magnificent stone
sltY SET upon mountain. There the
seven automobilcs of the party had been
TAKEN OIL Hat cars of the Bagdad rail-
way, ana after countless adventures
@ith dmpassable roads. bridging the IN
climbing and descending the Taurus
range OF mountains. which gradually
climb thrice their height to the pla-
,caus or Ararat, the party crossed the
turkish frontier into Russian Asia
Minor, or Armenia. AS is now called
| pdi 70 Va the country.
Girl Dressed in Rags.
\ few miles gu, OF KaEizman. In the
almost dry bed Of the AraNcs. General
! barbords ear was stopped ny 3, hum
pie patriarch Offering melons carried
by his son and the latter's strangely
beautiful little girl, dressed in "a bun
'mie OF rags. Then the missions for
horseback who talked volubly. possi-
bly, TO disguise his spy chIracter.
following the lonely Valley, while
fl. . NJ
Belgian relief. discoursed on It's min
"rhi richness. next the mission rolled
around a gigantic bend OF the road to
hehoid the river bottom covered with
Iaitle ana tents Of some nomad tribe
Then Major H. w Clark. of Boston
Tain side To the right. At the same
;me General iIarbord's car was seen
70 stop. and the truck in the rear be-
;dh TO hasten its speed.
The liarboard car had been stopped
by "a much alarmed rificman dropping
70 his knees and starting 10 fire point
blank. The rihenan's gun was showed
aside by u greybeard chef;ain when
ne saw the American flag borne by the
car Directly ;he whole bottom was
I.swarming with a motley throng OF
irbesmcr dressed in shccpskin tur-
bans. ragged white s!Grts ov.rmantIcd
with long squirrel rifles and curiously
carved knives or short swords. In the
background stood their women. all in
"a group.
Old Man with Scrnwny Heard.
General Harboard LETT his machine
and walked over TO the chiefta!n, an
Old man OF scrawyn beard. who proudly
gave his name as ADD Reg. When ne
learned the party was composed OF
American she told "a story OF having
been driven together with his n;ti4
rom their mountain homes by LIE
Armcnians. saying That now they knew
not VIVA, TO do. ina, winter was com,
siarye. lie had appealed in vain. he
SAD. 10 the British and the Turks.
and if he thought the Americans
Nouin come Ia establish peace he
would sacrifice tho sheep OF his tribe
m grand feast OF rejoicing. lie
iomobiies and took a note which he
Sald he would deliver when they came
After u warm leave-taking the nu-
iand wider valley. when the Elisten-
ing. SHOWS of Ararat came suddenly in
1 Sattath. the first day OF the week near
the place O. tabled hood where the
human race had been preserved by
Noah's Ark landing until the waters
snddcncd Ruin, Of KuIp.
Next the saddened ruins OF Kuip
through the picturesque spot. a short
hall VAS made TO speak 10 :, startled
rif'cs ABOUT the machines. while nun
dreds OF their women and children
sprIt ig up Up In he rear, rear, staring. curl
ing no. brfad. OF being hunted by tho
Armenians, OF having had their homes
destroyed OF having DESTROYED the
Armenian village o. kulp in reta!ia-
The two forward machines. the first
carrying Generals Harbord and Aiosclcy
went twenty miles further climbing
out upon the bare, homeless brown
plain above which Arara, now shone
~ sunset sp!endor. the creeping
shadows OF copper Vaguely rclnindfui
of the delicate beauties OF Nenice's
green church domcs
rs this WAS again Armenian
tory. n cavalry squadron came out TO
erect General Hartford and then went
beside the river Instead OF going TO
,h he village e. for the night .fter
rlving| General Hartford sent back in
heir automobile Major n. w Clark.
together with MIR. Poland. Husscin
Bey, Turkish interpreter. and professor
of history AT Roberts College. Con
stantinople. and The Associated Press
correspondent. TO find il.
Rifle Shots Crnck out.
it's streaming lights announced its ar
sounded with rihe shots. cries in the
darkness from hundreds Of men. and
dozens of fierce figures leaped about
the machine as il stopped Hussein
Iley, being the only one who spok,,
!. Turkish, sprank from the machine and
walked conrageously toward he
friends"
soon came up short. active Turk,
afterward known as Ria. whip in
hand driving back his fellows, lash
ing them mercilessly with "A short
whip; next an Old crippled chieftain,
Alexander by name. and a Quietcr
rhieftain, Shamil Beg. 1t developed
that the truck with its three men. one
oi whom was the party's chief. Mon
Sieur Iutard. formerly with General
petain in France. was being held until
the american general would return
ana Puch for ii as American. The
members OF the searching party we're
also informed that they too must re-
main until the general had vouched
lot Inem. 1t was explained that the
prccarious military situation of the
band made this necessary, though il
1.Tas suspected to be a subterfuge to
get possession OF the person Of GEN