Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-09-07
The Atrocities I'm Bulgaria..

THE correspondent 0f.the Londen
Nesoy writes from Philippopoiis,
July 81, rs follows 'sThe investiga.
ton into the atrocities IL proceeding
rapidly. Mr.. Barring will probably
report that not fewer than sixty
villages were burned and 10000 peo-
pie killed. ! do not know what
view hc will tako OF the insurrec-
ton. Many prisoners have been
released since we arrived. Mr..
Barring Is honestly desirously OF OBJ
tanning tho truth, but is always ac-
companicd by q Turkish escort,
which frightens the peasaDtry. Mr..
Garachino, tho Interpreter, Is un-
fairly prejudiced. He browbcats and
bullies the Bulgariaris, but is polite
and forbearing to the Turks. One
whole day he accompanied Tussun
Bey, the Leader Of the Basbi- Ba
zouks, when visiting the villages
which Tussun Bey burned. The
peasantry afterward told Mr.. Schuy-
lee that they were afraid TO come
and testify. Mr.. Schuyler thinks the
reports Of the atrocities committed
by the Bulgarians utterly unfounded.
He believes that about 100 Turks
were killed, nearly all In actual conn
bat. There Is no proof yet Of a single
Turkish woman or child having
been killed Except in three villa
ges the Bulgarians offered no resist
ance. In one instance only the
Bulgarians attacked the Turks, viz,
| in a village OF Mixed inhabitants.
Proof has been obtained Of atrocities
corresponding In tho majority OF
| cases with the details In the Duty
Ne,ps. A schoolmistress, n beautiful
girl, was arrested for embroidering
flag and brutaIly maltreated. She
was nicknamed the Queen Of the
BnIgarians. She has been released
on bail, but was In prison six weeks
on bread and water. The poor girl
Is now Ill and broken-hoartcd.
The same correspondent writes
from Tatar Bazardjik, Aug. 1, as fol-
lows: ~ have just seen the town of
Ratok, with Mr.. Schuyler. Mr.. Bar.
ing was there yesterday. Here liz
what ] saw; on approaching the
town on a hill there were some dogs.
They ran away, and we found on
this spot q number OF skulls scattered
about, and ono CHASTITY heap Of skel-
etons with clothing, counted from
the saddle hundred skulls, picked
and licked clean; all Of women and
children. We entered the town.
On every side were skulls and skole-
tons charred among the ruins, or
lying entire where they fell in their
clothing. They were skeletons
OF girls and women with long brown
hair hanging to their skulls. We
approached the church. There
the remains were more frequent,
until the ground was literally cover
cd with skeletons, skulls, and putre-
flying bodies In clothing. Between
the church and the school there
were heaps. The stencil WAS fear
ful. We entered tho churchyard.
The sight WAS more dreadful. The
whole churchyard for three foetldecp
was fostering with dead bodies part
ly covered hands, legs, arms, and
heads projecting In CHASTITY confu-
sion. ] saw many little hands,
heads, and feet Of children of 3 years
Of age, and girls, with heads covered
with beautiful hair, Tho church
was still worse. The floor was COW
cred with rotting bodies quito un-
covered. ! never imagined any
thing so fearful. There were 1900
bodies In the churchyard and church.
We were obliged to hold tobacco to
our noses. In the school, a fine
building, 300 women and children
had been burned alive. All over the
town there were the same scenes.
In some places tho henps OF bodies
buried in shallow holes had been nn-
covered by the dogs. The banks Of
the little stream were covered with
bodies. Many bodies had been car
ried to Patar Bazardjik, distance of
thirty miles. The town had 1900
inhabitants. There now remain
200. Many who escaped had ro-
turned recently, weeping and moan
Ing over their ruined homes. Their
sorrowful waiting could be heard
half a milo off. Some were digging
out tho skeletons of loved ones. A
woman was sitting moaning over
three small skulls with hair cling
ing to them, which she had in her
lap.
The man who did oil this, Achmed
Aga, has boon promoted, and il still
Governor ofthe district, The news
paper accounts were not exaggerated.
They could not be. No crime In
vented by Turkish fefocity was left
uncommittcd. Seven thousand bod
les have boon lying here since May
IL, rottlng. in tho sun, preyed upon
by dogs; and Sir Henry Elliott has
never heard that the authorities
demand n war contribution from the !
remaining inhabitants of 100000 |
pinsters. Tho town formerly paid
4 ma aa.n Nh n a ex,aat 10 rotttp,. Il, i