The Armenian villages in the plain west of Erzeroum have all been cleared of their inhabitants. After all the men who were physically fit had been mobilised, the remainder were deported. The Armenian houses are being handed over to Turkish immigrants. The Archimandrite Kevork Tourian, Metropolitan of the Armenians of Trebizond, has been brought to Erzeroum, where he will be tried by court-martial.
[73]. They were at work in the German hospital at Erzeroum from October, 1914, to April, 1915.—Editor.
[74]. 7th June—Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift, November, 1915.
[75]. Amounting to about 20,000-25,000 people in all—Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift, November, 1915.
[76]. One of the two authors of the present statement, which has been drafted in the first person by the other witness, but represents the experiences of both. The Editor is in possession of the drafter’s name, but does not know the identity of Sister B., Dr. A., or Mr. G.—Editor.
[77]. A defile, 12 hours’ journey from Erzindjan, where the Euphrates flows through a narrow gorge between two walls of rock.
[78]. i.e., after the departure of the last convoy of exiles from Erzindjan (10th June), not after the narrators were informed of the massacre by their cook and by the two Armenian girls. The passages about the cobbler, the cook, and the two girls are evidently in parenthesis, and interrupt the sequence of the narrative.—Editor.
[79]. The further details are given in the Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift, November, 1915: “When we exclaimed in horror: ‘So you fire on women and children!’ the soldiers answered: ‘What could we do? It was our orders.’ One of them added: ‘It was a heart-breaking sight. For that matter, I did not shoot.’”—Editor.
[80]. On the evening of the 11th, we saw soldiers returning to town laden with loot. We heard from both Turks and Armenians that children’s corpses were strewn along the road.