The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-06-10

1c,OOO llItS, ROto WutChCo
and chains, gold rings, amber cigar
cartridges, rcvo.vers and cartridges, a
field-glass and fifteen trumpets. II all
these were not sent within FIVE days my
ears would be sent in, in eight DAYS my
nose and in ten my head. On three
occasions Mr.. Blunt sent me some news
papers, always with a few CHEEKY words
cautiously scattered about among the
printing. After weary time in the
cayo, for it was bitterly cold-and in
the daytime they rarely lit fire unless
the weather was foggy or snow was fal-
ling-I was told that all had been ar
ranged. Taken out, blind-folded,
mounted on q mule and sometimes
riding, sometimes picking nov own way,
l was brought down to the vicinity of
Caterina. 1 had to write third letter
relative to the movement of the troops
escorting the ransom. also saying that
If there was any bad money among the
ransom, the amount would be doubled"
The manner in which Colonel Synge's
release was effected and the ransom
paid are thus described:
"On- the day of my release the scouts
reported early that the trumpets had
sounded in Catarina for the troops to
fall in. shortly afterward that they had
marched out, and after time they APP
preached, accompanied by Consul-Gen-
eral Blunt, and \ ere halted. Mr.. Bizzo,
the dragoman of the Consulate, who
had personally carried out the negotia-
tions between Mr.. Blunt and Niko, ac-
companied by some of his own men (he
has two large farms near Catarina), a
Turkish officer and Hussein Agha, the
cavass of the Consulate, brought up the
ransom. Now learned for the first
time that $4,000 liras was the real
amount, for the brigands had always
told me that it had been arranged for
1000. l believe they gave out that
amount to mislead other bands of whom
they were in dread. Mr.. Blunt, too.
had very wisely concealed the amount
from everybody. 1t was generally I'M
derstood that he had raised the 1000
hras for me by mortgage, and so judi
ciously had he concealed the other 10,-
600 liras that Niko, who knew every
thing that went on in Salonicl, sent
word not to try to deceive him-he
knew well that Mr.. Blunt had only
1000 ready; and it was necessary to
get a spy to inspect the full sum to re-
assure him. Nor were these precau-
.tiOns unnecessary, for we afterward
learned that Davelli. another chief of a
band numbering some thirty, had
formed a project for carrying off the
ransom, but was misinformed as to the
day of payment. We being seated
round in the forest, the bags of money
were laid out, and three of the band
inspected each coin to see that there
were no marks which might give a clew
to their whereabouts afterward. One
bag was counted and the other weighed
against it. They had withdrawn their
demands for the other things men,
toned in the letter except the watches
and Martini and revolver. A Martini
rifle offered them was accepted, but the
revolver was not good, and they pre-
ferred waiting for new one. Satisfied
with the ransom they shaved me and
gave me a cup of water according to
their customs. returned five liras they
had borrowed from me in the cave, as
also a revolver they had taken from
me. 1t is unusual to release a captive
before nightfall, but it was successfully
arranged by Mr.. Bizzo, and was set
at liberty. When taken / had some
thirty odd liras in my pocket; of this
sum they borrowed five for their ex-
penses, but did not touch the rest"
Col. Synge concludes his letter with the
following account of the composition
and character of the band by whom he
was carried of:
1.-The band is under the leadership of
Niko, assisted by his brother, Basil,
and his brothcr-in-law, Kalesh. An
other brother, Georgia., is chief of n
second band numbering only eight. A
third brother is in prison in Greece
OF Niko's band six are deserters from
the Greek army. These, with Niko and
his relatives, are armed with the .Gras,'
or Greek service rifle, which they pre-
fer to all others. The remainder of
the band are armed with the sMarti-
nj and 'Milonar,' or old Greek service
weapons. One of the deserters had
served at the time of the Mara
thon murders, and was. well up in
the events of that time. One had been
a monk ut Mount Athos. All made the
sign of the cross before and after eat
ing. All had taken part in the last
raid in Thessaly. l fear shall never
learn who were their instiga,ors and
accomplices, but cannot believe that
the attack originated with the brig
ands. According to the brigand cart
ridge account they fired three hundred
and eighty-two rounds in the attack,
and my windows, ceilings and walls
bear witness to numerous hits. What
a difference between the ragged ruff
fans who formed the brigand bands
when first came to this country; five
or ten men, armed with old flint guns,
which would not go off at all in wet
weather, and were nearly equal source
of danger to the shooter and the
'shootee' in fine, and now, bands of
fifty to hundred and fifty, armed with
the best of modern weapons, going
about requisitioning towns and villages
and carrying people off to ransom."-
Pail Mall Gdzette.