The New York herald., 1876-09-11

lore refused to surrender entrcnchcd themselves in
church. rercating nnaiiy 10 ano her, and held out Tor
nve days, until they saw the regular troops under
Rashid Pacha, when the remainder gave themselves
up Many OF the inhabitants escaped at the beginning
was oombarded, aud about 1000 in all were killed,
many ol them women and children The town
was phlaged and completely burned; not a
single house being now standing Many women were
violated The ioor.of the church, the churchyard,
and many OF the gardens were dug up aiierward IN
search for buried treasure The Bashi- Bazouks here
were commandei b" Ahmed-Aca, OF Tamrysh, who
was subsequently, rewarded with a SILVER medal
TrssrM BEY's EXPLOITS.
klssura was nearly twice the of rerustilsa and
proporilonateiy richer, many OF the inhabitants
were engaged IN the manufacture of altar Of roses.
and many were mere ants travelling through the
country The insurreciIonary move ement began here
the ID OF May, but II not until tho 18th that the
BashBazouSs, under the copmand OF Tussum Bey.
OF karlovo attacked the place. lew shots fired,
wren The villagers surrendered and fled 10 koprish
iista and To the mountains More than $50 iu
sarans were Killed. cnieiy women and children. The
iufks claim that fourteen Nussuimcn I'm part gypses
were Killed before and during the Tight. As soon as
the BashiBasouks entered the town they piilagcd
II ana burned II. Among other things $50 copper
stills used IN making altar of roses were carried away
10 the Tui ksh villages. Subsequent parties carried OH
all that was eii, to the nas from he doors and
the tiles from the roofs The church desecrated
and blown up Tussum Bey Tor THIS exploit was decor
aied with he Mejidic.
KoprshtiIsa tAvrat-Alan) although one Of the first
villages to rebel, was OF the last to be attacked
Warned by the fate OF kssura and Panagurisha "A, the
leading nhabtants themselves arrested ,he ringcaders
OF the insurrecon and sent lh;lppolis for regular
troops III spite %! THIS tho bearers OF SUBMISSION were
hfed on, aud one, the priest ponlcho, was killed. the
Town was several times pil aged, many OF the women
were violated and about thirty persons were killed.
lhe town was not burned, aud general massacre was
avoided Dy large presents OF money paid by the lead
ing Inhabitants 10 the Turkish commanders. Three
Shots were, however. fred at the church. out did little
damage. The villagers admit killing ten Turks and
forty gypses-the latter being suspected of inten-
ton to punder the town. The Turks clam total loss
OF seventy one.
Panagurishta (otluk kun was attacked oy force of
regular troops, together WIN bashibozouks, on tho
nf ant M nlaS In rlan 4er Aus
sent After slight opposi ion on The part oI the IN
surgents the town was taken. Many Of the lnbab-
ants He'd, but about 300o were massacred, the most of
them being women and children OF these about 400
belonged TO the town OF Panagurshta, aud the others
had taken refuge there Four hundred buildings, in
GLIDING the bazaar and tho largest and best houses,
were burned. Both churches were completely de-
stroycd, and almost evclled TO the ground. In
old man was violated the altar ana acrward burned
alive. Two OF the schools were burned The third
looking Ike private house--escaped. From nu-
merous statements made to me hardly woman in The
town escaped violation and brutal treatment Tho
ruians attacked children OF eight and old women of
eighty, sparing neither age nor sex. Old men had
their eyes torn out and their limbs cut of, and were
then lett TO die unless some more charitably disposed
man gave them the hnal thrust
PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RIPPED
and the unborn babes carried ,rlumphantly on tho
points o bayoncts and sabres, while little children
were made 10 bear the dripping heads OF their comrades
THIS scene OF raplne, lust ana murder was continued
the bodies OF the dead The perpetrators OF these afro
cities we're chiefly regular troops commanded by Hahz
Pacha The Turks claim and tho villagers admit tho
death OF fourteen MussulmaEs. two OF whom wero
who killed with in their hands during
couic with party that refused to surrender to the
Insurgents.
