The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-10
Turks Sacking q Town,

The Elena correspondent OF the Lon
don Tines writes We are in Elena after
a sharp days fighting, characterised, !
am glad to say, By few Of those acts OF
ferocity which have disgfaced 30 many
Turkish successes. There Is not stelnea
opponent to the Bashi-B -Bazouk system
than Suleiman Pasha, but these Turkish
and Circassian free lances have been
raised by the central government into q
situation quite beyond control, and any
attempt at suppression would transform
them even into less controlleble br1gands.
We are in Elena, and the sack OF tne
place is now in full swing. From the
window Of the house in which I have
sought few minutes of quiet to Jot
down these notes, and which overlooks
the long main street of this little town,
I see the ruin progressing fast. 10 give
an idea of the scene in this street 1t
needs to be photographed in panorama
and presented in its ensemble Word
painting gives but feeble notion OF it,
because the simultaneity Of the Incidents
is lost. Thus, if I say that the Bashi.
Bazouks and Circassians are battering
doors and shutters with the butt-ends OF
their muskets, slashing window-frames
to pieces with their yataghans, blowing
off locks with their revolvers, throwing
tae contents of house and shop into the
street, still it is only two or three houses
that the reader pictures to himself,
while what T want to describe is going
on on both sides of the way all down the
main street of Elena, which is 9 good
deal more than o mile long. In the
byways, too, 80 far as they lend them
selves to such work. the depredators are
at work bowling and hooting, drunk with
the joys of spoilation and red-hot with
the excitement of destruction.
It had been intended to take precau-
tions to prevent the sack OF the town by
irregulars. Three companies we're to
have been told off to protect the spoil
from the hands of those who had done
nothing to entitle them to participation In
the loot; but in the excitement OF the
victory it was not carried out, and thus
the irregulars are securing for themselves
or recklessly wasting, the great bulk OF
the booty. I was in so soon after the
troops that when I went up the street it
was comparatively empty. On q little
bridge over a rivulet which crosses one
end Of the town lay three Russians dead,
and the way was almost barred by dead
horse lying still harnessed to broken
fourgon but as went on the Basins
came rushing past and soon the street
was filed. Shop after shop was burst
open. Now grocer's, from which skins
and bladders filled with cheese and Rus
sian butter were thrown into the street /;
here sugar was the attraction, and the
Bashis thrust the white sugar Jumps by
handsful into their breasts and into the
folds of their turbans, and when they
were stuffed, scattered the rest about the
street. It must have been Bulgarian
feast day yesterday, for in all the grocers
and bakers shops there was hoidsy
cake. upon which the Bashis pounced
with childish delight. Now a draper's
shop was tapped, and the yarns and
rougher goods were thrown out to be
trampled under foot, while the long yards
of calico and cloths were dragged forth,
the pillagers chopping off with their
yataghans such lengths as they could
secure. From the winners the casks OF
wine were rolled into the street and the
heads stove in, bottles were hurled into
the air and came smashing down among
the crowd by the score. From time to
time troop of scared pigs would come
rushing into the street, bounded out OF
their styes by the side currents OF the
looters. Then there was a shout and .
chase, and the poor beasts were bay
oneted or shot by rifles and revolvers
recklessly fired amid the crowd. Before
a silk store lay an old Bulgar, shot
through tho chest, lying as Is he fell, and !
under the projecting front Of q cooks
shop, was the body Of q Russian, clad in
shirt and drawers, clean and tine OF
texture, apparently the remains OF some
civil functionary. ,...a. ...