Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-31

New York, Jan. 30.-Dramatic
and humorous experiences are de-
scribed in the stories just received
here from three american girls
who protected the Armenian or
phanages in Kars. Armenia, when
the Turkish troops captured that
city in October last
The American young women not
only had to calm the panic
stricken orphans but to fight off
Armenian refugees who wanted to
hide in the orphanages and Turk
ish soldiers bent on looting the
buildings. One of the girls, Miss
Elsie NJ. Kimball og Mt. Vernon, N
Y, put to rout a group of about
twenty Turks who were attempt
ing to steal the blankets from the
children's beds. She attacked them
with a whip and being unarmed
they fled. Her two companions
We're Miss Cora l. Beach of Og-
densburg, n. Y, and Miss Frances
Anderson of New Canaan, Conn.
All three are workers for the Near
East relief, which conducts the
orphanages.
Miss Kimban tells in her letter
of the panicky situation which eX-
listed in Kars when the Armenian
defense collapsed and word was
received that the Turks were COM
ing in. Just imagine" she writes,
:" a great mass of 1000 women and
children huddled together in un-
trollable fear. mOmentarily eX
pected to be massacred by a con-
quering army and with absolutely
no possibility of escape from what
they had every reason TO believe
would be certain DEATH"
Miss Kimball had just managed
to quiet them when the Turks ar
rived at the door of the orphanage
three vicious looking soldiers.
u"I ran to them and explained
through the interpreter that l was
an American woman and this was
an American orphanage. Two OF
the fellows who were evidently
bent on mischief started toward
the building where the children
were gathered. l snatched the
arm of the other fellow and begged
him to protect the children. linz
mediately he ran after the two
soldiers and dealt them ferocious
blows with his heavy whip and his
gun, cursing them all the way to
the gate. They were loath to go,
but he whipped them clear out of
sight and | thanked him for MS
help. Then came more SoldlefS
and I repeated my speeches until
] was about worn out when along
came fine looking Turkish Of
ficer. | explained the situation to
him and asked that Turkish guards
be placed at our gates and he put
two of his men on guard to police
the place.
would-he invaders and mercilessly
with the butts of their guns, their
fists and the toes of their shoes.
Many of the fellows who came
through our goundrs from the
open field in the back were the
widest looking individuals this
wild country could possibly pro-
duce, and believe me, it produces
some mighty evil specimens of
humanity and in generous guam
titles. The most treacherous of
all are the Kurds, the boldest and
most bloodthirsty and most ruth
less tribe in the Near East. The
Turkish guards had their hands
full in pushing them back. They
regarded me with great curiosity,
never having seen an American,
and my goggles interested them
exceedingly.
THE shooting went on all day,
but probably not over 300 people
We're killed altogether in the city
and the valley. Once when | was
CT nd inc l,n 10 Oh, OF
struck within a few feet of me.
1t was the closest shave l had
that day, though other shots We're
flying all around.
'In making my rounds of the
four buildings, | found a Turk
rifing one of the rooms of blank
cts. | yelled at him to get out
of here, quick. Heidy,' and to my
surprise, he jumped through the
window like shot, leaving his
loot behind. | had not expected
such quick action for ! was alone
and he was a big, burly man."
A little later another Turkish
soldier held up Miss Kimbal at
the point of his rifle and COM
PEELED her to give him a blanket.
Cora Miss Beach, was the
only American in one of the other
orphanage buildings last night.
with bands of Turks knocking at
= the door at intervals and prowl-
ing about for loot. One rough
ILurd took hold Of her and said
gel Gomez, but she made him
gel instead"
Miss Kimball was hastily sum-
moned to the orphanage on one
occasion by 1.-The announcement
that "a lot of Turks We're trying to
drag out through the windows the
blankets from the beds of the
orphans. 81 grabbed my whip
and started out for more trouble"
she writes. Sure enough, there
was gang of about 20 Turks, |
one at each window, reaching
through for blankets. | was alone.
] yelled myself hoarse with
'heidys' and other. things, and
made dramatic dash at them