Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-19

..tbe seryians are almost at our gates.
/ You could stop them at single word, II
you would"
Yes but that word will not be spoken:
I not though they were actually entering
| the city. with your Prince a prisoner. az
/ indeed they soon will do. On one condi-
/ ton only will I stop them. and that Is
/ that your beggar OF Prince shall abdi-
cate at once"
And that" Numbered NJ. Stambuloff.
''he will not do: no, not for twenty Rus
slasr'
with that NJ. Stambuloff sprang into the
| saddle and dashed away 10 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
army.
| "A few hours passed and then the Bull
| garian Foreign Minister got a telegram
! from NJ. stambuloff. dated on the field of
| battle telling Of Prince Alexander's mag
nincent victory and OF the utter rout of
| the Seryians. He hurried with II 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 in rage.
How daring and vigorous the Minister
was In his great work has again and again
/ been shown in striking Incidents There
I 81
| PanItza, who was at the head of the most
dangerous and powerful plot ever organ
| lied against the Prince. How widespread
| the conspiracy was no one could tell
/ Who was to be trusted, no man dared
saw. Panitza himself was a Formidable
desperado always armed to the teeth,
and ready to shoot on the slightest provo
| cation. He must be arrested at once.
| But how? Send police? Soldiers? Off
GERS? They might be in the plot with him.
or they might be bafiied by his desperate
| resistance.
i NJ stambuloff finally settled the matter
by making the arrest himself. alone. At
/ Midnight alone, unarmed, and undis-
| guised he knocked AT PantZa's door. The
| Majors wife. with loaded pistol in her
hand. admitted him. Recognizing him.
| and divining his Grand she raised the
weapon TO fire. He looked at her. and her
arm fell and she turned away. Then NJ.
Starrbuloff went up to PanitZa's room.
He found him in bed, loaded revolver at
| his side.
"Maior Panitza." said the Minister
calmly. "get up dress yourself and come
| with me"
The desperate grasped his revolver. The
| Minister folded his arms and looked at
him. as Marus looked at the slave who
came to STAY him. Panitza laid down the
weapon. rose, dressed himself. and fol-
lowed his captor to prison.
DEVOID OF FEAR.
NJ Stambulon really did not seem to
| know what felr was-personal fear. at
any rate. Although he was by no means
a quarrelsome man. he never troubled
himself TO keep out of a quarrel and. in
| deed sometimes deliberately sought one
for political reasons. Years ago, when
| go.
there published gross attack upon him
and his felow-patriots, saying that they
| had left their country for their countrys
| good" lie did not care "A rap for II per
sonally. but for political reasons he had
| TO take notice OF II. To let il pass would
| injure the Bulgarian cause So he called
upon the editor, whom he found alone
and demanded a retractlon. The editor
replied that he would make one. adding
Meet me this evening at the cafe, and
| / will show you draft Of II for your ap-
prevail" NJ Stambulof went 10 the cafe
in the evening and found the editor sur
rounded by dozen OF his friends. Rus
/ sian bravoes. Thus. feeling sure. he In
/ sOiently laughed I'm VI. Stambuloff's face
/ and babe him go to the devil. VI. STAN
/ bulOff quietly said: II shall not challenge
/ you to fight me. for you are a coward
/ and would decline But / will force you
/ 10 challenge me. or show yourself a
greater coward than | suppose even q
| Russian can be-"
Thereupon he forced his way through
the ring of dcsperadoes and struck the
/ editor three times I'm the face with his
| open hand, then spat I'm his face, and
| 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 that NJ. STAN
buloff challenged In succession three of
| the most notorious fire-eaters in the anti
Bulgarian party. but not pne of them
| ventured to accept Indeed. he never
| fought duel. though he publicly chas-
tised at least half a dozen fighting
men"
one did not find VI. Stambuloff living in
palace. or surrounded by any visible
| marks of authority. His house was In
the outskirts of the city. and would best
| perhaps be called a cottage. 1t Is small,
built Of stone. plastered. and whitewash-
ed with green Venetian blinds at
the windows. a petty craftsman or a
| prosperous mechanic in America would
! think the place scarcely good enough
for him. Nor IL it sumptuously furnished
within. The Minister'S Office or study,
the room where Bulgaria was governed.
/ is plain almost TO baroness. The floor Is
bare save for a huge fur rug under NJ.
/ Stambulon's table. The table itself is
nothing but wide. pine board. unpaint-
/ ed and uncovered. resting upon a couple
of sawhorses. Behind this the states
man sat i'm a rockingham and held the
eastern question in the hollow OF his
! hand Behind him was a cupboard full
Of State papers against which leaned a
/ loaded repeating rifle. Another chair or
two. a number Of maps. and piles OF
/ letters and papers, and a big. stuffed
owl-that is all there was To see IN the
room, excepting the man himself.
] And as for Stephan Stambuloff himself,
he WAS worth more than passing
glance. Robustness was the dominant
note of his whole being. His hair was
growing thin and gray, and his close-cut
moustache and imperial were also gray.
But his black eyes We're full OF youth
full fire and energy, and he presented
,he appearance Of singularly strong.
brave. man. simple and unaffected, hon
est. usually kind and genial, but ca
pable OF turning himself into stone ana
| iron when occasion required IL. lie
/ kne,y perfectly wei what Russia would
with him II she could. lie was educated
] there and exiled because he was danser-
/ ousIv intelligent. 1t was he who once
! toId a Russian Prince that Bulgaria's ma
,n-al frontiers extended from Bessara-
bia 10 salonika, and received the grim
renlv: 'They include one other region
| which Won have not named