The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-04
His Enemies Imprisoned Without Trial, the
Police Made Subseryient to His Interests,
andthe Right of Free Speech Denied.
Gendarmes Necessary to Control the
Mob at Suicide BOulanger's Funeral.
lie Brav General Land Alongside His De-
voted Marguerite-German Aggressions in
Africa Meeting With Strong Resistance.
DESPOTISM IN BULGARIA.

Premier stamboulof CourtIng Assassination
by His Harsh and Unjust Methods.
copyrighted. 1881. by tho United Press.l
LONDON, Oct. a-Considerable uneasi-
ness has been created in diplomatic circles
by dispatch this evening from Philippop-
oils stating that grave fears are entertained
there at the prospects of the outbreak of
formidable insurrection. An English Lib
eral member of Parliament at present in
Philippopolis telegraphs that the trouble is
due to Stambouloff. the Bulgarian Premier,
who. he alleges. is trying to create a cor
rupt oligarchy devoted to his interests.
Continuing. the correspondent says: "In
this enjeavor NJ. Stambouioff is supported
by the moral influence of Austria and Eng
land. eager to find in him tool against
Russia and. to some extent, by the army.
When the Russians withdrew all their of
ficers from the country at the time of the
cowardly attack led by King Milan, the
subalterns and sergeants were promoted to
replace them. and succeeded to the enor-
nous pay which the liberators of Bulgaria
had been in the habit of drawing The
army therefore has generally supported NJ.
Stambouloff, fearing that the scandalous
luxury they are now able to live In would
ment. Nevertheless patriotism is stronger
than self-interest, and q largo proportion of
the officers are secretly working for the
Constitutional party.
THE severity of the police system at
present in force is unparalleled even in
Russia. Within twelve hours after my
arrival in PhilippopOlis my passport had
been demanded three times, and on the
last of these occasions | had to turn out of
bed at an unusual hour TO interview a per-
emptory gendarme. The correspondence of
strangers is opened and often destroyed;
letters are frequently delivered open. There
is not q single opposition paper IN the
whole country. In 1888 some twenty-five
editors were imprisoned, and since that
there has been no free expression of public
opinion. The right to public meeting has
been suspended, and not single promi-
nent citizen known to be out of sympathy
with the government has escaped impris-
Onment or expulsion.
'On the 18th of March last an attempt
was made to kill NJ. Stamboulotf, and NJ.
Beltchet lost his life. Political assassina-
tions find no apologists among the Consti-
tutiOnal party; the act must have been
the work of irresponsible men
goaded into madness and crime by personal
of searching for the perpetrators of the ont
rage, NJ. Stambouloff seized the opportunity
of destroying at one blow all those whom
he looked upon as his rivals or enemies, and
especially those former colleagues who had
remained true TO the constitutional princi-
Piles of which he himself was once a cham
pion. Nearly three hundred persons were
taken from their beds at night and removed
to prison. About half of them have since
been liberated. Among those still detained
the chef are NM. Karaveloff. Tsanoff,
OreskOff. Vutchetf, KasatOff. and Doctors
MolOtf and Tsacheff. These people belong
to four different political parties. and have
nothing In common but the fact that they
ment to which they have been subjected
can only be paralleled In the annals of
Oriental despOtlsm. The case of NJ Karave-
loft, the most distinguished scholar in
Bulgaria. Will suffice as an example.
placed first Of all In damp
underground dungeon, where he slept on
the bare floor; he was then removed to q
dark room, with not single aperture for
the admission of light. and kept there for
which has elapsed he has not been allowed
to see single visitor, not even his wife.
and no lawyer has been admitted to give
him advice. An appeal for books. writing
material and wine was rejected by NJ.
Stamboulotf. Such brutality has had its
and abnormally active mind. The
prisoner was recently taken to
the prison hospital, where he now
lies very Ill. The state of terror
at present prevailing in Sofia is so great
that none of Nine. Karavelotf's friends dare
to visit her or receive her. DR.. Moloff lost
his liberty merely because he was seen at
M. Karaveloff's house. NM. Karagulef,
lijeff, Lepartseff, Vladigeroff and others
have been so tortured in prison that two of
them have gone mad in consequence.
Tho result of these outrages is that Bull
garia is just now honey-combed with in
trigues with which Russia has no part. and
it needs but little to shatter the power of
Nj. Stambouloff. NJ. Tonicheff. Minister of
Justice. has just resigned his portfolio be-
cause he insisted that NJ. Karavelotf and
his fellow prisoners should have fair and
impartial trial.