Show mm mw about armenians Armen ians massacred 13 HOUSES american missionaries under protection of a h governor constantinople nov 18 via sofia bulgaria nov 19 copyrighted 1895 by the associated press in response to telegrams sent to by tha united states minister terrell inquiring into the burning and pillaging of the american missions there the porte has furnished some information to tenell ten ell and additional facts have been obtained from other sources As terrell will communicate direct with the state department at washington on the subject the facts in his possession cannot be given out here but enough ia known of the disturbances to enable the associated press to give the following general outline tho trouble between burds kurds and mus at had been brewing for some time on one hand it is claimed that armenians Armen ians incited by the agents of their revolutionary committee had been arming themselves holding secret meetings and preparing for revolt against the turkish authorities the crisis was to be precipitated by an attack upon the quarter A second version is that the turks acting under instructions from gildis kiosk officials if not from the sultan himself deliberately planned to massacre the armenians Armen ians of Khar put burds kurds wore provided with weapons similar to those used by the turkish soldiery and ammunition plentifully distributed at a signal agreed upon a quarrel was picked with the armenians Armen ians and an attack upon their quarter commenced the armenians Armen ians anticipating the outbreak had armed themselves as well as possible barricades barricaded barrica ded their dwellings and made so determined a resistance that the first attack of the burds kurds was repulsed the american missionaries had applied for protection to terrell ho called personally on the forty sent several notes to the minister of foreign affairs insisting that the turkish officials should protect the american missionaries and notifying the sultan and his ministers that they would bo held responsible for the safety of the missionaries the turkish promised to protect the lives q tho ies and detailed gendarmes gen darmes to guard their i property when the armenians Armen ians repulsed the llast attack tho burds kurds were infuriated furia ted and they proceeded to the quarter of where the american mission is located and quickly overcoming tho opposition of the gendarmes gen darmes if there were any present ransacked the houses including the eight american mission buildings and exploding a shell in the house of one of the missionaries the american missionaries placed themselves under the immediate protection of the turkish governor who stilt has them under his care during the pillaging it has been ascertained beyond a doubt that the burds kurds were supported by the turkish troops in a number of instances later a second and more successful attack was made by the burds kurds upon the armenian quarters anda terrible massacre followed conservative estimates say that from to 1000 persons were killed the american missionaries formally protested against the tion of properly to the turkish authorities and to mr terrell who when all facts are thoroughly established will moat likely demand that the americana be compensated in fact it is understood that terrell has already been assured that the turkish government is prepared to do what ia right when the blame is placed where it belongs |