Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-10-14
ROBBER RULE IN TURKEY.
Fresh Outrages by the Brigands of South
ern EurOpe.

Fresh Outrages by the Brigands of South
ern Europe.
CoNsTANT1NoPLE, Oct. ga band of
brigands, in spite of the recent diplo
matte action of Germany and France,
and of the efforts of the Porte to sup
press brigandage, made desperate at
tempt yesterday to wreck and rob
passenger train. The latter was pass
ing along desolate portion Of the
Haidar-P acnaiamidt Railroad, when the
engineer discovered that some thing
WAS wrong along the rails ahead Of
him. The train was brought TO
standstill as soon as possible, and an ex-
animation of the line showed that the
much-dreaded brigands had torn up the
rails and SO damaged the roadbed that
had the train not been stopped in time
an accident would have surely hap
pened. The brigands, as soon as they
saw that their plan had miscarried in
stead of attacking the train, decamped.
This is only one of a series of
similar outrages upon the part of Turk
ish brigands in which foreigners have
usually suffered at the expense Of the
Porte, the latter having to indemnify
the Governments to which the foreign
ers owed allegiance for ransoms, ETC.,
collected by the brigands. MN. Ruff
fer and Eugene de Raymond, sub
managers of a vineyard company,
were captured early In August last
by the brigands of Chief Athanaslous,
| and were only released after the pay
ment of a ransom Of $4,000, Turkish
| %hn
| several italian railroad officials were
carried off by Chief stojan Monadjisn,
and others were murdered. Here
again a ransom Of $4,000 had to be
paid for the release Of the captured
railroad officials.
On June l last, the same hand, that
of Athanasious, placed distractions
across the railroad track near Tcheress-
| koi, derailed an express train, and cap
| tured several German tourists, among
them HEIRS Oscar Greger, Oscar kol-
ysch and Israel, a wealthy banker, of
Berlin. For their ransom $4,000 was
paid. In his efforts to try and suppress
brigandage the Sultan Of Turkey, on
September 26, issued an order forbid
| ding peasants to carry arms similar TO
those used by the Turkish troops, and
decreed that all suspected persons be
examined, and if they are found to be
| foreigners they are to be expelled from
| the Turkish dOminions. The Sultan has
also announced his intention Of ining
those knowing the whereabouts Of
brigands and refusing to inform against
them, and Offering rewards for those
who capture the brigands dead or alive.
| Athanasious, the Greek brigand who
has been the most prominent in these
collections Of ransoms, is classed as
| being one of the most interesting of
is said to derive a larger income from the
railroad companies than do the share
] holders OF these companies. Athanasious
is pictured as being brigand Of the
old school, an oriental Claude Duval,
practicing the traditions Of robber cour-
tesv and building up a handsome
fortune for himself at the expense of the
Sultan's privy purse, for the demands
of the foreign ambassadors for compen-
sation for brigand outrages nave been
complied with from that fund.
The Oriental Railway Company, as
| the result of the recent brgand out
breaks, has demanded special guaran-
tees from the Porte, if it IS to carry on
it's traffic, all the more as it is suggested
that the Indian mail should take that
route. Escorts of Zaptiechs are, it is
understood, to accompany trains pass
ing through the most dangerous dis
| tricts, and the local authorities, where
outrages upon the paat of brigands have
occurred have been strongly impressed
! from a Turkish point of view with the
necessity of Immediately putting an end
to such occurrences.