Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-25
BRioAsDA0Eis MACEDONIA.
The Mereiiesssess sf tbe ssudiss 'h ss.'
PARKWAY Land issbiiity or she An'her''
oes r. Drive she Thieves from We Ceantry.

fodetsa Nsssenosy) and published IN To-
Sax,s issue Of that newspaper. writes an
Odessa correspondent OF the LONDON
Times
IL trust, Mr.. Editor. that you viii not
refuse to insert In your esteemed gazette
these few lines. which I hasten to SEND you
from afsr. but which may have an interest
for Russians residing near the (south nus
sianl border licri,. II IL already month
since Turkish band OF 100 marauders
commenced ravaging the three villages
Of O-ray. shte. Nay-zhee-lof, and Po-prad-
pshte, In the Velessky district. ana,
in consequence OF the criminal supine-
ness OF the Ottoman authorities and tne,r
own solidarity. attacking the pcaceiui bui'
par,an inhabitants OF the Christian faltn'
and perpetrating upon them cruelties SIM
liar 10 those which not very long since pro-
duced the last Thrco-RussIan war. IL Is
saving little that many Bulgariaus have been
robbed OF all they possessed. several OF
them have also lost their hives, and many
others have had 10 suffer most cruel TOR
tures. Some q the unfortunates. who re-
manned alive after the departure OF their
barharous assailants, went TO The district
authorities TO seek redress. but In
vain. Bulgarians are regarded by the
Turks IS being below all animals,
and for that reason no attention was PAID
TO the supplications OF the sufferers. rhen
these martyrs, finding themselves rooness,
because the band had burnt down their
cottages, and without a morsel OF bread,
chose from among their midst deputies,
whom they sent 70 Salonica TO deliver q
Collective petition TO the Goyernor-tien-
eral here, praying for protection and for
some return for the loss OF their homes ana
goods. and left a copy Of the same with the
representative OF each foreign Power, In
Guiding the Russian Consul-General, at Sa-
lonica. The petition was as follows:
".7o Four EIcei,ency: At 8 p. NJ, on
the Goth Of last September, a band OF 10
Turks attacked the village OF O-ray-sbte.
in the district OF Veless. burnt down thirteen
cottages, pilaged seventv-one others, car
ried of seven horses, and with an axe
chopped of the ears and otherwise tor
tured Miloosh Velkoff, wounded in several
places Anna Boson>ka, shot at and wounded
Mend Sveetkoiisky, and for some time
hung up mot stated how, but probably by
her hands, the wife Of Mend lief, in order
to make them divulge the names Of the
bCst-tO.do inhabitants OF the village.
"At 0 A. VI. on the 9th OF september
the same band entered the village Of Po-
anu hlilCu bN'hVhs
wounded Yorghi Lopatlr and Mary Der
nova, piIaged thirty.eight cottages, carried
off ten horses, ten asses. and buffalo, and,
in general. all they could take with them.
"'Stepan Dem.ya.nof and the girl Palva
VelkOva, who live at O-ray-shte, and also
Mary Dernova, who lives at PO.prad-pshte,
recognized among the msrauders four in
habitapts from the neighboring Turkish
village to them Of Tsar-nee- leesht--namely.
Sct.la-pa. Eedra.sa. Teka, and Khoosaena,
who hid acted as watcbmen in their vine
wards, and who are relatives OF q brigand
chief canned Ra-e-ta.
80 Besides this, at the end OF last July,
at four hours distance from the village OF
Nett. Iowa, the same band attacked Anghel
Tcherenkof, Iowa Gheorghiefl, and u. Pet
kof. They put out the eyes OF the first,
cut off bis ears. and then murdered him.
They cut out the tongue OF the second,
stripped the skin off his hand. broke his
teeth, and murdered him. They next
striped the skin off the hand of the third,
broke his teeth, and also murdered him.
