The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-14

! sul-Gencral, has nobly undertaken to lnveS-
tigate the atrocities of the Bashi-Bazollks in
! Bulgaria, and although he had not COM
plctcd his examination at the date ut which
| lie writes, he has made preliminary report
to Hon. Horace Maynard, ,SUnited States
Minister at Constantinople, from which we
! extract the following: ~
The number Of villages which were
burned in whole or in part in the districts
of Philippopolis, Roptchus, and Tatar-Ba-
zardjik is at least sixty-tiye. Besides the
villages, four monasteries were burncd-St
Teodor, near Perustitsa; the Panagia and
the BeZSrabrnitsa, near kretShma, and st.
Nicholas, near Kaloverovo. The Turks al
lcge that many of these villages were burned
bv the insurgents for the purpose Of COM
pellns the Bulgarian inhabitants to join
them. am unable to find that such was
the case in more than two or three instances,
and even here the proof is very weak. At
Belloya the insurgents burned the railway
station, in which some Zaptlehs had taken
| refuge.
1t is very difficult to estimate the number
of BulgarianS who were killed during the
few days that the disturbances lasted, but
| am inclined to put $4,000 as the lowest for
the districts have named. The manner in
which the troops did their work will be
seen from few details gathered on the
spot from persons who escaped from the
massacre.
TURKISH DUPLICITY.
Perustltsa, Il town Of 400 houses and be-
tween 5000 and 1000 Inhabitants, took no
active part in the insurrection. Becoming
alarmed at the attitude Of the Turks in the
neighboring villages, the inhabitants sent
n deputation to Aziz Pacha, the Mutessarif
of Philippopolis, for regular troops to de-
fend them. He returned them written
message that he had no troops to
send, and that they must defend them
selves. When the Bashi-Bazouks ap-
peared before the town they there
selves in q church, retreating finally to an
other. and held out for five days, until they
saw the regular troops under Rashid Pacha,
when the remainder gave themselves up.
Many OF the inhabitants escaped at the be-
| ginning OF the struggle, but many were
shot down. The church was bombarded,
and about one thousand in all were killed,
many Of them women and children. The
| town was pillaged and completely burned,
not Il single house being now standing.
Many women were violated. The floor Of
the church, the church-yard, and many OF
| the gardens were dug up afterward in
search for buried treasure. The Bashl-
Bazouks here were commanded by Ahmed
Aga, Of Tamrysh, who was subsequently
rewared with silver medal.
TUssUM DEY's EXPLOITS.
Klissura was nearly twice the size of Pc
rustitsa and proportionately richer, as many
Of the inhabitants were engaged IN the
manufacture OF altar Of roses, and many
were merchants travelling through the
country. The insurrectionary movement
began here on the Cd OF May, but it was not
until the 18th that the Bashi-Bazouks, I'M
der the command Of Tussum Bey, of kar-
lovo, attacked the place. A few shots were
fired, when the villagers surrendered and
fled to koprishtista and to the mountains.
More than $50 Bulgarians were Killed,
! chiefly women and children. The Turks
claim that fourteen Mussulmans Gn part gyp-
sies) were killed before and during the fight.
! AS soon as the BaShi-BaZoukS entered the
town they pillaged it and burned it. Among
other things $50 copper stills used in making
altar OF roses were carried away to the
| Turkish villages. Subsequent parties car
ried off all that was left, even to the nails
from the doors and the tiles from the roofs.
The church was desecrated and blown up.
Tussum Bey for this exploit was decorated
with the Meiidie.
Koprishtitsa (Avrat-Alan), although one
Of the first villages to rebel, was one OF the
last to be attacked. Warned by the fate OF
Klissura and Panagurishta, the leading in
habitants themselves arrested the ringlead-
ers OF the insurrection and sent to Philippe
polls for regular troops. In spite OF TINS
the bearers of submission were fired on,
and one, the priest Dontcho, was killed, the
town was several times pillaged, many OF
the women were violated, and about thirty
persons were killed. The town was not
burned, and
A GENERAL MASSACRE
was avoided by large presents OF money
paid by the leading inhabitants to the Turk
ish commanders. Three shots were, how
ever, fired at the church, but did little dam
age. The villagers admit killing ten Turks
and forty gipsies-the latter being suspected
of an intention to plunder the town. The
Turks claim total loss OF seventy-one.
Panagurishta (Otluk-kui) was attacked by
force OF regular troops, together with
Bashi- -Bazouks, on the 18th Of May. Appa-
rently no message to surrender was sent.
After slight opposition on the part OF the
insurgents the town was taken. Many OF
the inhabitants fed, but about 1900 were
massacred, the most of them being women
and children. OF these about 400 belonged