Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-09-20
Massac es in the Balkan Will ges.
How THE TURKS MAKE WAR ON WOMEN AND
CHILDREN.

MaSSdC cS In the balkan VIII ScS.
, How THE TURKS MAKE WAR ON WOMEN AND
CHILDREN.
Captain James Gambler, of the British Navy,
has been travelling in Turkey, accompanying the
Turkish armies in many of their movements
What he says, therefore, about the methods Of
Turkish warfare may be accepted as truthful. He
writes some graphic letters to the London News
about the horrible massacres in the Balkan vii
lagos by the Turkish Bash Bazouks, and illus
trates them with sketches taken by himself soon
after the affairs. The following WIS taken from
one Of his letters:
village of upwards 800 houses that had been
| sacked and burnt, and the people mastered BY
the shi-Bazouks on July 80. The village Is
called Kara ath, about sixteen miles from Irno
va, towards Phllippos. The place is a total wreck
hardly one stone sanding on another. Of the few
corpses l saw, the msot shocking woman
with her head half hacked off, her clothes all torn
away at the waist, and the body half burnt. Dogs
and pigs were devouring the bodies, while don
keys and cattle strayed through the roads owner
less. The school had not been burnt and had
evidently been the scene of terrible fray. Bloou
on the floors and door posts, and all kind of house
hold gear school-books, and other things in the
greatest confusion, told the same dreadful tale
pealed powerfully to every human instinct within
one.
This affair of Kara-ath, however. sinks into in
significance before the appalling horror of the
massacre at Guela Mahalisse. 1t appears that OF
| the 26th q strong force. under Saouf Pasha made
| a reconnaissance from Yen-Sagra, and spent d
night near the village above named, which is sit
uated little oil the line OF rail between Yenl
Sagra and Trnova. After the force had left,
large body OF CIcassans returned to the village,
and, in the first place, carried off an immense
number Of young girls, whose fate can only be
guessed at They then returned to the village
and found that the remainder of the women and
I children had fled for protection to the church
There they slaughtered them all, and from the
church Colonel Lennox and Lieutenant Cherm-
side, X. Z. military attaches, Mes rs. Leslie and
Meyrick, of the Aid to the Sick ano Wounded So.
clety brought out and buried l75 bodies of wo-
men and children. Besides these there were many
others killed in different places abb ut the village
and thirty-six wounded had their wounds dressed
by the above-named medical officers. These eye
witnesses describe the scene in the church as some
thing indescribably awful. The dead and diving
were piled in sutfocating heaps, little children
craving about looking for their mothers, wound.
ed mothers trying to move those ghasty heaps to
mud tner children, and when found hardly able
to recognize them with the fearful sword cut,
| bout their little heads. Many women had been
violated aud subjected to fearful bal barites prey
nant ~oAen ripped open, while Others mad then
breasts cut oil OF their hands chopped off AT In,
wrist. mother lay stone dead, aud her bah,
VAS vainv endeavUring TO get the food for whlc
II Was starvlIL while oldt T cnIld was tatiluA
| nd pusniu2 tue dead woman 10 tly and make b.
| '"ahe. Even "hile these gentlemen were III III
- lase Tue mufuetiIs Was gong on at anottt
pc, anu 90 thieatenug were those ierocl.L
uihans that their hives $1,000 IN very giea uai.
-.r. A Crcassai, tom behind a hedge, took d
| deliberate shot al Mr.. Meyfick, but Missed him.
10 day avalled my self of tram which was
niended TO have token provisions and ammuni-
uon lar enough up the line of rail to communicate
with Suieimao Pashs, to visit the scene of this
fearful Massacre. The village, or rather town
for suppose 1t must have contained upwards of
1000 innabitants-had not been burnt. except in a
iew outlying parts, but every house had been
deserted town towards the square wooden church
tower, and entered the churchyard where great
mounds OF fresh earth bore testimony to the mum.
oers Of dead that lay underneath. The scene in
the church was one of complete confusion. The
hoor oil the church, and specially the steps near
the screen, WAS saturated with blood and clothes
broken boxes, books and relics Law in one confused
heap. On passing on through a small door at the
east end OF the church we came across the few
survivors OF the massacre, lying all huddled to-
gether on one OF the great mounds OF earth COW
erlng the graves-as if they had a superstitious
horror oil the church itself, but wished to remain
as near as possible for am told that the BuIya
rams have an idea that is better to die under the
shadow Of q sacred building. The party con.
sisted of two very old women one with her tbieh
fractured by musket-ball, the other perfectly IN
sane from terror, besides being blind Another
and younger woman, who had been slightly
wounded IN the BODY also appeared insane. for
she got up soon afterwards and ran away and we
| could not find her again. A little girl OF five had
received fearful sword cut on her head almost
down to the skull, and about five inches long. 1t
is marvel the blow did not kill her. There were
| two old men also severely wounded.
| On returning to Karsbunar the wounds of these
poor people were attended to, and we learnt from
| them the fate Of the thirty wounded who had
been left 10 the village. 1t appears that some have
gone TO EskiSagrs, a Few died, and about ten
have been remassacred, If NAV be permitted the
word. accompanied them to Ksrabunar, taking
| With Us also a Turkish woman who had been shot
in the back some ten days ago, and who has the
pail IN her still. She is nursing a baby three
months old. At Tinorva, after having put these
people IN another tram for Adrianope. we thought
mat, at least, they might be safe there; but we
were suddenly alarmed by a party of Bashi-Ba-
Louks making an attempt to get at and murder
these wfetched old people. Had some OF us not
promptly drawn our reyolvers and stood on the
steps OIL The carriage there is not the smallest
DOUBT they would have butchered them ALL As it
was, one rufiian ran round to the other side and
nurled 10 !hrough the window piece Of a chimney
pot weighing Abb or 50lb which fortunately killed
none OF them. IL was perfectly useless to send to
the officer in command, for q variety of reasons.
In the first place, no one ever knows who he is.
as he Is changed Dy every train Secondly, he
would not dare to lift a finger or give an order
that the Bash-Bazouks might resist. Third, he
was probably drunk--an opinion which NAV startle
the admirers of the "sober Turk :" but have ex-
celent reasons and good authority for believing
that the sobriety is confined to the lower orders,
and that drunkardness is by no means excep-
, uonal state among the upper classes. At last we
J found aud old creature who informed US was head
/, Lapueh, and, by threats of holding him RESPONSE
Ole at Constantinople with his head if these peo-
pie were injured during the night, we induced him
n 10 srrfouBd the carriage with a guard The Basb-
: Bszouk- were very threatening with shouts of
0iaout aud cries to massacre ALL 1t was