Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-03
HIS TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

| Ladenski, with whom, through the aid oil
| an interpreter, Press reporter had chat al
| the conclusion of the clinic, is small, we'll.
f rmed man, with a furtive expression OF
/ countenance and feaiurea of an almost Mon
/ golian cast. His appearance was probably
never at any time very prepossessiDg, but
| The ori6ce in his throat, nearly the size OF a
| silver quarter, the deep slash across the
| cheek and the traces of a cash nearly
| FIVE inches in length on the left
| aide of the neck, give him, so
| to speak, az unfinished appearances
] that is anything but blessing He has
probably told the story Of his frightful ex-
periences with the Roumanisn bandits 10
many eager listeners for he has been ex-
amined by numbers of eminent surgeons in
Europe, and he relates the blood-curdling
details in the most matter-of-faet manner,
and as calmly as though he were conversipg
on the most ordinary of topics. 81 remem-
Der every incident of that night" he said,
"as clearly as though it all happened yester-
day. One of our friends had gone to
small village twenty miles from Vassloe to
be married, and a lot OF us,syoCng men
living in The town and all friends of the
bridegroom, thought it would be capital fun
10 make up sleighing party and drive over
to take hand in The festivities. We started
in the early evening, two sleigh-loads OF US.
The night was cold, but the moon shone
brightly and the air was clear and -bracing,
and as we sped along over the roads COW
cred knee deep in snow, warmly cuddled
up in our fur rugs and robes, we sang and
shouted cheerily to the music of the bells
on the horses' heads. For the first len
miles the road lay through al open country,
then we began 10 traverse a thickly-
wooded district. There were frequent sharp
turns in the road, too, and some steep
hills had to be climbed, so that often we
had 10 walk the horses for short distances.
We had just crossed a stone bridge over a
small stream and were mounting one OF the
bills when from each side of the road
horde of gypsies made dash al us, rising
suddenly out Of the brushwood skirting the
road, where they had lain concealed. The
wretches were armed with scythes, and in
less time than 1 take to tell you the story
they had killed every man OF our party ex-
cept myself and the driver OF the sleigh l
was in. They hacked at Us like madmen,
in several inst ances completely severlng the
mems heads from their bodies. The shrieks
of the wounded and dying were awful, and
the sight of my friends life blood pouring
out on the pure white snow In the bright
moonlight was enough to turn my brain; but
that 1 was struggling and fighting for my life
meanwhile believe would have gone mad.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
1.-TWO of the fends finally tore me out OF
the sleigh, and as l fell down in the snow /
saw the fash of a scythe-blSde right in my
face. L felt a sharp cutting on my throat
and then became unconscious. | cannot tell
how long time elapsed before / regaiDed
my senses. MY wounds must have been
numbed by the cold, for I was hardly con-
scious of pain as l struggled TO my knees.
TIE human devils were busy dividing the
plumber. Not only had they sacked the
bodies of money and valuables SIS l saw by
their examining watches and emptying
purses, wrangling and fighting over a d.
vision of the contents-but they mad stripped
some of the bodies of tn cir outer garments
l had crept away only few yards, hoping
TO conceal myself in the woods until the
murderous villains should make of, when a
blood-thiIsiy yell announced that my move
ment had been observed. They appeared
asionished that | was sill alive, and one
wretch at once placed a oosely-knotted
rope around my neck, and, jerking the other
end over the arm of a tree that hung over
the road, called TO the others 10 help him,
and was hauled up several feet from the
ground. The strain on the wound in my
throat now caused me fearful agony, and
l kicked vigorously. The rope broke, and
came down plump on the snow. One of the
brutes slashed me across the face with his
scythe, cut me again across the throat, and
stabbed me in the abdomen. Again became
insensible. When | came to myself 1 was
lying all in heap with the dead bodies OF
my late companions under the bridge we had
lust crossed when the attack upon Us was
made. Soon heard means. and found that
my friend. the driver of the sleigh, was sill
alive. We had not strength to crawl out
from among the dead bodies of our friends.
and there we lay until help came to Us two
days later. When we heard sleigh bells we
tried to raise shout, but our voices we're so
weak that l do not wonder we were not
heard. But that Prof. Russ, of our town,
pulled up en- the bridge to repair the horses
harness, and heard our groans on the night