ARMENIAN MASSACRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8207, 3 August 1915, Page 5

ARMENIAN MASSACRES.

GHASTLY STORY OF MURDER AND OUTRAGE.

' ATHENS^ August 2. Ghastly details arc-to -hand-of tho ' Armenian ; massacres. Six hundred Ar- - medians' at Marsovan, accused of concealing arms, wore marched outside tho * town. They offered to "give up ' the • arms, which they had retained in'fcelfc"" defence. While a .small party • were aP ' lowed to return and khow where tho Other arms were conrealed the reiifc were massacred.

Several Greeks at Marsovan were compelled to dig a" trench as a grave Jt>efore -they wero shot. . Greek women wore given tho alternate c. of embracing Islam or death. They refused to change their religion. Their lives were spared, but they wero left to'tho mercy 'of soldiers and compelled to accompany the troops 1 on a long march. , Some became exhausted and abandoned their babies. A German orphanage sent an ambulance to rescito tho survivors lying by the roadside. Owing to the discovery of bombs fitMarsovan thousands of innocent people wore tortured throughout Armenia, with a view to making people give up explosives. Twenty men were beaten to death at Bardesagh and nameless• torturing was inflicted at Baghtchedjik.