New Ulm review., 1922-03-22

sumption by having baked within it
steel shayings, and other refuse, even
more horrible.i rs
In that city square, with absolutely
no sanitary accommod odations, twenty
thousand miserable wretches spent
months. Day by day they died like
flies, Of typhus and other dread di-
seases. Daily y5they buried hundred
whose struggles were happily over.
Day by day they hoped and prayed
and despaired.
E. Mr.. Shahbaz and his family decided
to go and live in. deserted house
across the road from the Mission, be-
lieWng it better to die out there than
within the awful enclosure of the
Mission. Here for six months they
lived in bare room, with no clothing,
no bed, no chair, and with constant
fear for their daily companion. Here
the father Of the family spent every
night upon the roof, keeping watch
against surprise by the Turks. Finally
one day, came knock at the gate Of
the wall about the house, and peering
over the wall, Mr.. Shahbaz spied the
form Of a Mohammedan friend Of his
seeking admittance. When the Mo
hammedan found the plight in which
his friends were living, he took them
under his care and daily sent to them
food and such other comforts as he
could give them.
The Blue-Eyed People Come.
Finally, one day came the glad
tidings that the 'Blue-eyed People" as
they named the Russians, were coming
to their assistance. The word was
whispered about fearfully, none daring
to believe that it could really be true.
Nearer came the Russians, 25 miles,
Is miles, 5 miles, and finally the day
that they would arrive was set and the
people in the Mission stockade, now
reduced in nun bers to half their
original company, poured out Of the
great gate Of the Mission, which had
been barricaded for six months and
proceeded painfully to the gates Of the
city where soon the Cossacks appeared.
There the refugees fell upon their
faces, weeping, kissing the very hoofs
Of the horses that had borne their de-
liverers to them, drenching the boots
Of the Cossacks with their tears.
A Plea Fer Russia.
At this pointin his story, the speaker
stopped to utter plea for the Rus
slams. He assured his hearers that
they could do not re noble than
to help the Russians, and told them
with confidence that Russia will event.
ually prove herself to the world. He
asked his audience to help the Russians
whenever and however they can. Not
a word of condemnation did he have
for Russia or any Of their people, only a
whole-hearted appeal for the people
who had in the past befriended the
Persian Christians in their hour of
extremity. 81
After the rescue by the Russians, the
Kurds retreated and many of the
Christians desired to go back to their
homes, but alas, most Of their homes
had been burned, nothing was left.
Mr.. Shahbaz described some of the
pitiful scenes enacted when people
would go back to start life anew and
find nothing to start with, land Of
waste and resolution. He told Of how
those who had not fled were treated
by the Kurds when captured, burning
alive being the punishment meted out
to those who would not renounce the
Christian faith and espouse .Moham-
mechanism.
Comes to America.
Finally, Mr.. Shahbaz decided that
he could do nothing more for his people
by remaining in Persia, and he decided
to come to America. He succeeded
lin borrowing sufficient funds to get
away, crossed Russia, took ship at
Archangel, and sailed thru seas filed
with mines left by the war years, until
after three months he set foot on
American soil in great burst of happi-
ness and relief from long suffering.
AT present he is employed by those n
charge Of relief for the Christians, to