The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-15
(Frcm the London TimesJ


{Frcm the London TimesD
The next part Of the report deals witt
the Gaze of Batak-'the most fearful
tragedy that happened during the whole
resurrection.
The Me6j liss of Tartar BaZarJi6, hearing
that preparations for revolt were going OF
in this village, ordered Achmet Agha OF
Dospat to attack it, aud this individual
having joined his forces with those of Mo.
BANNED Agha Dorkova, proceeded to carry
out these orders. On arriving at the vii
lsge he summoned the inhabitants to give
up their arms, which, as they instructed
HIM, they refused to do, and a desultorJ
fight succeeded, which lasted two days
hardly any loss being inflicted Oh either
side.
On the 9sh of May the Inhabitants, seeing
that things were going badly with them,
and that no aid came from without, had q
parley with Achmet. who solemnly swore
that if they only gave up their arms not a
hair of their heads should be touched. A
certain number of the inhabitants, luckily
for them, took advantage of this parley to
make their escape.
The villagers believed Achmet's oath
and surrendered their arms, but this de-
mand was followed by one for all the
money in the village, which, of couree, bad
also TO be acceded to. No sooner was the
money given up than the Bashi Bazouks
set upon the people and slaughtered them
like sheep. A large lumber of people,
probably about 900 or 200, took refuge
ID the church and churchyard, the latter
being surrounded by wall. The Church
itself is solid building, and resisted all
the attempts of the Bashi -Bazouks to
burn 1t from the outside; they consequently
fred in through the windows, and, getting
upon the roof, tore off the tiles and threw
burning pieces of wood and rags dipped
fi,sA of NH
human beings inside. At last the door
was forced in, the massacre completed, and
the inside of the church burnt. Hardly
any escaped out of those fatal walls.
The only survivor l could find was an
old woman. who alone -remaiued out of a
family of seven When the door was
broken in and she was expecting immediate
death, Turk took her by the hand, and
saying, "Come, old woman, l am not going
TO hurt you" led her away and saved her
lie. The spectacle which the church and
CD urchy ard present must be seen I'D be de-
scribed hardly corps; has been buried !;
where man fell there he now lies, and it is
with difficulty that one picks ones way to
the door of the church, the entrance of
which is barred by guastly corpse
stretched across the threshold. visited
this valley of the shadow of death on the
lat of July, more than two months and q
half after this massacre, bus still the
SLSHCu WIS SO pNcI pc" eIiCS tuab O3c
could hardly force ones way into the
cnuIchyard.
III the streets at every step lay human
remains, rotting and eweliering IN h@ sum
mer sun--here skull of Oh Old woman,
with tie grey hair still attached to it +;
there the false tess of some unhappy girl,
FLASHED in half by yataghap, the head
Which it adorned having been probably
carried off to he devoured by some of the
doga, who Up to this have been the only
scavengers. just outside the village
counted more than sixty skulls in little
hollow, and il was evident from their ap
pearance that nearly all of them had been
ghans From the remains of female wear
ing apparel scattered about, it is plain that
many of the persons here massacred were
women.
It is to be feared, also, that some of the
richer villagers were subjected to crue
fortunes before being put to death, in hopes
that they would reveal the existence Of
hidden treasure. Thus Petro Triandaphyl
los and Pope Necio were roasted, and
Slogan Stoychoff had his ears, nose, hands
and feet cut off. Enough, l think, has
been said to show that to Achmet Agha and
his men belongs the distinction of having
committed, perhaps the most heiuoue
crime that has stained the history of the
present century, Nina Sahib a'one, should
say, having rIvalled their deeds. AS re
CARDS the number of killed, have before
stated that about 5, 900 is my estimate.
am aware that others place it higher, but
be this as it may, whether the slain are to
be counted by hundreds or by thousands
does not lessen in the least the crimnaiity
of the slayers. The intention was to ex-
terminate all except those few girls (pro
baby about eighty whom they carried of
to satisfy their lusts. Those that escaped
owed their safety to their own good fortune,
| and not to the tender msrcies of their
neighbors.
A. BRoUssEAU & Son, IMPORTERS OF CAR
PET1NGs ETc-The has arrived when people he
have the good taste and financial ability begin make