Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25
HELD ALL RUSSIA AT BAY.
Daring Deeds of Stambuloff, the Youns
Premier of Bulgaria


For what Bulgaria is today she Is in
debted almost solely to the valor and wis.,
dom and indomitable will OF young Siam
buloff. the prime minister. For years he
has held the whole Russian empire at hay
single handed. The other powers of Eu-
rope sympathize with him, but give him
no practical support Open attack and
secret intrigue he has alike baffied- Assas-
sinaton he has de1ed. though IT has often
been tried against him. He has resisted
Russian aggression, says the Melbourne
Argus; he has beaten Servia in the field
and Greece in the courts; he has made his
sovereign's throne secure; he has made
Bulgaria nation and created a national
public spirit and he has, at less than forty
years Of age placed himself worthily in
the rank among the leading statesmen Of
Europe. One of his most dramatic pas
sages at arms with Russia occurred during
the war with Servia, when the car show
ed his hand" in a decidedly offensive man.
ner. Stambuloff has told many times and
seems never weary of telling the story of
Slivnitza. In that battle the destinies OF
Bulgaria and Servia were to be decided.
Prince Alexander had gone out to lead the
Bulgarian army in person, leaving Stam-
bulon in charge at home 1t was a bril-
liant day, with cloudless sky and scarce
ly breath. of air stirring. The roar Of
cannon was plainly heard in the city, ow-
ing, perhaps, TO some peculiar condition of
the air or perhaps to echoes from the
mountains. At any rate it sounded much
nearer than it really was and Stambulor
and the others thought the Servians were
winning the day and were driving Prince
Alexander and his army in upon the capt.
tai. In their anxiety they applied 70 the
Russian diplomatic agent for advice. That
gentleman shrugged his shoulders and said
ii was no affair Of his.
But" urged the Bulgarian ministers,
1.-THE Servians are almost at our gates. You
could stop them with a single word IL you
would.
Yes but that word will not be spoken.
not though they were actually eptering
the city with your prince a prisoner, as,
indeed, they soon will do. On one condi-
ton only Will stop them, and that is that
your beggar of a prince shall abdicate at
once"
And that" Numbered Stambulor, he
will not do-no, not for twenty Russiasr'
With that Mr.. Stambuloff sprang into
the saddle and dashed away to the battle
field, while the Russian agent sent for his
friends to come to his house and help him
celebrate the defeat of the Bulgarian arm
les. A few hours passed and then the Bull
garian foreign minister got telegram
tie, telling of Prince Alexander's magnifi-
cent victory and of the utter rout OF the
Servians. He hurried with il TO the house
of the Russian agent, arriving there in the
midst of the festivities And when he
told the news the representative of the
car ground his teeth with rage. As the
world knows, Prince Alexander lost his
throne because he neglected to heed the
advice and warnings of his prime minister.
Prince Ferdinand is more wise. He puts
himself fully in the hands of Stambulon,
making the latter the real ruler of Bull
garia 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 incidents. There
was, for example, the arrest Of Maj. Pa
nitza, who was at the head Of the most
dangerous and powerful plots ever organ
lied against the prince. Stambulof finally
settled the matter by making the arrest
himself alone. At midnight 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 Stambuloff went up to Panit-
za's room. He found him in bed. a loaded
revolver at his side.
Mai. Panitza," said the minister, calm
ly, get up, dress yourself and come with
me-"
The desperate grasped his revolver. The
minister folded his arms and looked at him
as Marius looked at the slave who came TO
slay him. Panitza laid down the weapon,
rose, dressed himself and followed his cap
tor to prison.