U.S. Newspapers in 1922 Covered the Murder of Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Chrysostom in Shocking Detail

Dozens of American newspapers reported on the events that were unfolding in Smyrna in 1922 as Turkish troops set fire to the city and tens of thousands were murdered– including the brutal death of Metropolitan Chrysostom, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Smyrna.

The New York Times, in a story on September 18, 1922, called the Metropolitan’s hacking to death “fiendish torture.”

A syndicated, full page feature appeared in numerous U.S. newspapers, carrying graphic detail– and even an illustration– if the way in which the invading Turkish forces murdered the Greek Orthodox bishop.

See the full page story in PDF format here from The Washington Times, which carried the piece on October 29, 1922. The San Francisco Examiner, The Pittsburgh Press and a dozen other U.S. publications carried the same full-page feature, which included a description of the brutal torture that Metropolitan Chrysostom was subjected to.

An excerpt from the newspaper story:

“The Turks began by tearing out the Archbishop’s beard, which, like all Greek priests, he wore full and uncut. Then they tore his clothes off and subjected him to many dreadful tortures, such as tearing out his tongue and pulling out his finger and toe nails.

Finally, while there was still life in his quivering body, he was carried to the Iki-Chesme Square for the supreme agony. Four horses were secured. The Archbishop was placed on his back, and one by one horse was tied by a long rope to one of his feet, another horse to another foot, another horse to one of his hands and another to the other hand.

Four Turks mounted the hour horses, one on each, and with their whips drove the animals in different directions. One Turk drove his horse to the north, the next drove to the west, the next to the south and the remaining one to the east.

The archbishop was slowly torn into four parts by the animals. The fanatical mob watched the proceeding with hideous pleasure, urged on by the horses and howled with rage and satisfaction.”

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