Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-03-30
LETTER FROM TURKEY.
Robbery and Brigandage-A Noted Rob
Der and his Band.
TREB1zoND, Turkey, Feb. 10, 1855.

them. Most missionaries of a quarter of
a century Of residence in the country have
had at least one bout with robbers. One
DR.. Barnum of Harpoot, after
being robbed, preached righteousness
and judgement to come" so effectively to
the robbers that they begged him to re
ceive back the things they had taken from
him. have never been molested by rob-
bers though | have often met them. On
one occes,ou, when two of us were dis
trbutir1 wheat to the famishinR, we were
met by a party of Koords armed to the
teeth, in whose hands we were rs nothing.
Our moral power, however, was greater
than their physical, for they approached |
us as suppliants, begging that we visit
their village and feed their starving peo-
pie
The usual method of robbery is very |
rude and simple. Bands of armed men
move atou., the highway arrestlng and
plunderiu any company of travellers
that may suit their fancy rarely lnjurlng |
any one uuies3 resistance is offered. This
style Of treatment is not altogether agree.
able, hut 1t is preferable to being carried
Off bOdi Y, which was formerly very com
mon in Greece. There many man has
been. III former times, captured and
large rdusom demanded within limited
time, otherwise the prisoner would be
subjected to a ser eS of tOrtures, such as
Sitting his ears Cr his nose, cutting oil
| finger, or even putting ont an eye, the
brigandS taking re that the prisoner
| friends should know Of the treatment he
was receiving. so as to hurry up the ran
som. All these things are ended In Greece,
under the present government, tnd the
bands of brigands have been broken up,
many of their remnants, unfortunately,
| having transferred their operations to
III. IA nil IN a nan
with reports of outrages perpetrated often
times under the very walls OF Constdntl-
nople itself Only short time ago Two
young Englishmen We're captured near
Smyrna and were released only on the
payment of 100 Turkish pounds One OF
these young men afterwards died from
disease incurred by the exposures, during
his captivity. An Armenian OF Rodosto,
a city lying a little west OF Constantine
pie was captured and a large ransom de-
mande I, but on this occasion the police
de 1artmeut acted with such exceptional
promptness that the brigauds were driven
of before the negotiations for the pay
ment OF the ransom had been completed
lu this case, also, the man SuccumDed 10
the hardships of his adventures and died
soon after his release.
None of these Greek adventurers have
found their way so tar east as this, but
their fashion is beginning to prevail.
Some two years ago a native of the noun
tain district west of this town, Mndlan
Oghlou, by name being an outlaw because
he had committed murder, began TINS
form of brlgandage. His first noted eX-
plot was the capture of a wealthy Greek
of the town OF kerasOOn, for whose ran
som several hundred pounds We're pald.
More recently he captured young Arme
uiau from the town of TrlboN, also on the
seacoast. The habits and exploits of TINS
brigand We're published tar and near
Much was said about his generosity and
kindness to the poor, and OF his humane
! treatment of his captlVes. And us ne was
careful to demand money from those BEST
able to give it, certainly II we must nave
brigands, he was one OF the best KIND
The government made great many Dlus'
tering attempts to capture MlndJan OSh-
lou, but 1t always happened hat the po
lice arrived at place Just after the Dr. g
ana had left it, the people protanely init
mating that he had left "a bone behlnC
him. At last some shepherds with Wnou
the b. igand took refuge, violated the law
of ho, pltaity in the nope OF the bounty
which had been offered for Mindj IN ;
mead, and ended his career by numbering
him. 1t is doubtful if they ever received
any part of the bounty, ana there ore
there Is less hope tnAt MlndJan ) success
sors = Ill meet his fate.
Before MiudJan was disposed of, an lmi
tatOr rose up in the person OF Dell Res
chid,' one of the refugees that letI th'
Turkish territory which was ceded Il
Rus,ia after the last war. Large mum
: bers o. these refugees We're located by th'
government in the mountains along th'
, coast, greatly to the annoyance ana dam
age Ui the villagers, whose lands were
gwen - them without compensation, ant
they were left a prey to their depredatlons
t Great numbers of them adopted the busl
4 nesa Of theviug and rObblng on large
or smaller scale, but Deli ResChid, helpeC
by t0e example of Mndjan, has taken III
= the OUSl hess OF brlganddIe on DOIu dut
: systematic plan. Last summer " ctlUh.
= land owner was travelling among the WI
. lages where his estates lay. lie was aware
; of the risk he ran and had provided MN
=, self with strong guard. But Reschld
. by skIltul use of strategy, decoyed hin
away from his guard and held him as
prisoner until ransom OF 1850 llras, 81,
400, was paid.
At the time of this exploit l was eX
pectng to take my family to the lmme
diate vicinity of Reschid's operations
For the first time during my residence il
4 Turkey | hesitated on account OF brig
f ands. But | did not abandon my trip
: simply left my family behind and mad
> the lfuc in less time than had beer
PLAT. | found an unusual degree o
: secul - prevailing. A spasm OF energ.
on the part of the LEGAL governor ha'
cleared out the small operators, While onl.
"A few Oi The prom entity wealthy had oc
cdSlOE 10 ledr lies ina. Inc tt CuSSlon .
t Miudjan's murder was then on ever!
tongue, and although | crossed Reschid'
: path at two or three points, saw nothln!
of him. Having little confidence in
= Turkish guard | travelled, for the mos
II part, without guard, aud with ouly TIVE
{ companions. If we had met Reschid h'
y would have had things his own way, bu
possibly he might have hesltated TO dis
turD "hat-wearer, "a hesitancy whicl
the Greek brigands have long ago ont
: grown.
/. Reschid does his work in business llk
way. His method is to get list of name
o Of men VINO are able to give him some
thing. He then sends word TO these mel
. that ii they send him certain sum, the!
! shall be free from molestation. But l
= they fail to send the sum named, the,
must take the consequences. Oh course
i he will capture them as soon rs possible
+ and when once captured, the ransom VII
!, be five or 10 times the sum originally de
u manded. Being in Ordoo ashort time ago
| saw native Of village two hours dis
taut, who said he had been taken TO tn
mountains 10y Reschid's band, but Whel
: they found that he was not the man me.
laH.