Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 7, 1896, and the Annual Report of the Secretary of State
Mr. Terrell to Mr. Olney.
Constantinople, October 12, 1896. (Received Oct. 26.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose for your information the copy of a dispatch from the British vice-consul at Harpoot, inclosing formal [Page 887] affidavits, which establish the complicity of the Turkish soldiers in the burning and plundering of the American college in that city.
This testimony was taken in accordance with my request to the British chargé d’affaires here and furnishes the legation with more convincing evidence of the facts than it possessed before.
I have, etc.,
Vice-Consul Fontana to Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador.
Sir: In conformity with the instructions conveyed in the dispatch of Her Majesty’s chargé d’affaires, dated August 4 last, I have duly examined the premises of the American mission at Harpoot, and now have the honor to report what evidence I have found as to artillery having been used against them during the disturbances in this district last winter; and I beg herewith to transmit to your excellency the affidavits of the American citizens residing there, showing the part taken by the Turkish soldiery in the burning and pillaging of the buildings comprised within the premises referred to.
A shell, of which I have seen the fragments, was undoubtedly fired into and burst inside Dr. Barnum’s study. One of the iron bars outside that room was bent upward by the impact of the projectile, which grazed the embrasure of the window, leaving a deep groove, shattered the side of the wooden bookcase close by, and seems to have burst, charring, tearing, and scattering a number of books, which have been shown to me, and damaging the walls and woodwork of the room itself. A splinter from the shell is still visible in the paneling near the floor, and part of the wall framing another window was evidently shorn away by a fragment of the shell in question. The walls and ceiling show numerous other traces of the havoc wrought by the explosion.
The pieces of the shell discovered in the study would appear to reconstitute, when put together, a missile of the form sketched in section in the margin. “A A” would seem to have been the fuse by which the shell was exploded upon concussion with the bookcase.
The halves of two other projectiles of a circular shape have been shown to me by Dr. Barnum, who states that they were brought to him by workmen who had come across them while digging among the ruins of the mission building destroyed in the course of the disturbances. The halves when united form a sphere about the size of a large orange. They are intact as though the projectiles, which were evidently hollow, had been cut in half with a knife.
I have also inspected the traces left by the bullets fired upon Dr. Gates’s house, and can testify to the truth of his statement, herein inclosed, with regard to them. One of those bullets passed through the wooden railing of the steps leading to the house door, perforated the strong iron net work of a window and the door opposite, finally indenting a wall. Another passed through the wooden framework (6 inches thick) of an upper window and buried itself in the wall opposite. There can be no doubt I think, judging from the penetrating force of the bullets, that they were fired from rifles such as are used by the Turkish troops.
I have, etc.,
Affidavit of Rev. H. N. Barnum.
For several days before the attack upon our premises and upon the city I was in frequent communication with the deftedar, who was acting vali, and with Brig. Gen. Mustapha Niam Pasha, who was in command of the fourteenth division of the Fourth Army Corps, and with Shukri Bey, the colonel who had been assigned to the defense of the city. From all these men I had the assurance that our premises and the city would have the fullest protection. The colonel said, “Until I am cut in pieces not a Kurd shall enter the city.” And Mustapha Pasha told me that until his soldiers were killed the city would be safe.
In the first interviews with the acting vali I was impressed with his sincerity and determination to do all in his power, but later, although his assurances were positive, his manner became more Oriental. The same was the manner of the military officers mentioned.
On Friday, November 8, while the villages on the eastern end of the plain were being pillaged and burned, I called on the acting vali in Mezreh; Mustapha Pasha and several of the leading Turks were present. Conversation ceased as soon as I entered. After a little while Mustapha said to me: “As the Turks in the city seem to have some prejudice against you I have been planning to ask you to move with your family to Mezreh for a few days.” I replied: “While I respect your judgment and do not like to act contrary to it, I have given the people Assurance every day, from the assurances which you and others have given, that nothing serious will happen in the city. In the face of this I could not under any circumstances desert my post, as it would betoken fear, and would also alarm the people.”
Before Mustapha Pasha left the room he called the bin bashi of the gendarmerie, Mehemet Agha, and told him to engage several wagons—six, I think—and take with him thirty or forty soldiers—I do not remember the exact number—and go to the village of Konik and try to learn who had burned the village the night before. Three things surprised me: One, that while soldiers made long marches on foot, wagons should be hired to transport them to a village only five hours distant; another, that they were not sent to protect nearer villages upon which Kurds were swarming; and another, that a civil officer was sent with the soldiers instead of a military.
