The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-11
BRIGANDS.
How the Work Of Robbery
is Accomplished.
Turkish Soldiers Stand Around
PoWerIess.
BRIGANDS.
From the London Times.l


SALoNIcA, April 11-Cassandra being a
mining district, attempts appear to have
been made more than once to work mines
there which We're subsequently, abandoned
The last trial was made by Mr. Suter. who
began work there about three months ago
in the interest of Mr.. F. Charnaud. of Sa
IOnica, British subject When this wild
and isolated village became the residence
of the former gentleman, who was accom-
panied there by his wife and child the
house occupied by Mr.. Suter and his FAM
lily was situated at the extremity of the
village.
! On the opposite side of the street are
| two houses. the first occupied by soldiers,
the second by men employed in the mines
On Thursday evening, the 7th of April
at about 109, Mr.. and Mrs. Suter, having
retired to their sleeping apartment, Mr.. Su-
ter being already asleep, but some of the
servants still up in their room, Mrs. Suffers
attention was attracted by hearing the
dogs round the house barking furiously.
| Suddenly dreadful scream from one of
the servants convinced her that brigands
were in the house and prompted her to
call to her husband, Harry Brigandsl"
Mr.. Suter then sprang out of bed, seized
! his rifle, and rushed to the door, which he
opened, but, seeing the gallery full Of
armed men, instantly tried to close it
again. The brigands pushed it from the
outside, but the united efforts of Mr. and
| Mrs. Suter were successful in shutting and
/ locking it Thus they stood for moment
in their nightdresses, face to face with the
/ terrible reality that they were in the hands
of the brigands. A knock was heard at
| the door, and Mr.. Suter asked quietly and
| firmly who was there, and what was
wanted while Mrs. Suter made rush to
/ ~. -
as loudly she could to the soldiers in the
house opposite. The knocks then redoubled
| and blows were struck at the door with an
axe
| Mr. Suter then went to the window and
called to the troops, when the brigands
| fired a v0lley from the balcony of the
house. The soldiers responded with
another volley directed at the house, and
the firing became general, the bullets
penetrating the walls and passing into the
| rooms. Mrs. Suter and her child lay flat
| on the ground under 4hick quilted cover
| ing, while Mr.. Suter, rifle in hand, stood
| in readiness to receive the first conner.
! Seeing, however, that the door was giving
way Mr.. Suter threw open the door and
welcomed the brigands with ''haLtos 0Taesti'
| (welcome) and extending his hand bade
| them enter In the mean time the firing
had redoubled, the messengers of death
| from the rifles of the Turkish soldiers
entering the dwelling on all sides. The
danger was imminent both to captors and
captives, the latter standing in their night
dresses expecting instant death. till the
brigands told Mr.. Suter the firing must be
stopped for the sake of all concerned. Mr..
Suter hastily dressed and went out on the
balcony to use his influence to effect this
Indispensable measure. His voice was
heard the firing ceased instantaneously on
both sides, whereupon he returned to the
room, and once more facing his captOrs
eight or ton in number he quiently asked
them what they wanted of him They
replied Your money your life" He
replied, ''Do what you like with me, but
spare my wife and child. | implore YOU
frightcn her not, for she is enceinte, and
the result will be fatal to her" This he
repeated several times and ask why they
wished to harm him when he had not
wrongcd them.
One of the number approached Mrs. Su-
ter. who was at the further end of the
room, and drawing his sword, placed its
point to her breast and said, Give me
your money, or l will cut your throat.
Mrs. Suter neither screamed nor tainted,
but looking steadily at him, said, Il have
only four liras in the house. They are in
that box. Take them if you wish He
replied 1T is a lie | will kill YOU" She
responded You and I believe in the same
Christ, and in his name 1 tell you have no
more money, and Qaying bare her throaO
cut my throat if you viii I can do no
more" He then said, 'It is lie. What
Englishman lives without money in his
house We have been told that your
household expenses amount to $50 a day; /
how can you have only four liras in the !
house, He again held his sword toward
Mrs. Suter. who then appealed to her hus-
band and he addressed himself to the brig |
ands, and pointing to his wife, said: Did /
| not entreat you not to frighten her? She |
is Il lady, and | ask you to treat her as
such" On this the brigand left Mrs. Sutcr
who took out the four liras and gave them
to him. Then they began approprating
every article that they imagined could be
of the slightest use to them. Mr.. Suter
then asked the brigands again what they
wanted. They answered that that was not
the time or place to discuss that subject,
and ordered Mr.. and Mrs. Suter to dress
themselves and their child and accompany
them to the mountain. Mrs. Suter follow
ed these instructions to the best of her
ability, Her little girl, pretty child of 4
years of age, who had been lying half hid
den by Turkish quilt, with big wide open
blue eyes, quietly surveying the scene, now
CdIIlc OQt VI uCl IS1ueC dShCd W DG
dressed to go. Hastily throwing on some
clothes, she added to them some articles of
wearing APPAREL belonging to her husband.
Mr.. Suffers arms were then tied, and they
were told to 60 on On passing the balcony
Mrs. Suter observed that the house opposite
was filled with soldiers, who appeared
ready to fire, and on pointing this out to
her husband he went into the yard and told
the soldiers that his family were about to
pass, and that they must not fire. The
brigands, with their prisoners, then passed
through the courtyard, out of the village,
and up the mountain side.
Mr. and Mrs Suter were accompanied by
four men servants carrying coverings and
food
On reaching the top of the mountain
they found grassy platform of consider
able size surrounded by bushes and trees,
But the moon had now set, and the prison
ers were told to sit down. while the brig
ands formed circle round them, some sit
ting and some standing, while others seem
ed posted all over the mountain, signalling
and whistling to each other. The brigands
appeared to be mostly young men, having