While pilage rcigned ruprcmo at Koprishttsa and
lust at Panagurshta, at Batak the Turks seemed 10
have no stronger passion Than The thirst Tor blood
THIS village surrendered without firing shot, alter
promise of safety, 10 the bashi bazouks, under the
command Of Ahmed Aga, OF Burutina CHIEF OF the
rural police. Despite his PROMISE The few arms once
surrendered, Ahmed Aga ordered the destruction OF
the village and The indscrnnate slaughter OF tho in
habitans, about 100 young girls beng reserved 10 sat
isty the lust OF tho conqueror before hey too should
be killed saw their bones, some with the flesh still
clngng to them in the hollow the hill side, where
the dogs were gnawing then Not house is now
standing in the midst of this lovely valley The saw
mills--or the town had large trade in timber and
boards-which lined the rapid little
river are all burned, and OF tho 5000 inhab-
tants not 1900 known to survive
Fully 5000 persons a very large proportion OF them
women and children, persisted here and their bones
whiten the ruins thor putrid bodies infect the
The sight OF Batak enough TO verify all that has been
SAID about tho acts OF the Turks in rcprcssing the
Bulgarian Instruction And yet saw II three months
after the massacre On every size were human bones
skulls, ribs and even skeletons, heads oI girls still
adorned with braids Of long hair. bones OF children,
skeletons still encased in clothing Here was house.
the moor OF when was whe WIN tue ashes ana cnareu
bones OF thirty persons burned alive there Here was
tue spot where the village notable Trandal was spited
on pike aud then roasted and where he is nov
buried; there was foul hole iull oil decomposng
bodies here mill dam filed with swollen corpscs;
here the school house. where 200 women and
children had taken refuge there burned
alive, and here the church and churchyard, where
fully 1000 ha-decaycd forms were still 10 be seen
nng the enclosure IN a heap several feet high arms
feet und heads protruding the stones which had
vainly been thrown there TO hide thcm and poisoning
nll the air.
kalmakam oi Taiar Bazardjik sent to Batak with
some lime to aid in the decomposition OF the bodies
and TO prevent pestence
TnE MURDERER PROMOTED
Ahmed Aga who commanded at the massacre, has
been decorated and promoted 10 the rank of Yuz-
bashi.
These atrocities were clearly unnecessary for the
suppression OF the insurrecion, for was an nsgnih
rebellion at the best and the villagers generally
surrendered at the first summons. Nor can they be
justified by the state OF panic. which before
the troops set out on the campaign An attempt how.
ever, has been mudo--and not by Turks aone-to de-
icnd aud TO palatc them on the ground OF the pre-
vicus atrocities which, Is alleged were committed by
the Bulgarians | have carefully investigated this
point, ana am unable TO find that the Bclearaus com
mittcd any ourages or atrocities, or any acts which
deserve nat name. have vainiy tried 10 obtain ON
the Turkish officials list OF sfch ourages, but have
heard nothing but vague statements. was told by
Kian Pacha that the insurgents Killed the wile and
daughter OF the Mudir OF Koprishtsa; but this Mudir
had recently gone there anu had left his wife at Eski
Sara where she still resides and had no daughter
also told OF the slaughter OF The wife OF the Mudir
OF Panagurishta but at the time mentioned that village
had no Mudr was referred for information To Haiz
Nur Elendl a leading Turk OF Philippopos In a very
careful statement made by him he sets the number OF
Mussuimans (ncuding gypsics) Killed during the
troubles at l55, OF wnom twelve are women and ch-
drcnthc word children taken 10 mean any one under
twenty years OF age. have been able TO obtain proof
OF the death OF only two OF these womenat Panseu-
rlsnta--Nno certainty were Intentionally klilcu
No Turkish women children Killed in cold
blood. No Mussuiman women were violated No Mus
sulmans tortured. No purely Turkish village
was attacked or burned No Mussulman house
piliaged. No mosque was desecraed or destroyed.
The report of the special Turkish Commissioner. Edib
Encndi, contains statements on this point, every
other. which utterly unfounded In fact, and tho
whole report may be characterized tissue OF false
hoods. am, SIR, yours very truly,
EUGENE SCHUYLER
The Hon HORACE MAYNARD, &c
HOW THE TURKS INVESTIGATED" THE