GENERAL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6499, 28 September 1915, Page 3

GENERAL.

FEARFUL STORY OF ARMENIAN MASSACRES.

Harrowing Scenes Unparalleled in History.

Rcc Sept 27, 2 40 p m

London, Sept'*2G An awful story of cruelty to the Armenians is related by au eyewitness in tlio Daily Chroniclo. He said history does not record such scenes. Besides many thousands killed half a million Armenians were deported at tho beginning of last April The fust; step was to disaim them, and under tl-i-j pretext imwy of them were murdered and tortured. Many were then imprisoned en misse, and deportations followrd, r.ccompanicd by massacres until scarcely a man vailcft. ; The Turks in the Kimrput province market 3d the remainder, from the highest functionary to tin simplest peasant. They then bought their wives, forcibly converting "them to Islamist. Little children were put upon tho roads nnd wandered, famished, until many died from starvation Similar scenes occurred in the Diarbekir pro vines. Facilities wore granted to deportees in other provinces, but robbers and peasants looted and stripped ih: caravans, killed the few remaining youths, alducted the women and girls, and whipped old women along the roads untilthey dropped from exhaustion and died with hunger. TII3 eye-witness states that women who were deported from Erzeroura province were left on the Kharput plain foodless, and died at tho rate of fifty to sixty daily. I