Before the massacre, everybody was in fear; several families
would gather in one house to protect themselves, and all the
Armenian stores were closed for twenty days; but as the government
guaranteed that there would be no danger, and told everybody to
attend to their business, and open their shops, they did so. It
was the 16th of November, on Saturday, that all opened their shops
again, and the transaction of business commenced in full force. At
2 p. m., at the doors of the market, bugles sounded, and several
hundred bashi-bazook [irregular soldiers] were at the doors of the
bazaar, every one of them having in his hands stilettos, swords,
yataghans, guns, revolvers, hammers, axes, hatchets, sickles,
poniards, daggers, and heavy sticks with twenty or thirty nails
fastened to them. Then they blew horns, the signal to start the
massacre. Cries were heard, "First kill, cut, and butcher the
Giavours; the property already belongs to us; cut, cut, kill, don't
care for plundering at present." Then they rushed into the market
and slaughtered all they met. Oh! you can imagine what became of
those who fell into the hands of those brutes. Alas! alas! how
unspeakable! They butchered them like cattle; cut their heads
off like onions. Some tried to run, but could not, others tried
to escape, but were brought back and killed. The bazaar was
full of dead bodies. People hid themselves among the goods,
and in the cellars, and were saved; ten or fifteen days after,
people were found there in a starving condition, not having dared
to come out. They killed in Avsharaghus factory thirty-eight men;
in Kayanjilar everybody was slain. After the massacre was over, the
governor, Ferick Pasha, sent soldiers around, and they discovered
many people hiding, and took them back to the government house
(seray), examined their pockets for revolvers and knives, and
not finding any, the governor sent them to their homes.
They plundered the bazaar of all its goods, and then, oh, my
Lord! they rushed upon the houses and upon the women's Turkish
baths.... I cannot describe this; when I think of it, my whole
body trembles. The people in the baths were killed and wounded,
and they carried away the young girls; every one was killed that
they came in contact with. The houses were plundered of all their
contents, and buildings were torn down, and houses full of people
were burned. Oh, how terrible! What I say you cannot imagine to be
so; you may think it is a dream, because your eyes have not seen
nor your ears heard the screams, wailings, weeping, shrieks, and
groaning; that even our forefathers have not heard, but of which
our ears are full day and night. My brother was in the bazaar,
but fortunately he had occupied a private room, where he was safe.
Some of the kidnapped girls were brought back by the government,
but most of them were wounded, and half dead from fright. Thank
God, we are safe, but we are not better than those girls. We are
in Mr. Wingate's house, where many lives were saved. He carried
beds and clothing to the people, who were stripped of all. A
few Mussulmans also protected in their homes some Armenians;
for example, James Imuroglov, Gojaki Ogloo.
Yeretzian Avedis Effendi's house is ruined, himself, his son,
and wife are killed, and the rest, five of them, are carried
away. Our block and their block is ruined. They butchered Avjinury,
Yuzukji, Dirnhitza and carried away her three daughters, but
later on brought two of them back. I mentioned them, as you
know. They also butchered Yuzikji Apraham and his wife Gaga Haji,
Gemerlkli Ohanness, Mustaamelji Gobra, Terrzi Artin, Erzurumli,
servant boy. Avedis Ago and his daughter were carried away. Gussi
Hamimon's mother is low. Oh, pity the intolerable many, many, I
cannot write by my pen, or describe with my tongue the terrible
sufferings. O Lord, have mercy upon us! To my knowledge there
were five hundred killed, six hundred wounded; many are dying from
their wounds and fright. Eight hundred houses are plundered, and
the tenants flocked to the churches. I cannot write one hundredth
part of what happened.
We are lost, lost, ruined, no work, no business, every one of us
looking for safety. Happy, happy be you that are in America and
have nothing to fear. They say to me, you ought to be with your
brother in America now. If the way was opened, everybody would
like to go.
If you are not in good circumstances there, you must feel satisfied
and give the thanks to God always. We also have to thank God that
we are still living. It is one month now that we have not been able
to go out in the streets. O Lord, help us, Oh! what shall we come
to? Oh, my dear brother, if you can help us in any way please do
so; make lectures, get some help; everybody is dying of hunger. I
cannot write any longer; we leave all to your conscience. I do
not write this letter only to you, but to all. Do whatever you can
for us, we are in a terrible condition. I thank you, my brother,
for the money that you sent to me, thank you very much.
We send our best regards to every one of you. I wrote this
letter with the tears in my eyes. We beg of you to write us good
letters. Vaham, the little boy, is in good health. We are all
well including
Your sister,
Letter from Cesarea.
Cesarea, Nov. 20, 1895.--While the Armenians were engaged
in their business, as usual, the Turkish mob fell upon them,
killing 600 defenseless men and wounding 1,000 more. The mob
divided into four parts. The first part plundered the stores,
the second looted the houses, the third secured the maidens and
young brides, while the fourth, fiends incarnate, attacked the
public baths. These human devils killed six naked women in the
presence of the others, snatching their babies from their arms and
bayoneting the mothers. The shrieks and agonizing cries of these
poor creatures made no impression upon the minds of the savage
Turks, who laughed at their death agonies. They then took some
of the young girls, who were with their mothers at the bath,
and dragged them naked, by their feet, through the streets,
followed by a jeering and hooting mob.
The Turks who attacked the houses then killed them and fired the
houses. The cries of the women, mingled with the hoarse shouts of
the Turks, can never be forgotten. The men who survived the sword
were discovered, taken to the magistrate and searched, but no arms
were found in their possession, not even a knife. When released,
and allowed to return to their homes, they were confronted by a
most ghastly picture. Some found their wives dead, others horribly
mutilated; daughters were bleeding. My hand almost fails me to
write the awful particulars. It took three or four days to remove
the bodies of the dead with forty carts. Add to this the want,
the desolation. Oh, my God, for how long, how long! Where are
those Christian powers who saved African slaves? Where are those
Christians who advocated brotherly love and mercy, sending their
missionaries to teach us? Are they deaf to our piercing cry?