The bargain with the teamsters was completed in my presence, at twenty piasters a day. I afterwards heard that the wagons carried petroleum instead of soldiers, but of course I can not vouch for the truth of it.
As the cordon of fire drew near the city the show of preparation for defense increased. Cannon were brought up from Mezreh, the seat of government, and guards were distributed at prominent points within and without the city. The party of soldiers who guarded the pass from the plain were stationed opposite this quarter of the city, perhaps an eighth of a mile distant, in full view of our windows, from which we watched their movements with a glass. We noticed that a cannon was pointed this way, but it was not fired from that point. As we were watching, the singing of a rifle ball fired from that place showed we were in danger.
About noon of Monday, the day of the attack, the soldiers began a rapid firing in the direction of the gorge. Presently we saw the crowd appearing above the brow of the hill, where they had a parley with the soldiers, then quietly passed them toward the city, and the soldiers followed them slowly and took a position with their cannon facing this quarter of the city.
At this stage I left the house with my family and went to Mr. Allen’s house, the best defended house on the premises. From there also I watched the soldiers. The crowd gathered at a place near the head of our street, and waited perhaps half an hour, when they made a rush upon the neighbors’ houses; and the lieutenant who was patrolling our street showed them which was the nearest way out of the city with their plunder. The soldiers offered no resistance, but rather they seemed to superintend the pillaging.
After a time the iron gate of Mr. Allen’s house was broken in, and we took refuge, with many others, in the yard of the girls’ school, which was protected by a high wall. I went to the colonel, who was just outside, and asked a guard, and he put two soldiers at the gate. These men declined to stay without a present, and demanded a lira each. I gave them 40 or 50 piasters—all the money I had—with the promise of more if they were faithful. After a little time we found this place unsafe and fled once more, this time to the college male department building, with a large number of other people. I then spoke to a lieutenant who was near, and asked him if he would guard the building. He said: “Yes; if the colonel will appoint me.” I went with him to the colonel, who had taken his stand on an elevation just behind and overlooking our premises, and presented my request. I told him that all our party were in that building, and asked him to give a sufficient guard to the lieutenant who accompanied me to protect us. He told the lieutenant [Page 889] to take 10 men and to guard the building. I think I gave the lieutenant a promise of suitable reward if he discharged his duty faithfully. On my way to and from the colonel, and while talking to him, I saw soldiers along with others carrying goods from our buildings; and he made no remonstrances, but stood quietly looking on.
We had been in this building half an hour, perhaps, when Dervish Effendi, the governor of the city, called me out to say that the colonel and the mufti sent their salaama with the offer to conduct us to a place of safety. He said, “Your buildings are burning all around and this building will surely burn.” (It is an isolated stone building and there was no fear of fire unless it was set on fire.) I replied: “We have trusted the Government until now and have arrived at this pass. We can trust nobody any further. Here we are and here we shall stay. If the Government wishes to protect us it can protect us here better than anywhere else.” He urged me most earnestly, even kissing my beard, to leave the building with, the other members of our party, repeating again that it would, surely burn. I replied, “If the building burns all of us will burn with it, for we shall not leave it.”
Soon after he left the bugle sounded and our guard left us, with several of our buildings burning on three sides of us and a mad rabble all about us.
I do not remember how long we remained in this condition, but before evening the alay bey, the head of the gendarmerie, came from Mezreh and asked what he could do for us. Under his lead we took out from the lower part of the house our fire engine, with which we prevented the spread of the fire in our direction. Presently he asked me, “Have you no guard?” I told him that we had one, but that it had been called off. He at once went to the colonel and returned with a bin bashi and a hundred soldiers. He said to me privately, “I am not a Turk I am a Circassian. Tell the bin bashi that you are foreigners and that you will hold him responsible for your protection.” I did so, and from that time to this we have been protected. Up to that time we had seen no effort on the part of the soldiers to protect this part of the city or ourselves, though they were continually where we could see them, and we saw also how easy it was for them to protect us when once they undertook to do so.
