Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-26
ATROCITIES IN BULGARIA:
Fiendish Work of the Turks.

M. Ivan de Woestyne, correspondent
of the Paris Figaro, has made an extend
ed tour througIBulgaria and has written
several grapic letters to that journal. in
which he describes the atrocities COM
mitted by the Turks. The following
extracts are extremely interesting. Al
though the author is evidently anti-Turk
in his feelings. there is no reason to
suppose the story he tells is exaggerated.
first morning of his visit to Adrianople:
At the first street corner after leaving
my hotel found myself opposite man
hanging, whose legs we've still kicking
convulsively. He was suspended from
the door of shop. The feet was fas-
tened and the hands tied behind his
back, but the face was uncovered and
the tongue hung from the l'outh. The
feet were scratching the side wall of the
door in a vain endeavor to find a resting
place. The shopkeeper, furious that
his house should have been chosen for
the execution, was abusing the "zapties,'
who went away laughing and driving
before them two other wretches whom
they were ordered to hang in different
parts OF the town. The evening before
the tribunal, which was composed of the
Turks and "chosen" Christians, had
condemned dozen Bulgarians to death
on account of the revolt which took ptace
three months ago. 1t was decided that
three of them should be executed in
Adrianople and the other nine scattered
through the country, one 1T each cross
road. | followed the soldiers who were
driving these unfortunates before them
with the butt ends OF the guns, while
crowds of boys threw stones at them
and shouted "Glaour." We soon came to
A aALLows CONSTRUCTED
of three pieces of wood, the upright and
arm being held in their places by 4 sup
port from one to the other. This prim-
tive gallOws was erected under q lamp
which had been pulled down the night
before by the weight of another man
executed there; for they hang them
here every day. In a few minutes every
thing was ready. The cord relied
round the arm of the gallows, ended in
a running knot, which fell down to
meet the victim. One soldier placed it
round the neck of the shorter of the two
condemned men and then upon a re-
mark made by one Of his comrades,
took 1t off and adjusted it on the taller.
The reason given by the second soldier
for this change was that 1t was difficult
to hang tall men from the shops, which
re generally low. The man was then
laced on the scaffold where he was
! kept in position with blows from the
butts of the soldiers guns until the rope
vas finally adjusted, when the scatlold
vas kicked from under him. They had
lot even taken the trouble to tasten his
Legs, which kicked convulsively in his
agony, while the ill-constructed gal
lows groaned. The crowd was already
far distant At the corner of the street
the cortege seemed to be in doubt rs to
which route they should take, and the
soldiers engaged in discussion. 1t
appeared that although they had been
ordered to hang one of the prisoners at
the gallows, yet they were free to
strangle the others where they pleased.
They advanced towards confectionery s
shop, which was somewhat larger than
the others, but the proprietor, guessing
their intentions, ran in front Of the troops
and put something into the command
er's hand who changing his direction,
went to cafe. Here the same scene
ensued, the owner OF the cafe took the
sergeant's hand, who turned to q cafe
opposite with the same result. All the
shopkeepers not caring to have a man
hanging at their door all day pay the
| meanwhile has TO follow their ZigZlg
march under an incessant rain of abuse
and stones. At last the cortege stopped.
The Bulgarian had tainted. l went
away, for had seen too much.
have said that 1000 regular, trained
troops, which have not been sent, would
have been more effective, but 10000
Bashibazouks have been sent instead
They will assassinate more than 10000
persons. The fear inspired by the au.
thoritles before an attack on some o
the Christian villages caused them tc
abandon everything.
HOW THE AssassINs OPERATED.
This, in effect. was the way the Bashi
bazouks operated: They presented
themselves before a Christian village
and, according to the serder of author
ity,' required complete disarmament
After this order was obeyed, a massacre
OF the men so disarmed was begun. Ii
case the villagers refused to hand ovel
their guns, &c, their village was imme
diately set on fire. Several village:
had never been armed, and which, con
sequently, had no arms to deliver-a fac
we'll known to the murderers-wert
treated in just the manner have indica
ted. The people on Perontopitza an
swered that they would deliver theil
arms to soldiers OF the regular army, but
not to the Bashi-bazouks. Then the at
tack commenced by firing the village a
four corners. The fight lasted four hours
and the inhabitants, surrounded by fire
took refuge in one of the two churches
The authority then sent cannon, bu
the unfortunate people held together
though ut this point they were willing tt
parley. At length, completely outnum
bered, they consented to surrender. TIL,
first to leave the church were Shot dow
in cold blood the instant they showed
themselves; they then comprehendet
that the attack was made but with on,
opject, namely, a general eNtermina
ton. and they resolved to stand out t.
the last. Thus, in word, there nov
remains Of this village absolutely moth
ing of the $50 houses-nothing, nothing
nothing. | defy any one to find an,
OLNcI lIdCC Iudl IL ppIllOu VI Llc Church
whose four walls are riddled with bul
lets, and 4 piece of another wall Il few
feet in height. The only object remain
ing inside the church was half Of paint
ing representing St. Paul. | have sen
it to you, and you will be in possession
of all that remains of township which
paid 100000 francs Il year for duties.
MASSACRE, SLAVERY, DEBAUCHERY.
And as to the population of over 2 ,OO'
persons. they are now reduced to $50 ole
people and children, who mourn among
the ruins which cover all that was deal
to them. Not strong man is left, no
Il woman. All these have been slain, AN,
all those who escaped the massacre have
been carried away into slavery to tn,
other side of the Salkans, where the,
will be subjected to thePomacs, ,renegad.
Christians, still more terocious thi,
MuSSulmanS themselves, and who arc
always on the raid. The abandoned chill
dren who strayed into the country have
been caught and sold at an average rat,
of fifty piasters each-a little less than ::
l-the little girls, at least those who ar,
pretty, are sent to Constantinople ant
placed upon those secret markets iol
such bargains which always exist. They
will be scattered among the harems
where the ladies always have little girls
whom they raise to sell, when they be.
come of age. These are their little per.
quisites. You will understand that til,
| Sl,vn do, lers -, Y ppptaI from N..,.,