ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8616, 30 October 1889, Page 3

ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.

BEVOLTING STORIES REVEALED BY MR GLADSTONE. Mr Gladstone has sent to a London nvwspaper the following report on the t Turkish cruelties in Armenia, which he affirms have been obtained from a most reliable Bource. lie writes as follows :—: — In the month of March last, during the night, Moussa Bey, accompanied 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 house of Agatchian, in the village of Khartz, about eighteen miles from Moosh, between Mooah 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 the different members of the family were sleeping, and had been awakened by the firing. Seeing themselves surrounded by the ruffians, they tried to escape, but were prevented. Moussa Bey and bis men then set to work to break into the cupboards and boxes, and to pillage the house of everything they could lay hands on, after which they left, carrying off with them the Avife of Agatcliian, Altoon, and their daughter Ghiulisar, aged fifteen years, tho 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 been gone about an hour. Ghiub'sar remained alone in the hands of the ruffians, begging of 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 Paresank, and two Kurds took her to the house of Cheik Mehmed. There the girl threw herself at the feet of the Cheik, and begged of him to save her from the bands 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 Cheik to perform the marriage ceremony between his brother and the girl. The Cheik 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 Mb knife to kill the girl, but he was prevented by bis companions, and, against the advice of the Cheik, Djaso took tne girl and left for the village of Avedik, 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 had become Mussulman in marrying Djaso. She remained in this house one month with Djaso, while Moussa 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 Cheik, and then went to Khevenia, the village where Moussa Bey lives, where they stayed three weeks. About this time there arrived from Moosh one 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 Cheik Emm, and when before the Governor and Council declared herself to be a Christian and the daughter 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 Bey. Djaso 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 Moußsa. 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 friend. As they approached the village they saw Mouaaa 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 bushwood, they threw him on to it. After ho had been burnt to death they threw his body on to the road, where it was found two days after by two Armenians. They bad the body taken to the house of Ohan, in the village, to birf wife Ghiulo. The Armenians of the village carried the body to tho Konak at Mooah, but the Mutcssarif Ahmed Pacha said the matter did not. concern him, but must be taken before the Vali of BritliH, Edhem Pacha. The body was buried and a petition sent to Bitlis. Moussa Bey was gent for to the Serai, but after spending an hour there he was allowed to go. On 16th April, 1889, Moussa Bey, accompanied by Djaso, Kur Eomer Bey, Siali Eomer Bey, Ishmail Bey, Dervishoghu, and Sefi Bey Sadik, Beyoglu, at the bead of a large band of their men, entered the village of Dubavauk, and went to the house of Hagop. There they killed Manuk, the father of Hagop, and then, Moussa Ismail, and Eomer killed Hagop with their hand-jiars, and when the wife of Hagop throw herHolf with her three children at the feet of Moussa Bey, pleading for her husband's lifo, Mouasa caught up the two youngest, one two ycara and the other eight months' old, and killed them by dashing them to the ground. They thon ■violated all tho women and young girla in tho house, numbering seventeen, the youngest being ten yeurs old. The hands and wrists of Uagop's wife are covered with wounds received in defending herself md children. The name of tho Vali of Bitlis, just recalled, is Edlietn Pacha; that of the Mutesßarif of Moosh ia Ahmed I'asim. A recent cable mesaagc informed us that Mousaa Las boon convicted of murdor and sentenced to death, but it is doubted if the extreme penalty will be curried out) (For contlnvatiQn of news w 4ih?age.)