When a measure of quiet had been restored I came to my house and found that a shell from a cannon had been fired through the west window of my study, passing through one side of my bookcase, badly damaging several books, and finally bursting, making deep scars in the wall and ceiling. The fragments, which I have preserved, weigh about 4½ pounds. One fragment still remains embedded in the wood work just above the floor. This was the room which I occupied with my family before leaving the house. It was a matter of wonder how this shell could have come in at the west window, as the cannon we saw firing into this quarter were located at the south and southeast of us. It came from the direction of Mezreh, but as that is 3 miles away I would hardly believe that it could be fired from that place. Within a week after the affair a major came to call upon me from Mezreh. I do not remember his name. He told me that lie also took part in the “defense of the city against the Kurds.” Not knowing that a shell had burst in my house, he unwittingly said: “Mustapha sent me from Mezreh with a cannon to the foot of the valley, and I planted it upon a little hill at the left, which you will remember, and fired it from there.” The mystery was then solved, but I have never explained it to a Turkish official.
A few days after the plunder and burning of our buildings the colonel said to me: “I am afraid you have not perfect confidence in me.” I replied, “I have not. You told me that until you were cut in pieces not a Kurd should enter the city. Thousands of rifles were fired, but not a single raider was wounded. And I saw you standing calmly above our premises looking on, while your soldiers joined in the plunder of our buildings.” He colored, and said, “What could I do? I did not have the support from the city which was promised.” This man has since been promoted. He has become a pasha, a brigadier-general. A. member of the court of appeals, with whom he had some trouble, sent mo word that one of our safes had been robbed by this colonel, and a very respectable Turk, my first teacher in Turkish in this place, told me the other day, “Shukri Bey filled his pockets with money from one of your safes. I have it from eye witnesses.” That, of course, I do not know personally.
H. N. Barnum.
I certify upon oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn by Dr. Barnum at Harpoot, on this 17th day of September, before me, Her Britannic Majesty’s vice-consul.
Affidavit of Mrs. Mary E. Barnum.
On November 11 we watched the soldiers on the hill opposite, stationed there with a cannon, apparently to guard the approach to the city. But when we saw that the Kurds were allowed to pass by the soldiers with only a few minutes’ delay, we felt that neither we nor the people were to be protected. After we fled to the college building I saw a soldier with a load of plunder on his back near our premises, and a rug looked like one of ours.
Mary E. Barnum.
I hereby certify upon oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn by Mrs. Barnum, at Harpoot, on this 17th day of September, before me.
Affidavit of Miss Emma M. Barnum.
When the cannon was taken down and planted on a hill opposite our quarter of the city, I noticed that instead of being pointed toward the plain from which direction the Kurds were coming, it was pointed in this direction.
When the Kurds came up past the soldiers and began to enter the city, I stood with my father at the window watching. The soldiers made no resistance, but fired over the heads of the Kurds, and the rifle balls whizzed so near us that we had to retreat from the window.
Later I saw a soldier enter our house along with some Kurds, and when we were fleeing to the college building two soldiers passed very near to us laden with goods from our house.
Emma M. Barnum
I certify that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn by Miss E. Barnum at Harpoot on this 17th day of September, 1896, before me.
Affidavit of Dr. C. F. Gates.
On the 11th of November, while the forces which attacked the city of Harpoot were drawing near, I stood upon the balcony of my house, field glass in hand, watching the course of events. I saw the soldiers hold a conference with the attacking party on a hill below the city, and then I heard the bugle blow and the soldiers retire in a leisurely manner, dragging their cannon back to the city. The attacking party sat down upon the hill vacated by the soldiers and waited until the latter had taken a position at the entrance of the city; then they began to advance in irregular skirmish order, firing their guns and shouting “Allah! Allah!”
The soldiers did not return their fire, and they came up to the position occupied by the soldiers unmolested and unhindered; but the soldiers did not allow them to enter the city by the main road, but turned them aside to the valley below the Christian quarter. The soldiers began to fire, but their fire was not directed toward the attacking force in the valley below them, but straight up into the city and toward our houses.
