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Show Aett; Eyewitness Stories of Armenian Massacres That Have Grown More Terrible Since the Turk Secured the Backing of German "Kullur" A Young Girl's Heartrending Narrative of the Outrage and Torture of Hundreds of Her Friends at the' Hands of Turkish Officers and Vicious Kurds New Eyewitness Stories of Armenian Massacres That Have Grown More Terrible Since the Turk -f ' 3 Secured the Backing of German "Kullur" A Young Girl's Heartrending Narrative of the Outrage f J s A and Torture of Hundreds of Her Friends at the Hands of Turkish Officers and Vicious Kurds i 1 . ..'? - . " s v ? , t ; v . i v i ,4 l x I i -4 t ! 1 ' " ; - - ' ? Some who fell by the wayside. Starvation, w , . . - W i W i J t,(V Al t ' I exposure d attack, by Kurd, worked to- , . " , ' . -5, ,Xv f I I feJi5 .ether to pile up this heap of corpses along - " . . , , - - ! & b t . L VJ Mil! the main road of escape to the Russ.an iSP21511: ' . , " ? P r M border, Thousands lay unburied in this Jjl . ? ' 1 A. . " w I lif.V 5 1 1 way for days a horrible sight for the , ""itVoiO 1 " v "L s 4''. refugees who came later along the same W JS , 1? s . r2V:'ti A road V5i'. i4 A'." HJ J I1 By ABRAM I. ELKUS ' A ivl . c V,tH C-C K V ".. ' R mafic rdafim., irffh Turkey it ere teverei.) CT'V X- i - " ' ' v V Jil jT t a 4 1 N b sullenncr, day attcr day, in the once V NS. V - ', 1 j M Populous, thriving towns of Armenia, , ' sl S"VX.I Kurdistan and Asia Minor could be trans- ' ? " t'' " " 5 " A" ''v'"! Vt. " ' h planted for iust ten hours and re-enacted in $ I S " 5 " V NS. T, ' , I'XJ' the midst of any large city in the United Wl ' f J X YAT'X ' X VKlt1 C States all America would ring with the storj T s J , i & A N . I ' 1 11 of the most abject spectacle the world has . A' H 'v - V "4 T 1 VAJA ever witnessed. - . ' 'XM Ff Think of lmnclvods of tliousnnds of bodies of men " . 1 J T ' A, - vf ' ' H - 4 J f s -A W Vi:x nnd women whose only crime ,vns that they wor ,t" ' . Wj ' t 'V 1 1 S- ,WllP1 OmlKtrcwn alnug the highways of Turkey 'J TTT v V , 7 A 4, rfW f in A.la. bea.on. profldod. .tnhbed or shot to death ?t '""' -V 1 V " X -Jl Think of half a million children starring to death 'i C'f " " X N "s - 4 ".ijs r VtliS TliinU of a mol her. soeinR her daughters, stripped of : i "N - " V, " , itf j Wfi 1 fc 4 their clothing, their white flesh gleaming in the v. f. , W , 4 v J. ' ' f , " j V, - 3 A "J " .palescout moonlight, carried away across the sad 'V ' V X'"' " ' " A V-V i f die bars of Kurdish brigands to a tent-covered ; &" -:' , V - -w f - Ww " WTK harem in the mid.t of the desert-carried away f'- , V. T jf "Sh f screaming, Pleading, but helpless and doomed to live - . , X ' L 21 - 4 their youth as playthings of cruel, sensuous masters , f t , t v ' 'f t . 51 iflS.Vi ,o be tossed into the desert to die of thirst when - v - , - J , -,4! V!& 1 Iheir masters tire of them. V V ' ' s V IV ' I wfaMi aJ4 Read here the story of Souloukh Kheiban. daugh -y ? , ' nV , ' t' J; V ter of Meghlou Kheiban. who was killed. Read th, f" lX. ''. v" AX story of Zevnrt Khaiibian. "Zevart, the beautiful. -' , - x . 4 A Souloukh Kheiban, daughter of Meghlou Kheiban. Her family Is there written any Place iu the history of the ,?- - f u ,i , . -" v, as part cf the SOO Armenians at Moush when in April, 1915, world a more horrible liulictment of that German , rf , ; " - , s - " W -r i j i j j t tu x.1 ' . t ,,,,,, .,rf, nhiine that . . , 4 - ' 5. v " . the Turks decided to deport them. Meghlou, his son, two ruthlessness against which America Is lighting rnar , , , , y T . v t v ,v i : ' German ruthlessnoss which prostrated Belgium ( ?? ' . ' ' ' s ,V ; '" A daughters and a few other survivors arrived at Kharpout sunk the Iusltania, and, even woi-se than all, gar " Z1.. ' v . -r- ' s i, jj ',.', ' "Ai after lo-g days pnd nights of tiavehng through the desert, the Turks the right to enslave the girlhood of At tjyj? -,vs 1 ? y , V " , ' ' Tliev were taken care of by an American missionary until meuia after massacring its parents in return fo , - " s - - " ?." one night the Kurds carried them off. After seven days of the privilege of using Turkish guns? ' , t f ? t-'x"' cii ij . w ! m 5 ' , ' v 11 terr.L'.e experiences bouIouKb. again escaped and made her TKe Story . ." ' " 1 1 - ' x ' r '!k r x I 11 way back to Kharpout, from where she was sent in disguise QHTTT D11VH TTHFTRAN t---'" ' , " " ' " 'A T ,; N Vll to Trebizcnd. The night of her second escape her father and bUULUUKlTl Rrl-iDAlN - . va v H broker were stabbed to death. Her younger sister was (As told to tho Hon, Gordon PaddocU, America . ' ' lur-JiD ifn-ri.Tr consul at Tabriz.) I t . ' y ' - v s. Jji stolen by Cjevedet Bey, commander of the Turks at Van, SY FATHER kept a little shop in our nativ j?v 1 - ' , v , ? " V " IVs "" "" f who look her away on his horse, with his brigands riding be- Ml t0WB' Moush- rhere were about 000 o 11 I s . 's' 1. , r .''