Smyrna times., 1894-10-17
HE HAS THE NERVE.
DARING OF sTAMBULoFF, 6ULeARIA's
PRIME MINISTER.

Single Handed He Has Held the Russian /
Empire at Bay For Years-His Tilt With 1
the Diplomatic Agent-HOw He Crushed
the Panitza Plot.
For what Bulgaria is today she is in
debted almost solely to the valor and
wisdom and indomitable will of young
Stambuloff, the prime minister.
For years he has held the whole Rus
sian empire at bay single handed. The
other powers of Europe sympathize with
him, but give him no practical support.
Open attack and secret intrigue he has
alike baffied. Assassination he has de-
fed, though it has often been tried
against him.
He has resisted Russian aggression; 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 national public
spirit, and he has, at less than 40 years
of age, placed himself worthily in rank
among the leading statesmen Of Europe.
One of his most dramatic passages at
arms with Russia occurred during the
war with Servia, when the czar showed
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 Bull
Raria and Servia were to be decided.
Prince Alexander had gone out to lead
the Bulgarian army IN person, leaving
in, o1, of homo
It was a brilliant day, with a cloud
less sky and scarcely breath of wind
stirring.
The roar of the cannon was plainly
heard in the city, owing 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 Stambuloff and
the others thought the Servians were
winning the day and were driving
Prince Alexander and his army in upon
the capital.
In their anxiety they applied to the
Russian diplomatic agent for advice.
That gentleman shrugged his shoulders
and said it was no affair of his.
"But," urged the Bulgarian ministers
''the Servians are almost at our gates
You could stop them with single word
if you would"
Eyes, but tEE5 word will not be spoken
not though they were actually entering
the city with your prince prisoner, as
indeed they soon will do. On one con
dition only will stop them, and that II
that your beggar Of a prince shall abdi
cate at once"
"And that" thundered Stambuloff
''he will not do-no, not for 20 Russiasy
With that Stambuloff sprang int
the saddle and dashed away to the bat
tlefeld, while the Russian agent sent fo1
his friends to come to his house and hell
him celebrate the defeat of the Bulgarian
armies.
A few hours passed, and then the Bul
garian foreign minister got Telegram
from StambulOff, dated on the field o
battle, telling of Prince Alexander
magnificent victory and of the utter rou
of the Servians.
He hurried with it to the house Of tn
Russian agent, arriving there in the mids
of the festivities. And when he told tn
news the representative of the cza
ground his teeth with rage.
AS the world knows, Prince Alexande
lost his throne because he neglected t
heed the advice and warnings of hi
prime minister.
Prince Ferdinand is more wise. y
puts himself fully in the hands Of Stan
buloff, making the latter the real rule
of Bulgaria and the chief guardian of tt
throne.
! How daring and vigorous the ministt
, is in his great work has again been show
in striking incidents.
There was, for example, the arrest (
Major Panitza, who was at the head
the most dangerous and powerful pl,
ever organized against the prince.
Stambuloff finally settled the matt
:. by making the arrest himself alone. !
. midnight he knocked at Panitza's doc
r The majors wife, with loaded pistol
Is her hand, admitted him.
q Recognizing him and divining his G
= rand, she raised the weapon to fire. I
IS looked at her, and her arm fell, and g
l. turned away. Then Stambuloff went I
d | to Panitza's room. He found him
bed, loaded revolver at his side.
"Major Panitza," said the minist
= calmly, ''get up, dress yourself and cor
T with me-"
4 The desperate grasped his revoivt
d | The minister folded his arms and look
\ at him as Marius looked at the sla
"a who came to slay him. Panitza Ia
II down the weapon, rose, dressed hims,
J. and followed his captor to prison.-M
at bourne Argus.