Weekly News. — 1890-12-18 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE OPPRESSION 11 ARMENIA.  The Arm-Man papers, says a Daily News rorre. spondent, are throwing a dark light upon the state of affairs in that country. The Chief of Police in Erzeroum himself roams through the vilayet enforcing the payment of the taxes, and whoever cannot answer his demands to the last penny may look on while his goods are sold. The consequence of this is an enormous fall in the prices of cattle and other things. An ox, for instance, is sold for 135.; • sheep for 2s. In order to seek protection from the outrages of their oppressors the greater part of the Christian inhabitants of Alasligerd have now gone over to the Orthodox Church. At Sivas the authorities arc proceeding with unheard-of severity. Police agents search the inns daily and arrest Armenian visitors, who are only released when%they have been robbed of all their means. This outrage was lately perpetrated in the case of two:Armenians who had just returned train America. They were only set at liberty after their., earnings of long years of hard work were in the hands of their avaricious gaolers. The Turkish population, encouraged by the attitude of the Government, behaves towards Armenians with great brutality, and this gives rise to many sanguinary conflicts. Eller Zade Osmon, the notorious fanatic, incites hie lellow-citizens to massacre the Armenian population. At Sivas Fair lately a number of Turks armed with long knives attacked some young Armenians and wounded them severely. The parents of the wounded boys begged the authorities to administer justice, but not only were their complaints not listened to, but some of the parents were thrown into prison. A Man named Constant, who was lately returning home towards evening, was attacked passing the barracks by a number of soldiers and cruelly beaten, and robbed of everything. But this was not enough, and the poor fellow was then accused of having intended to set fire to the ammunition depot, and in spite of his ?protestations of innocence was thrown into prison. In the villages matters are said to be graver still. At the village of inlaid three Turks fired their way into the mill and murdered the miller. The miller's man was fortunate enough to escape, and informed the authorities of the matter. The latter, as usual, did nothing to punish the murderers. An Armenian named hlikirdtz was lately attacked by Turks, who actually cut off his nose, ears, and fingers. Needless to repeat, the authorities took no notice. In the villages mounted gendarmes enforce the payment of taxes, and the sums fixed by them are sometimes 50 or 60 per cent, of the victim's whole harvest. Does the peasant not pay at once, whether he will not or cannot, he is bound hand and foot and hung from a tree head downwards, and then cold water is poured upon him for several hours. Another method of torture to winch these human monsters resort is that of putting the head of their victim in a sack of chaff. With every breath his draws he is obliged to swallow the chaff, and the agonies he endures are so great that many of tip , victims have died during the inhuman operation. 1,  A battle is reported to have occurred hetweec the United States troops and the Indians near Pine Ridge. The Indians were routed, Kicking Bear wa, captured, and several were killed on both sides.  The Dutch Indian Budget for 1891 shews a dclici7 of 23,000,0000. The state of things in Java has beol• reverely criticised in the Chamber, even by Supporters of the Ministry.  A Cairo correspondent says that. the friendly tribe which started from Ketesko seven weeks age, With the consent of Wodeliouse Paella, to attempq the capture of Berber, has tailed in its main obj.•et. Swing to the strong resistance of tlo, Dervishes; I e the Dervish leader, who was the murderer Colonel Stewart, has been killed.  A tillOrt tune a*, mur-tooted patient was brought to St. ThoinaN's Hospital. He was a collie dog named Mac, innl his mistress related that while out walking he had tt.en attacked by another dog, and during the fi,.*! was run over by a brougham. Examination sle.wctl that one foreleg was badly I ractured and th.• it or bruised, whereupon chloroform was admiri,de,d and the broken limb incased in plaster of Paris splinters. On Saturday the splints were removed and the dog was discharged cured. The patient WAS entered on the books as "Mac; occuoation let."