The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-07-22
YOUTH SOLD AS
SLAVE BY TURKS
Armenian Lad Tells Thrilling
Story Of His Escape
from Arabia.
SAVED BY BRITISH SOLDIERS
Father, Mother and Sister Exlled Into
MssOpotamla Desert Die Of starva-
tlon--Reaches Chicago Through
Help Of Near East Relief.

Chicago.-That truth IS stranger
than fiction is Illustrated by the story
told by Bedrus Sislian a seventeen
year-old Armenian boy, who escapes
from slavery in Arabia and arrived
IN Chicago recently.
His story Of slavery and flight; ths
sxlling Of his father, mother and sis
ter into the Mesopotamia desert anC
their subsequent death from starva
lion; the meeting in Constantinopl'
between Bedrus and bis brother ED
ward, who is a seaman on the United
States destroyer No. 239. was told II
the Office of the Near East relief. viii
Airs. Ardashes Slslian OF 740 Nortl
Wells street, Bedrus' slster-in-law
acting as the interpreter.
Until nbout three years ago the Sis
llan family was living in comparative
comfort In the city OF Adana, which Il
close to Tarsus in Cillcia. One day
the Turkish soldiers came into th'
city and ordered all the nOn-M0ham
medan people to leave their homes ant
20 toward the Mesop0tamIa desert
Hastily. the mother and father cu
the hair Of the three girls III the fam
lily and daubed their faces with mut
TO prevent their sale into slavery
Bedrus, then fourteen years old, did
not escape that fate because, he says
he was strong and the Turks saw II
him the making OF a farm labOfer.
Family Separated; Boy Sold.
The family was separated-ths
father, mother and girls being driven
to Mosul near Nineveh, a distance Of
about 500 miles from their home. and
the boy was sold 10 caravan Of Ar
abian traders for a sum eqHlyalent q
an English pound. The traders In turn
sold him to q rich farmer for sun
equivalent to somewhat less than
three English pounds.
This farmer told Bedrus that he
would adopt him as his son and make
him his heir II the Armenian lad
would renounee his Christian faith and
become a Mohammedan. The lad KEEP:
his own counsel until they arrived al
4 small hotel in Haman. The hotel.
keeper, an Arabian Christian, wills
pered 10 the boy that In three days
ne would help him to escape. While
the farmer was busy with his affair
In the town. the hoteikeeper sent the
boy 10 q friend, another Arabian Chris
tan, who owned a lunch room Ia an,
other pnrt Of the town. Here Bedr1is
worked for seven mouths AZ "A waiter
A, detachment OF the British army
came to the village and picked III
many Of the Armenian orphans. IN
Guiding Bedrus. and took them TO d
newly organized orphanage IN Mos1l
The boy did not know his parents
were refugees In that city untii they
with other Armenian parents seeking
lost children, came 10 the Orphanngt
and found BedruR
Die Of Starvation.
The family reunion was a happy
one, but food WAS scarce. Within the
year the eldest sister, eighteen years
Of age, died Of starvation. Five
months later the father died II the
same cause. The mothers death fol
lowed in two weeks. The boy man
aged, with the help Of the English
army, 10 get back 10 Adana, accom-
panied by his two younger sisters. who
later were taken by the British to POrt
Said. Bedrus found a job In tailor
shop In his home town, where he
worked for four months, when Turk
ish soldiers agnin looted the homes 81
the Arnenians and sold the boys ant
girls into slavery and he Ned TOWARD
Beirut.
There he worked as a dock laborel
for three months, when, fearing the
Turks would find him and return hin
to slavery, he started 10 Constantine
pie. There an Armenian society gave
him a job without pay except hi,
board, ia a general store, where he
stayed for six months.
The boy told Of meeting his brother
Edward In Constantinople. The Other
brother, Ardashes, IN Chicago, wai
communicated with and through the
Chicago headquarters Of the Neal
East relief this brother and his wifi,
sent money for the transportation OF
the ex-slayeS to the 'land Of the free. ;
The youth plans TO work TO get enough
money to bring his fourteen-year-olf
sister, who is In an orphanage in Cy
prus, to this country.