Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, November 12,
1895. (Received Nov. 27.)
No. 670.][Inclosure in No. 670.]
Mr. Knapp to Mr.
Terrell.
Bitlis, Turkey, October 29, 1895.
Dear Sir: Your telegram of the 28th instant
has just been received, 3 p.m. I shall try to get off a telegram as
soon as possible as follows: “We are in great danger. Have absolute
safety guaranteed for us.”
Mr. Cole is at Moush, and since trouble broke out his family—wife and
three daughters—are here with us, my mother, wife, and two children,
my sister being at Yan. The massacre broke out Friday, the 25th, as
the Moslems were coming out of their mosques about noon. What might
be called perfect anarchy lasted for about twenty-four hours. The
Moslems killed every Armenian they could get hold of, and all the
shops in the markets were completely cleaned out. The trouble
extended to most of the villages within 10 miles. It is too early to
tell accurately how great the loss of life has been, but in this
city alone it is not far from the truth to say that 500 have been
killed. No effort has been made by the Government to protect our
house; on the contrary, I came near being shot while on our roof
Saturday morning from the lower roof of a near Turkish neighbor,
whom we supposed to be friendly, and only escaped by dropping at
once to the ground. The first time any troops appeared on patrol was
on Sunday afternoon, the third day, and troops have appeared but
once since. We have to depend entirely on our own ability to ward
off any attack on the house. Of course we can not venture out—not
until foreign power establishes safety. Unless such power is soon
established, we shall be obliged to ask for safe conveyance out of
the country. Indeed, no Christian can remain unless such protection
soon comes. All their property is gone and but few have laid up
supplies for the winter, and there is no possibility of their
trusting the Turks again.
Wednesday, October 30.
For some trumped-up reason, of not being properly written, the
telegram was not accepted yesterday afternoon. I shall have it
rewritten as follows: “We are still in great danger,” and try to
have it sent this forenoon. I had a note written to the governor
yesterday afternoon, saying that we were still in great danger, that
so far he had not protected our house, and asking that protection be
guaranteed us. He replied by word of mouth not to have any fear,
that all was well. This is what he has repeatedly told us before the
massacre, and what he told the leaders of the Armenians last
Thursday, the day before the outbreak, when they went to ask for
protection. It was being deceived by this assurance that so many
defenseless victims to Moslem fanaticism was the result.
There are nine killed from our Protestant community, among them
the teacher of our high school.
