Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28
nv LIEUT.. COZ. 4. R~kWLINSON.
C.. ". g., c. ID. e., ID. y. d.


which | received the order that
we were to be removed to the
n prison realize that all other
sentiments We're swallowed up in
an overwh Ginning emotion Of dagrH-
dstion and disgust that we should be
herded with tho lowest criminals in
the common jail.
On leaving our old quarters we first
Jaw Armenian prisoners" Those We
saw were being used as Iaborers
tslaves would be the proper WordD,
and accustomed as I had become 10
seeing starVa ton, misery, privAtions
OF every desert ptioD, the appearance
OF these men gave me, even at that
time, a shock such as | had never be-
fore experienced and a memory which
will remain with me while life lasts
After our arrival at the prison our
officer obtained authority to permit
one of my mon to go daily to the
market, accompanied by a guard, In
this way, about February 20, the first
"event' of our prison life occurred.
One OF my men bringing me the pur-
chases effected in tho town gave me
a short note which had been pushed
into his hand in the market, and on
opening Il / found il was from some
one whom I did not know. but who
was evidently an Armenian. who
assist US.
Here was development indeed. II
was one which caused me MANY hours
Of anxious deliberation. Naturally |
feared that this might be a mapeuver
on the part of the Turks 10 entrRp
me in some move which would ena BILE
them I" connect mo with one Of the
Armenian plots which were con
stantly being discovered In such a
Gff ia - III Iy.,1-
worse than IT was already. IL was
not, therefore, till after many hours
appreheusive thought that | finally
decided to answer the letter at all,
and even then only in a very guarded
manner. ] said that I was much in
terested in what he said, and asked
him to communicate any proposition
which he might desire to make.
This apparently reached its desti
nation safely, since shortly afterWard
I received d more elaborate epistls.
This was handed to Corp. Ankers by
a person who seemed TO be a Turk
The letter was signed in a name | did
not know, and asked me definitely
what the writer could do TO assist in
or prepare for an attempt at our es-
cape. l therefore wrote to say II
would be necessary to purchase
horses, by degrees, as if getting to-
the snow rendered any passage of
the mountains possible we could ar
range further details. / was, how
ever. careful not to disclose in which
direction ] thought of escaping.
The letter told me the bearer was
absolutely to be trusted and that
could recognize him at any time by
the fact that he would have q piece of
paper protruding out of certain
pocket.
Each time / now went into tbs cor
ritlor l saw a Turkish soldier loung-
ing about, with the piece of paper
protrudins from his pocket. / there
fore began TO have more faith In my
unknown correspondent outside.
MATTERS were in this state on
A'A February IS, when, soon after
midday, An6ers came 70 me and
handed me another letter. This was
stiII from my unknown friend and to
the effect that he had already begun
to purchase horses, and that he was
located at a certain village about 10
miles off, across the plain. It then
went Oh to say that all his family.
had been massacred by. the Turks
and that he himself wished to drink
the blood of the Turks" and also TO
establish. bolshevik committees and
every other kind of horror all over
the country.
This gave me g. terrible shock, as
not only was it the most damnabie
and impossible nonsense, which did
not interest me at all, but it Was at
the same time the most dangerous
form of statement To commit to writ
ing which It was possible to conceive.
The life of any one having anything
to do with 1t would not have been
worth q moments purchase II the
Turks once got possession of such an
excessively compromising document.
was actually reading this most
murderous and dangerous effusion
before my window, IA feet exactly.
from the door to my cen, when the
said door burst sudde ally open and
in marched the second In command
Of the fortress, a. Mai. Avni Bey, ac-
companied by three other officers.