In 1895 , during the Hamidian massacres , word had reached Fred Shepard that the village of Zeitun was under siege . The siege , which was later known as the Zeitun Rebellion , occurred when the Armenians of the village , fearing the prospect of massacre , took up arms to defend themselves from Ottoman troops . He immediately went to Zeitun to support the relief effort . His daughter Alice Shepard Riggs recalls his arrival : After the work in Zeitun , Shepard returned to Antep where he took part in the relief activities of the Red Cross . Antep at the time had many prominent Armenians imprisoned ; businesses were closed . Shepard received many patients there and considerably helped the local population
Hamidian massacres
Hamidian massacres
Fred D. Shepard