Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-03-31
The Capture Of Colonel Synge.

II Ii but q few days since the British
Government paid q large sun Of money
BY way Of ransom tor the release Of Col.
Syngs, who had fallen into the hands Of
. party Of brigands near Salonics. A
correspondent. writing on the 2sth OF
February. give the following account Of
the capture:
The particulars Of the affair ~ brought
BY his servant are as follows: On
Thursday night. at about Q o'clock. they
were surrounded BY . band consisting OF
about 25 to 30 brigands. II was snow.
ing at the time. After firing Q few shots
in the dark they called upon Colonel
Synge to surrender. which he refused to
do and made some Kind Of Q defense. the
construction OF his house enabling him
to do 20 for some time. Meanwhile,
ZONE Of the men. having broken a door
and obtained access to q quantity Of hay.
threatened to set Are to tho house u he
did not at oncs surrender. Seeing that
further resistance was us.l. o., and fear
ing they would carry u thsu threat. he
admitted thlm.
Fifteen men entered the house and
asked for coffee. which he served to
them. They then went over the house,
but, acting on their chiefs orde-s, took
nothing. Colonel Synge was then told
that he would have to 20 of with them.
He requested 10 be allowed to put on his
boots. which was granted. the captain Of
the band remarking that a. 1t was very
cold, and he would have to travel in the
snow. hs would do well TO provide him.
self with an overcoat. Colonel Syngs
further said that hs would not b able to
walk all the way and asked 10 he might
take his horse. On hearing this, the
brigands inquired II there were other
horses In the stables, and, finding I've
more. they were taken by the two prin.
cipal men. Colonel Synss had bis
hands bound. Previous to starting he
ordered q OF his servants to proceed at
once to Sslonica and report the matter
10 the Consulate.
Mr.. Blunt, the Consul General. with
his usual pfomptitude. on receiving the
news, communicated It ct nee to the
Govsrnor.G General and commander Of
the troops. begging them to give strict
orders that no soldiers should be sent In
pursuit, a, such Q proceeding might DO
prejudicial to Colonel Sypge's safety.
The next morning Nj. Blunt left in the
Turkish corvette Eiirne for California,
q village at the foot Of Mount Olympus,
at the entrance Of the Gulf. He was &C.
companied by the General Commanding
this district. the first dragoman and q
student dragoman attached to the cousu'
late. He also took with him q telegraph
clerk knowing French, rs Caterina is
only open to Turkish correspondence.
The whole district Ia the vicinity OF
Mount Olympus il infested with bri.
gands. and il IL there without doubt that
Colonel Synge has been taken, and where
intelligence Of him can be moro readily
obtained. It is said that the band aud
their prisoner were last seen crossing =
river q short distance from Trioovista.
The fsrrymen (Albanians). to whom
Colonel Syngs had shown some kind
ness, refused to take him across, upon
which the brigands fred and killed two
Of them.
Colonel Syngs has always declared
his district very quiet and ridiculed the
idea Of the brigands taking of an Eng.
lishman. To those. however. who are
OF little faith IL IL only surprising that
he has not been taken before. This
brigandsgs has existed for years. As
numbers Of people not having such pro.
lection a. Colonel Synss have known to
their cost, and the Government has
never made any decided attempt to sup
press IL.