"'Ten men from PO-prad- pShte. five
from O.ray-shle, and six from PetilOti eX-
pressly went TO the district town OF Veless
10 make known all these circumstances TO
the authorities there and 10 ask for justice.
The representatives passed nearly two
weeks there. hoping justice would be done
in tie matter. All that the authorities did.
however. was to send pollcc-inspector to
the ruined villages, who. after questioning
the inhabitants, returned 10 Neless without
doing anything, notwithstanding that Ste
pan Dem-ya.nOif. Payla NelkOva, and Mary
Dernoya told them they had recognized
among the brigands four from the neigh
boring Turkish village Of Tsar. nee-leesht.
lin order 10 enable the authorities at
Neloss TO thoroughly slit the matter We
humbly requested them TO examine the re-
laiiveS OF the four indicated brigands as
well as other inhabitants OF the village OF
Tsar-nee-leesht, but that request was not
acceded TO, and we were obliged TO go away
with empty promises.
'"Ai'er all that has been herein related,
your Excellency will doubtless conceive
that il is impossible for Us to continue to
live IN the ruined villages and again risk
our lives and chattels. Therefore. on be-
half OF the nhabitants Of the suffering WI
lagos, we have dared TO humbly request
your EXcellency to graciouslypu put an end TO
the calamities TO which the peaceful SUBJ
jects Of his Majesty the Sultan are subject
ed, and tc indicate to us some place to
WHICH w uNh iVlioh NuN
signatures OF the petitioners.
This petition, and especially the horrors
therein mai rated, produced deep impres.
sion upon the representatives OF the foreign
Powers. II even produced an effect upon
the Turks-not that they were touched at
the cruelties, but because they fear that
Europe might impose some fresh political
obligation upon them in consequence.
TInrofnYo In NA SGI ~ tho GoIUfti. (nf m
toher l1th), the Turkish organ OF the press
published at Salouica. an attempt is made TO
distort the aforementioned facts by stating
that these horrors were not the work o.
Turks, but Of Greeks, whose luminosity 10
the Bulgarians, through ch.Tch matters,
has lately extended to the Temotest corners
OF the Turkish empire. IL is true that en-
mty does exist between the Greeks and the
Bulgarians Of Macedonia, and often gives
rise TO alterations between them. That,
however, is well known to all newspaper
readers. Ever body knows, for instance,
that the late murder OF the Bulgarian AIchi-
mandrite FeOhl was the work OF Greek
hands. But it 50 happens that there are
no Greeks, not even Greek party,
in the district in which the above
mentioned atrocities have been COM
miltcd. They were the work OF
veritable Turks, and were due-as all such
crimes are when committed by Turks upon
Bulgarians-to religious hatred and to
th, ir constitutional laZine,s. which causes
thcmto shun every kind OF labor and inn
pels them 10 resort 10 brigandage in order
TO obtain the means Of living.
{" IL the Bulgarians OF Macedonia could
be allowed TO hope that an end might be
made Of their persecution, that they could
even 10 4 certain extent only feel safe. they
! would try 10 hive on in hopes OF better
state Of things. But no such hope presents
itself TO them at present; therefore they have
lost all heart. for cruelties like those men,
toned in the petition gwen above. although
upon smaller scale, are almost OF daily Oc-
cuIrence. No peaceful labor can be under
taken in Macedonia by Bulgarians without
risk, because the brigands carry of their
cattle and pillage their VINEYARDS, which
form one Of their Che Bulgarians) princi-
pal means OF existence. For that reason
many places formerly inhabited by Bulga-
rians are now quite deserted, and the in-
habitantS have gone no one knows where.
Ogreeda, for instance, WAS formerly 4
famous and populouS town; il is now
nearly empty. /. Is impossible 10 tra-
vel in the country paris, because before
reaching the first postal station your are II.
able 10 be robbed OF killed. some Of the
students OF the Bulgarian gymnasium at
Salonica, who were returning 10 that insti-
tuition after their summers vacation,
were robbed unOn the road and