The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-21
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Colonel Synge has furnished 10 the Times
an account ~ bis captivity among the bri-
gands OF Thessaly. He had been absent
from home for a month, and returned to b's
farm on Tuesday. February 18th, a portion
81 his baggage, Including bis rifle.carsr'oges,
ino, having yet reached him. On the i9tn
the house was surrounded by brigands. and
what followed h thus described BY Colonel
synge: "On Thursday night, between ~
and II O'Clock, sitting In my armchair, j
was startled BY shots r%attlins. In at the win
dows and bows at the granary-door below.
Nv house is a solid brick building, the
ground floor forming the gransry, when
had no interior communication WIFI toe
rest OF the house. The front ~ occupied
BY a large veranda. ! bad nothing reaoy;;
MY guns had been packed away woen l
went mn country. and I bad not got them
out. There were no cartridges for my rlhe.
I broke open a g un-case, put a gun togetntf,
go, ont some cartridges, went up 10 the Top
OF the house aud opened Ere with small snol
where i saw
THE FLASHES OF THE RIFLES.
They were all round, banging away, and
The bullets smashing up everything. NY
Albanians, who occupy a house across Tue
farm.yard. about 100 yards of, also opened
fire, but the brigands were all under cover
Getting through the granary door, they cor
Iec,ed some planks and straw, and, seiting
FIRE 10 the heap, the house was soon iuii oi
smoke and uniensble, ana had tog'se up.
AZ they afterwards told me, they left the
forest. situate about half O mile of. shortly
sfter dark, sent two OF the band 10 advance
win meat, with which they silenced the
~watcb.dogs, and then the remainder adj
yanced 10 ~reconnoitre. First they looked
after the Albanians. Going up into the ve-
randa OF their house they saw them through
The window and took note OF their arms.
Leaving some Of their band TO hold them In
check, they next proceeded 10 r~econDoitre
The house. First they contemplated making
a ladder and assaulting from the veranda,
but, fearing 10 expose themselves, they con-
sidered that setting Ere toihe building from
The outside would entail less loss. After
irving uusucces.fully they determined to
burst In the granary door and set fire in
side. Two gun were told of 10 each win
dow on that side OF the house, with orders
10 keep up q constant fire. Four men were
sent TO the door, two with axes and two
with rifles, and the signal was given.
on MY s~URRENDERIhG
they took two OF My saGdle-borses from
the stable. / was mounted on one, and
Niko, the chief Of the band on the other.
The workmen were called to look after
the fire. and | was told TO send word that
Il any troops were sent in pursuit l should
be murdered. WIGS then marched of To-
wards Mount Olympus. The night was
FITCH dark, with sleet and snow. About
an hour and a bali's journey south there
is the river Vlstrltza (Haleacmon) to cross.
Arrived at the ferry, Nike, with one COM
panion, went 10 the ferry-hut, 10 which
were three Albaniaps and q Christian boat
man. One Of the Albsnlans was an old
friend OF Nike's, and be counted on his
passing him over the river without 0ppo-
stiop. Knocking at the door, be said ::
"Don't you know mef / have come from
Venea, and must pass over tonight" The
Albanian said,N" Walt until / blow up the
FIRE . Bit" and then opened the door.
Whether Niko was not recognized, or
whether, seeing he had only one man with
bin, The AlbsDians thought be would be
an easy capture, | cannot say; but one Of
1hem-Niko's friend-calliDg upon bis COM
paniOns TO shut the door, drew a revolver
from under his pillow and fred three shots,
wounding Niko's companion in The shout.
der, but missing himself.
NIKO DREW HIS YATAGHAN
and cut down the man with the revolver,
breaking bis yataghan with a thrust which
disabled the second AlbaDisn. The third
was shot by one OF the band through Il e
window, and, some Of them rushing in, the
ooatman was also wounded, but was made
10 work the ferry across. The wounded
Albanian was brought down to the boat,
aud though ! begged hard for bis life and
offered TO ransom him, be was shot, and j
was old that we're they not in a hurry he
would have been tortured. Having crossed
the Iiver and the plain between ii and the
mountains, II was a steady ascent, the snow
getting deeper and deeper. About dawn
there was a halt among some rocks and the
day passed there. At night, on again. Un'
Ill late on the third night the unfortunate
horses got nothing but some dry beech
leaves 10 eat and no water. as IL was all
frozen. After the fourth night they dissp'
peared, and afterwards turned up at Cate
rina."
After five nights travelling
COLONEL sYNGE WAS TAKEN TO a CAVE,
where he remained under the guard Of Nj
kos brother and five OF The band, a demand
for a ransom of $4,000 hras, or about
el3.b0O, having meanwhile been sem
10 ConsulGeneral Blunt by the brigand
chief. In this cave the Colonel was kept
until the negotiations were completed.
"For food there were bread and goat,
sometimes bread without the goat, some
times goat without the bread-geBerally
wine aud coffee. Great caution was reQui.
site in procuring supplies, as they feared
lest their tracks in the snow should be fol
lowed. l knew that while negotiations
were pending C0nsuiGeneral Blunt would
prevent troops being sent in pursuit, but
the brigands were always suspicious. Once
they got an idea that other biigands had
bten put on to capture Nike, with a view
10 exchanging him for me, and they were
rather mad. They told me that had such az
attempt been made, and had Nike lost his
lie. they would have made me a jacket nlk0
fr0nca-i. e., removed the skin Of the up
per part OF the body-and then
ROASTED NE A LA BR0CHE.
'f very well knew that such a scheme
would only have been resorted to as "A last
our and assured them they were mis-.
taken. However. on the occasion | was die.
tated another letter demanding 1870 lIras,
gold watches and chains, gold rings, amber
clgar-boIders, amber beads, Martini rifles
and cartridges, %reyolyers and cartridges,
a Geld- glass, and fifteen trumpets. IL all
these were not sent within five days my ears
would be sent 10, 10 eight days my nose, and
In ten my head. On three occasions Dir.
Blunt sent me some newspapers, always
with a few CHEEKY words cautiously scat
tered about among the printing. After q
weary time In the csye-for it was bitterly
cold. aud 10 the daytime they rarely lit q
fire unless the weather was foggy or snow
was f%alling-I was told that all had been
arranged. Taken out bImdfolded, mounted