When I saw this I left my post of observation and removed my family to the girls’ school. As soon as I had placed them there I returned to my house and found that bullets were entering it. Two struck the house just below the place where I had been standing before I removed my family. One of these passed through the casement, a door, and a wooden partition inside the house. One pierced the roof above the spot where I had been standing, one entered the wall a few paces to one side, and two penetrated the window casing a little beyond in the same direction. One of these last buried itself in the wall of our sitting room. Still another bullet penetrated the roof, which is covered with Bessemer steel. Several of these bullets have been found. They are of the kind used in the Martini rifles, not the round balls [Page 891] used by the Kurds. I saw the soldiers firing in our direction. The direction from which the bullets entered our house show that they came from the place where the soldiers were located. Four persons were wounded by the bullets on the steps between our house and the girls’ school.
After we had taken refuge in the male college I saw the soldiers dividing a set of silver spoons, which I recognized as mine, and carrying off chairs and goods from my house. All the time the plundering was going on the soldiers were posted on a hill a few yards in the rear of our house, and they made no attempt to stop the plundering.
I hereby certify on oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn by Dr. C. F. Gates at Harpoot this 17th day of September, 1896, before me.
Affidavit of Miss C. E. Bush.
My first sight of the soldiers was when they dragged the cannon out onto the hill opposite the city. They parleyed with the Kurds, then dragged the cannon back. Some of the soldiers remained and tired their guns into the pass, but up into the air and not at the Kurds.
A guard had been promised us at the time of the attack, but not a soldier came to our protection. They turned us back to the hill from the rear of our houses where we fled saying “Fear not,” firing their guns into the ground and up into the air to show their valor, and yet laughing at the fun. Three soldiers yielded to Dr. Barnum’s entreaty for a guard at the school yard, and after taking every bit of money he had as “backsheesh,” left us to our fate.
Everyone of us, seated there silently in the yard, had the strong impression that bullets were being fired toward our premises from the region where we last saw the soldiers enter our quarter with the Kurds after them. We knew that they had let the Kurds pass them, and that “protection” was all a farce. I saw those who had been wounded while fleeing from our premises up to the college. I have every day seen the hole made by the bomb which burst in Dr. Barnum’s study, and the wire rod at the window bent by it, and the crushed and blackened bookcase.
I have also seen pieces of the bomb, and have seen the bullet holes in Dr. Gates’s houses, one in the room now occupied by Miss Seymour and myself.
I saw, as we were crowding into the college in our flight a soldier who had come out of the gate of our premises back of Dr. Barnum’s study, on the point of whose bayonet was hung a huge bundle of stolen goods wrapped in a rug. He looked over his shoulder at us as if he expected he might be shot at.
Four hundred of us, shut up in the college, watched the flames close in about us from near buildings, and notwithstanding the entreaties of officials, chose to stay and die there rather than trust ourselves to those who had deserted us, nor could we missionaries leave the people who were defenseless. All the soldiers were withdrawn, and we feared the mob of Kurds and bands of white-turbaned Turks whom we often saw bearing down upon the building. When a formidable guard of soldiers was given us, we no less feared them lest they had only come to aid in the slaughter.
I certify upon oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn in my presence by Miss C. E. Bush at Harpoot this 17th day of September, 1896.
Affidavit of Miss Mary L. Daniels.
I saw the soldiers allow the Kurds to enter the city. I saw the soldiers fire toward our buildings from the rocks opposite, and when we fled to the hill behind our houses, the soldiers fired, into the ground and not toward the Kurds.
I certify upon oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn in my presence by Miss Mary L. Daniels at Harpoot this 17th day of September, 1896.
Affidavit of Mr. E. S. Ellis.
During the attack upon our buildings November 11, 1895, I was confined to the care of our invalid, Mr. Wheeler. Before leaving his sick room for flight the whiz of rifle bullets coming from the direction of the soldiery and passing over our heads in the direction of the missionary premises was painfully plain.
While in Mr. Allen’s house with Mr. Wheeler I watched a soldier throwing articles from the window of Dr. Barnum’s house to his fellow-soldiers standing below. And before making our final stand in the college, in helping carry Mr. Wheeler above the college, bullets were flying thick about us, and coming from the direction of the soldiery somewhat below and across from us. There was an absence of anything like protection for hours till we made our stand in the college; not even at the time when a plunderer, armed with a large revolver, discharged the same repeatedly at us.
I certify upon oath that the above statement made by me is true and correct.
Sworn by Mr. E. S. Ellis at Harpoot on this 17th day of September, 1896, before me.