ATROCITIES IN ARMENIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1960, 24 October 1889, Page 4

ATROCITIES IN ARMENIA.

About a month ago a cable message was published to the effect that Mr Gladstone had sent to the Daily News a report on the Turkish cruelties in Armenia. The statement, which Mr Gladstone affirmed proceeded from a source which had every presumption of trustworthiness, was as follows; «In the month of March last, during the night, Moussa Bey, accomf panied by his brother Djaso and his brother-in-law Eomer Bey, at the head of a large band of his men (about 100) entered by force the housp of Agatchian, in the village of Khartz, about eighteen miles from Moosh, betweep Mooflh and Bitlis. Having first killed the father of Agatchian by a shot from a Martini rifle, they proceeded to break into the rooms in which thp different members of the family were sleeping, and who had been awakenecj by the firing. Seeing themselves surrounded by the ruffians, they tried to escape, but were prevented. Moussa Bey and his men then set to work to break into the cupboards and boiesj and to pillage the house of , everything they could lay hands on, after whichj they left, carrying off with them the wife of Agatchian, Altoon, and their daughter Ghinlisar, aged fifteen years, the latter barefooted, and with only her nightdress on.‘ The ground was covered with snow knee deep, and the weather very cold. Altoon, the mother, being tired out and unable to endure : the fatigue, lay on the ground, and 'was left there after they had gone, about an hour. Ghiulisar remained alone in the hands of the ruffians, begging them to let her go, but they; beat her, forward, sometimes dragging her by .the hair. After a while she was no longer able to walk , and fell, on the snow. After passing a river in this state they gave her some clothes, and continued on their road to Zenghackbar, where there is a kind of lodge belonging to Moussa Bey. Here they passed, the night, and the girl was violated by Moussa Bey for the first time.. After three days’ journey over the mountains they arrived at the village of Paresahk, and two Kurds took her to the house of Oheik Mehmed. There the girl threw herself at the feet of the Chiek, arid begged of him to save her from the hands of the . ruffians. The Cheik went then to Moussa Bey and prayed him to let the girl go, but he replied that it was impossible, and that the girl had been taken to be the wife of his brother Djaso. Djaso arrived, and Moussa Bey ordered the Gheik to perform the marriage ceremony between his brother and the girl. ■ The Oheik replied that the girl was a Christian, and refused to become Mussulman; he therefore would not marry her in his house, and he must go elsewhere. Moussa Bey then drew his knife to kill the girl, but he was prevented by his companions, and, against the advice of the Cheik, Djaso took the; girl and left for the village of Avedik, 1 and went to the house of Sefer, husband of Meheri, sister of Moussa, Bey. Here Ghiulisar pleaded with; Meheri for her liberty, but in vain; for they said she bad become Mussulman in marrying Diaso. She remained in this house one month with Djaso, while Moilssa and-his companions left for the mountains on other acts of brigandage and rapine. At the end of the month she left with Djaso for the village of Cheikhovoran. They remained there six days, in the . house,,of the Oheik, and thrin went to the village of Khevenia, where Moussa Bey lives, where they stayed three weeks. About this time there arrived from Mooah'ono Hadji Dayib, with two gendarmes. They came to the house of Djaso, and demanded the girl. Djaso would not give up; the girl, and she herself refused to go, saying on purpose, “ I am ' Mussulman, Leave me in peace. Hadji Dayib replied that she must go to the Governor of Moosh and say it. She replied that the Governor and Council should come, and , she would, tell them that she was Mussulman, It was about this time Moussa Bey arrived at Bitlis, and left for Constantinople. Hadji Dayib, seeing that the girl would not go to Moosh, and believing that she had become Mussulman, took her to, Bitlis, which was what she wished for. She, was taken to Bitlis, to the house of Oheik Emin, and when before the Governor arid Council declared herself ' to be a Christian and the,, daugnthr of a Christian. It was on this that she was given up to the Armenian Council, and preparations made to send her and others to Constantinople, to give evidence against Moussa 1 Bey. Djaaso is only sixteen years of age, and already the perpetrator of ‘several murders. For a long time a man of the name of Ohan, of the village of Godin, about nine miles from Bitlis, was persecuted by Moussa Bey. In the month of March last Moussa Bey, learning that Ohan was in Bitlis, sent one of his men, named Flamdi, to accompany him, seemingly as his i friend. As they approached the village they saw Moussa Bey, with others, coming towards them. As soon as they met Moussa Bey ordered some irons they had brought with them to be heated, and with these tortured Ohan, after which, having made a fire of brushwood, they threw him on to it. After he had been burnt to death they threw his body on to the road, where it was found two days after by two Armenians. They had the body taken to the house of Ohan, in the village, to his wife Ghiula. The Armenians of the village carried the body to the Konak at

Moosh, but the Mutessarif, Ahmed Pacha, said that the matter did not concern him, but must be taken before the Yah of Bitlia, Edhem Pacha. The body was buried, and a petition sent to Bitlis. Moussa Bey was sent for to the Berai, but after spending an hour there he was allowed to go. On 16th April, 1889, Moussa Bey, accompanied by Djaso, Kar Bonier Bey, Biah Bomer Bey, Ishmail Bey, Dervishoghu, and Sefi Bey Badik, Beyoglu, at the head of a large band of , their men, entered the . village of Dubavank, and went to the house of Hagop. There they killed Manuk, the father of Hagop, and then Moussa, Ismail and Bomer killed Hagop with their hand.jairs, and wjien the wife of Hagop threw herself with her three children at the feet of Moussa Bey, pleading for her husband’s'life, Moussa caught up the two youngest, one twp years and the other eight months’ old; and killed them by dashing them to the ground. They then violated all the women and young girls in the house numbering, seventeen, the youngest, being ten years old, The hands and wrists of Hagop’s wife are covered with wounds received in defending herself and children. The name of the Yali of Bitlis, just recalled, is Edhem Pacha; that of thej Mutessarif of Moosh is Ahmed Pasha. ,■ i ■ <lll1 irlw 1