The Letter From Brother Simmons by Charles Simmons

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 24, 1909

The Letter From Brother Simmons

By Charles Simmons

MAY 23, 1909.

Z. G. Baharian.

DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD: I received your welcome letter of the 14th inst., and am very glad to hear from you. I have been so overcome with grief and sorrow that I have not been able to think of much else but only of what has been taking place. The things that I have heard have been so bad that it is better if I had not been alive to hear them. There is no peace of mind and no consolation whatever to be found on any side; on every side news of terrible slaughter, tortures, and suffering. Men have had their noses, ears, cheeks, lips, and hands cut off while alive; women with child have been slain with every studied indignity; others have had their hearts cut out. Some of the men were tortured terribly; their knees were cut off, and they were told to pray to Christ; their feet were cut off, and they were made to stand on them; their one arm was cut off, but they were told to lift up their hands to God that he might save them; they were tied to trees, and a piece of flesh was cut from their thighs; then a hand was cut off. Altogether there was no more suffering that could be inflicted; no worse torture that could be thought of or inflicted. Many in the road and in the houses had petroleum poured over them, and were then set on fire, their hands being tied; others were left with their hands and feet cut off to die of pain and loss of blood. The women were mistreated. It is said that one thousand women have been carried away.

Of our brethren, dear Brother Hadji Kupelian (the elder of the church of Adana) went with Garabed Keshishian, of Tarsus, to Kozolouk, an Armenian village near Tarsus, where we had a Sabbatarian family, Brother Kaspar Nalbandian and his wife and four children.

Just the next day the trouble began. From all the surrounding villages Turks came and surrounded the village of Kozolouk. Then the men of the village went onto the housetops with their guns, and waited. Next day a policeman came with a paper, and read it.

He said that Mr. Christie, the president of the American College in Tarsus, had given orders that they should not be molested, only that they must give up their arms. This they did. Then the Turks came into the village and said that the head man must accept Islam. This he did. Next morning the Turks said that they must all leave, as they were going to set fire to the village. As they were leaving the place, they were fired upon by the Turks, and two men were killed.

A teacher (a girl) having been saved, says that one of the brethren, she believes Hadji Kupelian, the elder, said to her, 'I must go to the town of Tarsus.' So he turned, but the Turk near him was going to shoot him. He opened his chest, and said, 'I am ready, shoot me.' The Turk let him go, so he turned and went some distance, when he was met by another Turk. This man shot him. I have heard that dear Brother Hadji was asked to accept Islam. He answered that there was only one faith, and that faith was Christ's.

I heard that Brother Garabed Keshishian went another way, but in company of others. The Turk in charge was going to shoot him, but another man begged of him not to do so. Dear Brother Garabed pleaded, 'Don't shoot me,' but was not heard.

Brother Kaspar Nalbandian hid himself for two days, and then went to Derbend, a police station. Here he was killed by the man to whom he used to give the best part of the dried flesh, in front of the soldiers. His body was thrown into a ditch. His wife and children were left alive for a while, but afterward were killed.

In Adana, Brother Dikran Ashodian was told to come in and hide himself, but he declined. The Turks entered and found him praying, and shot him five or six times. At the second massacre, Brother Aaron, a Greek brother recently come to the truth, was out and never returned, and it is known that he was killed. Dear Brother Dikran was very fervent and earnest; he was very simple in his faith. He wanted me to get him a cheap passage to Europe. I did not see to this immediately, and also the others of the brethren did not want him to go, so in the meantime this trouble sprang up, and there in it he was killed without his age being fulfilled. These brethren who are dead were the best and most simple, and they are gone.

The rest of the brethren, nine of them, are out in the open ground in the camp, without any change of clothes. They are in great distress. Brother Evstadius is well. His shop was the only shop in that quarter that was not looted or opened. I have been and seen them the previous week. I hoped to bring Brother Havsep down to our house, but they do not allow Armenians to come to Mersina. I am sending them a number of necessary things.

There is great need for help for the brethren in Adana, as they are absolutely penniless. As for those in Tarsus, they are little better off. They are all living in the house of Mgrditch Keshishian, the father of Brother G. Keshishian, murdered in Kozolouk. There is need of help for them, too. There is one of the brethren of Tarsus, Nazaret; he is in Mersina working now, having come before the troubles.

I shall be glad to be of any use to the brethren in acting as a medium for the distribution of funds or goods to them. Therefore I place myself at your and their disposal. Write me and let me know soon what to do.

I was not able to go and find the bodies of the brethren killed in Kozolouk. The government was against it.

With best wishes and Christian love to you and the brethren near you, I remain,

Yours truly in the faith, (Signed) CHARLES SIMMONS.