The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-24
FOREIGN GOSSIP BY MAIL.
The Recent Fighting Between the
Montenegrins and AIbanians.
Russian Aggressions on the Chinese From
tier-St. George as a Bacon
Spectator.
MONrENEGRINs AND ALBANIANs.
Mountainous Who Fight Chiefly Becau Sc
They Rather Enjoy the Exercise.


They Rather Enjoy the Exercise.
scutari Letter to London Times.
The following is the true account of the
fighting which has been taking place between
the Montenegrins and the Albanian noun
taineers in these parts. About two months
ago the Turkish zaptiehs unjustifably shot
two mountaineers of the Seialla and Sciostri
tribe, and about three weeks after some hun
dred men of that tribe entered the town at
night by the guard-house on the Kisi road,
Being challenged by the sentry, they fired
and killed him. The guard turned out and
skirmish ensued, the troops hurrying up
from the konak government h ouse) to assist
their comrades. The mountaineers soon
retired with an alleged loss of only one
man, but the poor soldiers are supposed to
have lost at least twenty killed and wounded
This affair which resulted on the side of the
mountaineers with an intimation to Abdi
Pasha that they still considered him person
ally responsible for the murder of their COM
rades, and on the side of the Turks by the
men of that tribe not being allowed to come
to Scutari for market-this affair say, must
not be confounded with that of the Kastrati
another Roman Catholic tribe, which hap
pened only three weeks ago. On that occa-
SION, a report having been got up that the
Montenegrins had killed a Kastrati noun
| tanner on the branch of the lake belonging
to that tribe, there was q rush to Scutari to
kill the first influential Montenegrin they
| could get hold Of They knew of Verbitza
being there and he had warning to go away
a week beforehand, as hostilities were always
expected. Well, five men outran the rest of
the tribe, and, finding a boat on the lake.
rowed round to the Boyana bridge shot
Nerbitza, cried out to the passers-by, do not
WI nc IVA how oil ttr lf.nA ~
| and followed by dropping irregular fire
| from the zaptiehs, ran back to where 400 of
OF their companions were waiting just out
side the town to cover their retreat.
On receipt of this intelligence the Monte
negrins started across the lake in nine lou
dras (lighters) of about forty men each, and
attacked the Kastrati territory killing and
wounding six men and two women, but
losing on their retreat upward OF a dozen
| men. This is the only serious fighting that
has occurred. OF course, wherever the Mon
tenegrins find mountaineer they kill him,
and vice versa, but all the rest of the ac-
counts which have been published must
! have been got by the process of rolling the
SNOWFALL. As for the arrival of Mustapha
Aim Pasha, he was sent by the Sultan to in
quire into the Seialla and SGiostri affair, in
which Abdi Pasha, the Governor-general,
has played very poor role, The Scutarines
are furious about the death of Verbitza, as
they consider themselves insulted by the
| mountaineers, Verbitza being looked upon
as their guest. The Mussulmans OF Scutari,
although hereditary enemies of the Monte
| negrins, are far the bitterest about it, which
says a great deal for their good feeling but
| OF course as you know avioation of the laws
| of hospitality is a much severer ofIense in
| the eyes of Mussuman than of Chris
| tan. AS regards all these things from
political point of view l still think, as
always have thought, that the Austrans are
| at the back of the Roman Catholic tribes in
all these matters. Through the priests they
have an unlimited influence over them, and
| they would like to see Albania in such a
state that they could "call themselves in
| for its pacfcation as in the case of Bosnia
| and Herzegovina and the Prince of Monte
| negro's injudicious, not to say bgoted, re-
| fusal to allow the Catholic priests to offici-
| ate at mass in the capital OF his principality
| has made the Albanians furious, and played
into Austrias hands. AS for Turkish affairs.
| the arrival of Mustapha Aim Pasha would
be a blessing if he should be appointed Vail
in place of the weak and worthless Abdi, but
up till now he has merely summoned the
chiefs of the Roman Catholic tribes to Sou
tart, a summons which will probably not be
obeyed by any but those whose tribes feed
their fiocks in the Ia Drima and south of
Alessio and have to pass through Scutari
every summer on their return to their
mountain homes. s.4+. t#.+.t.t