Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-05-05
BoeosAN HIS SISTERS AND soRPoUHY

While everyone appreciates the hor-
rors Of Armenia, in their fullest sense,
there is much more interest taken in
a story from some person living near
ones own home than there can pos
sibly be in the story of someone who
has returned from the scenes Of hor-
rors, who lives in far off state.
The latest Wisconsin man to know
at first hand of the atrocities commit
ted by Turks upon Armenians is NaZa-
reth Bogosian, of Milwaukee, who
spent more than $4,000 in his efforts
to save his two half-sisters, whom he
had never seen, from the hands of the
unspeakable Turk
Mr.. Bogosian had for years been
seeking his sisters. When James W.
Thompson, state director for the Near
East Relief, opened state headquarters
in Milwaukee, Mr.. Bogosian was the
first Armenian to make himself known.
He told Mr.. Thompson the story of the
death of his two parents-the father.
an old man, being shot to death, and
his mother, an old lady, being finally
killed with Ratchet.
"Then, after these horrible things,
there were only my three sisters left
for me to try~to save. By means of the
Near East Relief, we finally located
the sisters and | sent $1,000 to Near
East Relief orphanage to care for the
girls" said Mr.. Bogosian, who has just
Ca;I who he
went to join his two sisters. eve
could not for a long time locate the
girls, and when we did there were
just the two. The other sister, WhC
we feared had been killed or taken tC
a Turkish home, we finally discovered
had been saved by an Armenian, who
some way or another had her passed
through the lines, and he afterwards
married her. They are safe from harm
so just have the two sisters who have
returned with me-"
Neither of the sisters, Sandoukt,
who is "a, or SorpQuky, who is only
IA, can talk anything but Armenian
so Mr.. Bogosian told their story as
they told it to him.
81 will do anything | can to try tC
bring happiness to these two sisters,
he said. 81 have worked hard AND
saved my money and | shall try tc
give them anything they want II
pretty clothes will help, shall be glad
to furnish them-but | am afraid the
older one has seen SO much that she
can never forget. That's what must
be done for them-they must be
taught to forget. Do you know, that
even when my mother met her hor
rible death, my sisters did not cry
Their tear ducts were dry. That is
the case with most of the Armenians
When they arrived in New York J
wanted to cheer them up, so | took
them for a nice long auto ride, AND
while the younger girl tried to enjoy
it, nv other sister did not seem ever
to notice her surroundings.
"Sandoukt has SCARED and disf1g
ured her face and suffered agonies in
doing it, but she preferred that to liv
ing in a Turkish harem. She had been
married, and does not even know what
has become OF her nuShand, tnOugn
she thinks that Of course he was
killed, as were all the men the Turks
could capture. She was obliged tc
leave her baby to die in the desert
and even then she did not cry. Her
first tears in months were shed when
she saw my little baby asleep in its
crib.
1.-THE younger girl wore her head
shaved like a boy so that the Turks
would not get her. 1t is horrible tC
think that these two girls who were
brought up in refinement and wealth
for five months had no clothing but a
single shirt apiece. And those were
so dirty when they finally got some
clothes that they fell to pieces. Wash
ing them was out of the question
During these five months, the girls