. ; j Ijjf nlnd eacJl v,ltn a yuno Armenian girl across his saddle. tU Armenians In this town and about 3.000 ! . J wag to aDothn Turklsh officeri mJ. Turks Persians and cltv-dwellinir Kurds. IIv . .... , Some who fell by the wayside. Starvation, exposure and attacks by Kurds worked together to-gether to pile up this heap of corpses along the main road of escape to the Russian borders. Thousands lay unburied in this way for days a horrible sight for the refugees who came later along the same road. By ABRAM I. ELKUS 'Former ambassador to Turkey, tcho witnessed tho horrors of the Armenian massacres until diplc, tnatic relations with Turkey were severed.) fPTIfl HAT I have seen of tragedy and tjjj suffering, day after day, in the once ItiLEi! populous, thriving towns of Armenia, Kurdistan and Asia Minor could be transplanted trans-planted for just ten hours and re-.enacted in the midst of any large city in the United States all America would ring with the story of the most abject spectacle the world has ever witnessed. Think of hundreds of thousands of bodies of men nnd women whose only crime was that they worshiped wor-shiped Got! strewn along the highways of Turkey in Asia, beaten, prodded, stabbed or shot to death. Think of half a million children starring to death. Think of a mot her. seeing her daughters, stripped of their clothing, their white flesh gleaming in the opalescent moonlight, carried away across the saddle sad-dle bars of Kurdish brigands to a tent-covered harem in the midst of the desert carried away, screaming, pleading, but helpless and doomed to live their youth as playthings of cruel, sensuous master, to be tossed Into the desert to die of thirst when their masters tire of them. Read here the story of Souloukh Kheiban. daugli ter of Meghlou Kheiban. who was killed. Read tlK-story tlK-story of Zevnrt Kharibian. "Zevart, the beautiful. Is there written any place in the history of the world a more horrible Indictment of that German ruthlessness against which America Is fighting that German ruthlessnoss which prostrated Belgium, sunk the T,usltania, and, even woi-se than all, gar..-the gar..-the Turks the right to enslave the girlhood of Armenia Ar-menia after massacring its parents in return fo. the privilege of using Turkish guns? The Story o SOULOUKH KHEIBAN (As told to tho Hon, Gordon Paddock, America consul at Tabriz.) l' FATHER kept a little shop in our native Hi t0WB- Moush- There were about 000 of u.i Armenians In this town and about 3.000 ' Turks, Persians and city-dwelling Kurds. My younger sister and I took lessons of a missionary, while my brother sometimes went on trading mil-tJons mil-tJons to Dear-by towns. Twice during our lives there had been outbreaks of tho Turks against the Armenians, but each time ray father had escaped and had saved us by paying all his savings to the Turks for our ransom. One night in 1915. while we were sleeping peacefully, peace-fully, there was a great noise in the city. Wbea ire ran to look out of our houses we saw Turkish troops riding through the streets, with the terrible Kurds riding among thein. My father said at once. They are the Turkish garrison at Van. They have ridden over here fo massacre us." My father, brother, sister, mother and I went Into tho plains behind our street and lay fiat on the pround. All the while we heard the most terrible shrieks and screams in the city. Near dawn my brother ventured into the city. When lie came baclc Mi news was most hor-.ble. hor-.ble. The Turks had entered all the Armenian Vomes and had dragged the younger women into . ihe streets and out to the edge of the city, where hey subjected them to horrible experiences. They fathered up all the Armenian men they could find nd disported themselves by plucking out their ryebrows, tearing off their fingernails, and setting )heii" beards and hair afire. Some of the women they stripped naked and then cut off their breasts. A typical massacre of Armenians at the hands of regular Turkish soldiers and the irregulars, Ea:hi-Bazouks, Ea:hi-Bazouks, who rival each other in slaughtering helpless men and old women. They did not seem to want to kill any of the Armenians Ar-menians outright. They tortured to death as many as they could during that terrible night. When the sun came up they scut word that all Armenians who had lived through the night could return to their homes and business and they would not be harmed if they would turn in their arms. One by one the girls who had been carried to tho plains at the edge of the city crept back tu their homes, ashamed and weak. Some of them died as soon as they had received their fathers' blessings. At noon the Turks rode away. Two weeks latr they came again, this time with orders that all Armenians Ar-menians must be deponed at once to Kharpout. This time Kurdish women, with knives, came to help the men. All the Armenians were gathered in a square. The Turks and Kurds would go into a house and drive the inhabitants into the street, where others would