The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-20
THE BULGARIAN ATROCITIES,
Report Of the English
Ambassador.
Horrible Barbarities of the Bashi-
BaZOuks.

LONDON. Sept. 19.-The report of Mr.. Bar
ring. Secretary of the British leg alton at Con-
stantinople on the atrocities c0mmltted Dy the
Turks in Bulgaria, is published: IL Is accom-
panied by note from Sir. IL. Il. Elliot to Lord
Derby, in which the British am bassador ac-
knowedges that Earrings report clearly estab-
fishes the fact that the cruelties perpetrated
were sufficient to Justify the indignation they
called forth. He transmits letter from MIR.
Schuyler regarding the atrocities The report
is accompanied by the programme OF the Bull
garian insurgents, which the Turks claim. and
Barring believes to be authentic. This pro-
gramme provided for general and simultan-
euus razing of large number OF villages, all
of which are named, to be burned and the rail-
ways to be destroyed The government stores
sisted were to be killed aud all Bulgarians who
refused to join the instruction were to be
forced into the ranks of the insurgents. Bar
ring, In his report. estimates that in the sand
jak of Philippolis $4,000 Bulgarians and 200
Musselmans were killed and 50 villages burned.
The Bulgarians burned five small Turkish vii
lagos.
The report gives circumstantial account of
the destruc ion OF each town. 1t states that the
most fearful tragedy of the whole instruction
occurred 10 Batak. Hearing that preparations
for revolt were going on here Achmet Agha
was ordered to attack the town. He summoned
the inhabitants to give up their arms, but dis.
trusting his intentions they refused. A desul-
TORY uRnG suCCeeueu JdStluS TWO udyS, O0 the
9th of May the inhabitants had parley with
Achmet, who solemnly swore if they gave up
their arms not hair of their heads should be
touched. The villagers thereupon surrendered
their arms. Then all the money in the place
was demanded, after securing which the Bashi
Bazouks fell upon the people and slaughtered
them like sheep. About 1900 tooh refuge in a
church which baffled all attempts to fire from
the outside. The Bash Bazouks finally climb
ed the roof, tore off the tiles and threw burning
pieces of wood and rags dipped in petroleum
among the thickly packed mass of human be-
logs below.
| massacre completed. The inside of the church
was burned. The only survivor of this massa-
ere to be found was an old woman, she alone
remaining alive of family of seven.
Barring continues; visited this place on the
31st of July. Hardly corpse had been bu lied.
Where man fell there he now lies. In the
streets at every step lay human remains rotting
and sweltering in the sun. The stencil was
| overpowering. Five thousand in all were kill
ed here and about so girls we're carried off. The
| surviving inhabitants live in wooden huts out
| side the village in great misery.
To Achmet Agha and his men belongs the
distinction of having committed perhaps the
| most henious crime that has stained the history
| of the present century. Nevertheless he has
| been decorated by his government as also sew
eral other leaders in these crueltes. There
was undoubtedly a revolution which had to be
crushed by an armed force. but the govern
| ment is to blame for calling out the Bashi
Bazouks, for if it had sent regular troops earlier
| the Bashi Bazouks would have been unneces-
| sary. The manner in which the rising was
| suppressed was inhuman to the last degree, so
innocent persons suffering for every guilty one.