The Northern News. — 1896-06-13 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

THE MASSACRES OF ARMENIANS.  OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE. Further official correspondence relating to the Asiatic provinces of Turkey, and covering the period from January 29th last to the 26th ultimo, was issued last night as a Parliamentary paper. The present series deals with the forced conversions to Islam, and contains Vice-Consul Fitzmaurice's reports on the massacres at Ourf a, Birejik, and Adan Adiaman, which confirmed the detailed telegraphic accounts of the slaughter at those places recently published. In his despatch from Ourfa, dated March 16, Mr. Fitzmaurice said: "The general position of Armenians here and in the surrounding country, if not indeed in all the Asiatic provinces of the empire, is deplorable. They are practically considered as outlaws. Nothing but the stern punishment of Mussulmans who have been prominent in the recent disorders, combined with a long period of tranquility, can restore confidence, and it is very doubtful whether this period of tranquility will be vouchsafed to the Sultan's Government. That Government has committed the fatal error of confounding the guilty with the innocent, and instead of punishing with all the severity cf the law such Armenians as have engaged in any really treasonable action, it has committed the further and all but irreparable blunder of allowing the Mussulman population to usurp the prerogatives of the Government by wreaking their Blind and thireasoning Fury - •  on a, to a great extent, guiltless section of his Majesty's most intelligent, hard working, and useful subjects." Mr. Fitzmaurice added that he believed the kcal authorities at Ourfa and in other towns of the region he visited did not connive or bring about these massacres without having justificatory instructions obtained as the result of their deliberate and criminal misrepresentations to Constantinople regarding the Armenians, together with the false and unstatesmanlike attitude of the Central Government on the whole question. Both Mussulmans and nonMussulinans assert that the Government wished these massacres to take place, and that if it had not so wished, they could not have occurred. "The Government,, continues Mr. Fitzmaurice, "has been since in possestion of both sides of the question, but so far shrinks horn inquiry, and manifests no desire to repair these disasters. Until it does so its population will not absolve it from the charge of having deliberately worked up these massacres." In a subsequent despatch, Mr. Fitzmaurice said the Government officials at Adiaman, as elsewhere, might have easily prevented the massacre. The concluding despatch is from Lord Salisbury to the British Embassy at Constantinople, dated May 26th, stating that Sir Philip Currie's action regarding the representations he had made to the Porte on the question of the forced conversions at Birejik meets with the entire approval of Her Majesty's Government. The measures taken by the Sultan as a consequence of the Ambassadors' representations have already been published.  The Nelson Town Council on Friday resolved that 20 acres of land on the higher side of the town be purchased for the purposes of a park and recreation ground, and that application be made to the Local Government Board for powers to borrow the necessary money. A New York telegram says :—The steamer St. Paul brought with her the body of Mr. C. Murray, of London, who is believed to be a wealthy Engli,hman. He died on Wednesday on board the vessel from the effects of poison supposed to have been taken in mistake for medicine. On Friday an inquest was held at the Railway Hotel, Briertield, near Nelson, touching the death of William Green Clegg, retired tackler, fifty-nine years of age, of 26, Cotton-at., Burnley. On the Ist of May deceased's daughter committed suicide, whilst last Thursday week his daughter-in-law was interred. On Thursday morning he left home. Later, near Lodge House Bridge, near Brierfield, he was seen by the driver of a train from Burnley to place his neck and arms on the rails in front of the train. His head was severed from the body. A verdict of "Suicide whilst of unsound mind" was returned.