drive them to the square. Whenever the Kurdish women would sec a pretty girl they would try to stick their knives in her, and ofttimes they succeeded. The Turks carried six or seven smrill houses from the town and set them in the middle of th--. square, and Into those thry dragged all the beaullful Armenian girls, some aa young as 10 y&.irs old, and then the Turks would go into these houses to take their choice of (he girls. Each girl when she was dragged into the houses was made to take off her clothing before the soldiers. Sometimes they would make the girl swear that she had renounced Christianity and would accept the faith cf islam. When this was asked of a girl, if she refused her fingernails and toenails were pulled out, - and then her breasts cut off. I ir her father and mother would be brought before be-fore her ami tortured until they died, or until she forswore her religion. My sister and I both were dragged into these houses. My mother shrieked when she missed rae and saw (hem dragging ine into the houses in the cent it of the square, and ran as if to rescue me. A Kurd grabbed her and set lire to her hair. My brother ran to her and put the (ire out. At hist the Turks and Kurds collected us and started with us toward Kharpout. Those of us who had bad our cb-rliis taken from us were forced to walk naked, (hi the way Ihe Armenians of other villages .inined us, having undergone similar experiences. expe-riences. After vq hzzt bsen v. ."viking eci'crpj T)yz th Souloukh Kheiban, daughter of Meghlou Kheiban. Her family was part cf the 900 Armenians at Moush when in April, 1915, the Turks decided to deport them. Meghlou, his son, two daughters and a few other survivors arrived at Kharpout after long days and nights of traveling through the desert. Thev were taken care of by an American missionary until one night the Kurds carried them off. After seven days of terr.ble experiences Souloukh again escaped and made; her way back to Kharpout, from where she was sent in disguise f to Trebizond. The night of her second escape her father and brother were stabbed to death. Her younger sister was stolen by Djevedet Bey, commander of the Turks at Van, j who took her away on his horse, with his brigands riding behind be-hind him, each with a young Armenian girl across his saddle. was given to another Turkish officer, while my sitter sit-ter was given to the one who had found us. The next morning a company of 600 Armenian, we among them, was marshaled in front of the garrison gar-rison and started out of town, to the north, under a older women began to drop from fatigue. Whenever When-ever a woman dropped to the ground the soldier nearest her would cry out to his comrades and they would ail ride up to her and submit her to horrible torture gouge out her eyes, or cut off iier legs or a hand, and leave her to die. When we stopped along the route it was not unusual for the Kurds ar.d Tui -U to take girls nnd amuse them-sslves, them-sslves, forcing our parents and brothers to witness the outrages. When we reached Khozmo Pass our guards turned west, toward Ihe Euphrates. At nightfall we all managed my family to slip out of the circle cir-cle of guards and lie down until, In the morning, the woeful caravan moved onward. Then we made our way to Klmrpour. When we left our caravan only 300 of the original 6,000 were alive, and nearly all of these were the girls whom the guards cared for. At Kharpout we found friends among tho missionaries. mis-sionaries. There had been no niassaere yet at Kharpout. Khar-pout. but we had been there but nine riajs when the Turkish troops who garrisoned the town received orders to order I'll Armenians to turn In their arms. liarly that night a soldier came and look my slslcr and I to another part of the house, where I guard of Kurds. , After seven days we were met on the road by i company of Turkish soldlerB from Slvas, who were sent out to meet us. That night there was great reveling by the Kurds and Turks, with the younger women as the victims. The officers declared they would not take us to Slvas until they were finished with us themselves. My father and brother wern almost crazy with grief at having to witness, the degradation of myself and my littio sister. Father raised a cry and the Kurds at once put my brother .and father to torture. I saw them both dio in horrible hor-rible agony. I had covered myself with sand and was not missed. As daylight came I saw my sister, naked, being carried away by Djevedet Bey, a Kurdish officer, of-ficer, whom I recognized as the commander of the Turks at Van. lie carried her across his saddle. I was not missed nud managed to make my way back to KhariKHit Here my missionary friends hid me until a party of travelers took me in disguise to Trebizond. There I was taken to Mr. Paddock, the American consul at Tabriz, who was in Trebizond on a mission. He provided a home for me In Hag-dad Hag-dad with friends, who are caring for me. Copyright, 1017, by J. Korlcy. , |
