The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-31
STAMBULOFF FORETOLD 1T.
In April He Declared That His Doom
Was at Hand.

Perfidious Coburger-The Combina-
tion Was Too Strong to Fall, He Said
The Remarkable Interview in Which
BuIgaria's Iron Man Predicted and Ex-
planned His Own Death.
The swiftness of the European press to
charge Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria with
instigating the assassination of Stephen
Stambouloff was unexplained until the
arrival of Saturdays mail from the Con-
tinent. All the German and Austrian
newspapers of ten days ago contain re-
markable interview given by Stambuloff
last April regarding the tragic fate that
was awaiting him. In this interview
Stambuloff foretold his DEATH named the
men who would assassinate him, indicat-
ed clearly the criminal neglect of the
police, and laid the blame at the door of
the Coburg Prince.
This interview was gi ven to an editor
of the Cologne Gazette, and was sent by
him from Sofia to his chief who, in a
moment of excessive carefulness, placed
the manuscript in pigeonhole, where it
remained until the news of the assassina-
ton was flashed through Europe. Then,
after two d ays' deliberation, the editor-in
chief of the Gazette published the great
Bulgarian's forecast of his own end
The matter has more than passing in
terest, for, as the Vienna New Free Press
says, the murder in Sofia has shot a
fame of ti1e far up from the European
ond hoe friu vic OH DIV 70
hasty agreements of the powers to meet
an expected crisis in the East.
1t is we'll that you have come to me at
this time" said Stambuloff on the April
afternoon when the Cologne editor en-
tered his study. ST was thinking of re-
questing you to call on me today for I
have few important things to say to
you. But first, read this telegram of
congratulation that am going to send
Bismarck and translate it into German. "
The telegram said that kind Provi-
dence had allowed Bismarck to see the
completion of his great work and to ap-
proach the evening of life with the happy
consciousness that this work was growing
stronger daily.
"To me-" said Stambuloff, "Proyi-
QenCe mas not been so KIND.
How is that? Your work is almost
complete, even though it may be left to
Others to crown it. The foundations.
the walls, and even the roof are in place,
and your successors have little to do ex-
cept to hoist the flag"
"Ah, yes, the flag Butfthe people will
not hoist it; they will deliver the country
over to Russia. However, let that pass
I had something else in mind when you
camel am to be murdered soon. -
The correspondent suggested that the
ex-Premier had been made nervous by
the solicitude of his friends, and that the
rumors of plots had been current ever
since his fall.
'You think that nothing will happen
because nothing has happened, but that
is poor logic This time the combination
is too strong, and I cannot.b but sbelieve
that serious business is ahead. Every
thing takes time of course, but I learn
from my friends that things are now
about ripe for action. However, when I
fall my friends will not desert my wife
and children; this triumph will not be
tiers care will be taken that after my
death kilograms from all parts of Bulga-
ria will express relief at the taking off
of the 'tyrant' and blood sucker and
'libertine. -
The correspondent was skeptical.
IlOW COulu CDdIlUulOu no dSStbSS1ldC0u IL
the whole plot against him was already
known and ready to be unfolded to the
police?
"That is the true European! You peo-
pie can live among us Bulgar1ans ten,
twenty or thirty years without under
standing that we are a savage people.
with all a savage peoples good and bad
qualities. When, in 1876, we planned our
first revolt against Turkey all Bulgaria
knew of Ii. Only the Turks remained in
blissful ignorance until the day when
we cut off dozen Turkish heads. When
the attack. which resulted in Beltcheff' S
death, was to be made on me, thousands
were informed Of it in advance. The
Chief of Police and his men, however,
were trustful and tranquil. Today many
knew of my, approaching assassination
and my friends-an6 God be praised that
I still have them-are keener than the
Turks or the police WERE I give you no
names, but my information is correct.
The former Chief of Police, lila Luka-
still possessing the best sources of infor-
mati6n, came to me two days go. He
was in a frenzy of excit1nent, this man
who usually is so stern and so calm. He
wished to go to the Prince and tell him
all lila, said to him, that would be
the greatest act of stupidity you could
commit. Do you not understand that
backing in their undertakings
"We know perfectly well that in the
suburb of Utchbunar band has as
sembled which goes through exercises in
the use of arms. This is nominaly for
Macedonia. and the government, which
does not know it's own mind. puts up
with 1t. But we know that the mem
bers, among whom are NJ. Beltcheff's
murderers, have sworn to assassinate me
in revenge for Panitza and the four men
executed after the Beltcheff trial Prince
Ferdinand's name is on the same list,
but that of course is a preposterous ruse
The band of assassins of which I speak
consist of Rasareff, Haloff, Arnaut,
Tufektchieff, and some others. Tufek-
tchieff was sentenced in Constantinople
to fifteen years Imprisonment for killing
Dr.. Vulokvitch, the Bulgarian agent in
Constantinople who was murdered in the
street by the hired assassins of Russia,
but he roams about unmolested here,
and has even received post on the rail
way works. The Turkish commissary
demanded his extradition, but Natcho-
witch begged him not to insist upon this,
as it would raise bad blood between Bull
garia and Turkey, and would set the
Macedonian agitation alight. Natcho.
witch promised that he should be arrested
and imprisoned here but he is absolutely