Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-29

How They Intcss the Province %
smyrna.
THE TERRORISM THEY INsPIRE-soNE OF rusrn
DESPERATE DEEDs-A TERRIBLE ARRAY.

Correspondents Of The EVENING STAR
SMYRNA, February 2oth.
One can scarcely realize 10 what an extent
brigands infest this province. They are organ
lied into various small bands. armed with Mar
tint rifles. revolvers, yatagans, etc. Injured to
fatigue, fleet OF foot. familiar with the noun
tains, they ace reSolute. cruel and implacabe TO
degree unknown in Christian countries They
Turk along the highways andfn.the enyirons II
villages. ready TO pounce upon and dcspon I'M
wary travellers. So bold have these robbers be-
come through long continued impuuity that Il il
NOT safe for man TO travel alone even a mile
beyond the cnvirons of smyrna. In some local.
tiles the chiefs q. these bands take ,nnn tb,rn-
selves TO exercise the functions of civil rpa,Is-
trates ana decide in asummary way all disputes.
Immunity from their dcspollations and assassl-
nations is sometimes purchased by owners Of
vineyards ana 10y merchants through the annual
payment OF stipulated sums. But this means a
Not always effective since the chief of one l,snJ
viii not always respect the agreements al ia
head or another band. These bands ara
made up OF men Of different NATIONAL
tiles. Some are escaped criminals. while
the majority, perhaps are refugee Cirrassians
and Leybecks. wild. half-savare yIualra-iva
people who respect no law but that of luj.,h,
occasionally renegade Greek is found anon,
srt
! themselves with the simple appropriation OF IA
yaluables found upon the persons OF their VIC
TINS; II they did. they would not be So much
dreaded. But If their victims are men of prop-
erty. and the brigandS generally learn this fact
from spies. they are taken into the mountains
and held there in concealment until the ancuut
OF their ransom Is forwarded. the penalty NJ
nature being death or mutilation. Although
as brave As they are merciless the brigands ara
very cautions when making captures. They
fhntsa ~.
such dispositions that resistance TO their man.
dates would be foolhardy in the extreme For
this reason they seldom attack caravans or
merchants travelling under escort: and. for the
same reason no single man, however courage
Gus, and well armed he maybe has the slightest
chance Tor his life II he attempts resistance.
THEIR SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS.
Many instances OF their successful operations
covering recent period only, might be- cited.
Last summer they surprised one of the wealth.
lest citizens OF Smyrna whilst going from ths
railroad station In an interior village to his yne-
yard, half mile distant, and as he refused TO
surrender they hewed him into pieces with their
yatagans.
Some months since another band CAPTURED az
kuluk dozen merchants, mostly from smyrna
Just after they had landed from a small steamer
which plies between this port and the small
towns along the coast. The steamer landing IA
half mile distant from the village and il was
while traversing this short distance that they
were captured. All were subsequently ran
somed for various sums. the troops sent in pur-
suit having failed to oyertake either captors or
captiyes.
The result of this state Of affairs is TO create
feeling OF insecurity everywhere, and TO make
the transaction OF business between town and
country exceedingly dangerous. Many wealthy
foreign residents OF smyrna, owning villas and
plantations In the interior, dare not visit them
ior fear OF capture; and even along the lines OF
the railways great care is necessary TO insure
safety or person and property, Ii is thus that
immense, almost incalculable injury Is Inflicted
upon this country.
The brigands are allowed pardon IL they come
In and make submission. When cold weather
arrives. aud life In the mountains becomes I'M
pleasant, the brigands make their submission
With the return OF the warm weather however
they are again at their old tricks. Those caught
while plying their vocation usually escape 10y
brlbing their guards or jaers. Noe, then, to
those who may have informed against them. It
is this facility of escape which enables the bri-
gands to hold tight rein over the poor peas
ants, and keeps the latter from turning informer
when the mountaneers descend into the plains
and levy contributions for food, &c.
DESPERATE AFFRAY.
In the latter part of December an unusually
bloody drama was enacted within the palace OF
the governor general. Some time previous the
famous brigsnd chief, Yourouk Osman. surren-
dered to the local Authorities, and upon his
promise to re-enter the right path the governor
general granted him the anaan (mercy) and the
employment OF kuseydur (pursuer OF brigands)
Two days after he had been pardoned Your
Ouk Osnan left for the interior. Ii was un-
derst0od that he was going TO pursue some Of
his old comrades, the capture OF whom he
boosted his ability to effect. The authorities
however, were not long in getting Information
that SO far from pursuing his companions
Yourouk Osman had thrown aside his title Of
hrserdar and bad placed himself at the head OF
new band OF highwaymen.
Peremptory orders were sent 20 the Caima-
cams and Muehirs OF the localities where the
brigand had established his headquarters for his
capture and that OF his new recruits. Towards
the end OF December a message from Yourouk
reached the governor. The brigand with six OF
his followers asked for mercy. few DAYS
later Yourouk Osman appeared In Smyrna, ac-
companied by fourteen mountaineers armed
with Martini rifles
About haf-past four o'clock In the afternoon
they alghted from tramway car on the square
the governors palace. The brgands went
first to the hd,U (carayansary). where they left
their guns: they then took their way TO the
palace, without arms in appearance but carry
ing reyolyers anu yatagans in their girdles In
the yard of the palace YOurouk Osman asked
three ofhis followers to accompany him to the
governors room, the others were ordered TO wait
in the yard. The chief had a conversation OF
half an hour with the governor. during which he
gave unsatisfactory explanations TO Justify his
conduct. On leaving the governors room the
brigand chief met Osman Pasha, the military
commandment, on the stairway. and was ordered
by the latter to give up his arms. To this order
he replied by gross language, at the same time
drawing a revolver from his girdle. One of the
company of soldiers who accompanied Osman
Pasha. fired on the brigand. the ball woundinc
him slightly on the shoulder. The chief fired in
turn and killed the soldier. A sharp fusilade
then followed between the soldiers and the four
mOuntaineers. Wounded second time in the
belly Yourouk 0sman gave way for a moment.
but rose again and fired. wounding another SOL.
der Finally. a ball hit him in the back and he
fell. Four balls struck him before he breathed
his last One Of his companions fell ALSO The
remaining two made their way. the one to the
governors apartment, and the other to the ad-
Joining room of Kadry Boy, the detferdar Sub
goyernor).
Fortunately, Nachid Pasha. the governor, had
left his apartment to give the orders required by
this dreadful state Of things, but the noun
taineer met a police agent In the room and
killed him by the side Of the governors chair
The man who had entered Kadry Bey's room
with drawn knife attacked him. but fortunately
the defterdar warded off the blow and even sue
ceeded in disarming the assassin, who was
wounded.
During this time, below, in the court yard, a
terrible fight was going on between the remain
der OF the criminals and the troops of the gar
rison, who had fastened to the spot. With wild
screams and curses the highwAymen defed the
soldiers who continued firing. Several of the