The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-07-30

warnings Of his Prime Minister.
Prince Ferdinand is more wise. He
puts himself fully in the hands OF
Mr.. Stambuloff, making the latter
the real ruler of Bulgaria and the
chief guardian of the throne. How
daring and vigorous the Minister is
in his great work has again and
again been shown in striking Incl
dents. There was, for example, the
arrest of Major Panitza, who was
at the head of the most dangerous
and powerful plot ever organized
against the Prince. How wide
spread the conspiracy was no one
can tell. Who was to be trusted,
no man dared say. Panitza himself
was a formidable desperate, always
armed to the teeth and ready to
shoot on the slightest provocation.
He must be arrested at once. But
how? Send police, soldiers, Off
GERS? They might be in the pot
with him, or they might be baffled
by his desperate resistance.
Mr.. Stambuloff finally settled the
matter by making the arrest him.
self, alone. At midnight, alone, un-
armed and undisguised, he knocked
at Panitza's door. The Majors
wife, with loaded pistol in her
hand, admitted him. Recognizing
him and divining his errand she
raised the weapon to fire. He
looked at her and her arm fell, and
she turned away. Then Mr.. Stam-
buloff went up to Panitza's room.
He found him in bed, a loaded re-
volver at his side.
major Panitza," said the Minis
ter, calmly, ''get up, dress yourself
and come with me-"
The desperate grasped his re-
volver. The Minister folded his
arms and looked at him, as MARCUS
looked at the slave who came to
slay him. Panitza laid down the
weapon, rose, dressed himself and
followed his captor to prison.
Mr.. Stambuloff really does not
seem to know what fear is; personal
fear, at any rate. Although he is
by no means a quarrelsome man,
he never troubles himself to keep
out of a quarrel, and indeed some
times deliberately seeks one-for
political reasons. Years ago, when
he was in exile at Bucharest, pa
per there published gross attack
upon him and his fellow patriots,
saying that they chad left their
country for their country's good"
He did not care rap for it, per-
sonally, but for political reasons he
had to take notice of it. To let it
pass would injure the Bulgarian
cause. So he called on the editor,
whom he found alone, and demand
ed retraction. The editor replied
that he would make one, adding:
Meet me this evening at the cafe,
and l will show you draft of it
for your approval" Mr.. Stambu-
loft went to the cafe in the evening
and found the editor surrounded
by dozen of his friends, Russian
bravos. Thus feeling secure, the
editor insolently laughed in Mr..
Stambuloff' g face and bade him go
to the devil. Mr.. Stambuloff qui-
city said: II shall not challenge
you to fight me, for you are cow
ard and would decline. But will
force you to challenge me-or show
yourself even greater coward than
supposed even Russian can be !"
Thereupon he forced his way
through the ring of desperados and
struck the editor three times in the
face with his open hand, then spat
in his face, turned on his heel and
walked away. But the editor did
not challenge him, nor did any of
the others venture to take up the
quarrel. Soon after Mr.. Stambu-
loft challenged in succession three
of the most notorious fire eaters in
the anti-Bulgarian party, but not
one of them ventured to accept.
Indeed, Mr.. Stambulof has never
yet fought duel, though he has
publicly chastised at least half a
dozen fighting men,"
One does not find Mr.. Stambuloff
living in a palace, or surrounded by
any visible marks Of authority. His
house is in the outskirts of the
city, and would best, perhaps, be
called a cottage. It is small, built
Of stone, plastered and whitewashed,
with green Venetian blinds at the
windows. A petty tradesman or q
mechanic in America
would think the place scarcely good
enough for him. Nor is it sump-
tuously.furnished within. The Min
ister's Office or study, the room
where Bulgaria is governed, is plain
almost to baroness. The floor is
bare, save for huge fur rug under
Mr.. Stambuloff 8 table. The table
itself is nothing but a wide pine
board, unpainted and uncovered,
resting upon q couple of saw
horses" Behind this the states
man sits in q rocking chair, and
holds 1.-THE Eastern question" in the
hollow of his hand. Behind him
is q cupboard full of state papers,
.oainst which leans a loaded re-