Iron County register., 1897-10-14
euLeARIA's OFFICIAL MURDERS.
Kon@tnntinor's A~.nssination Traced

BULGARIA'S OFFICIAL MURDERS.
Konstantinon's AssassinatiOn Traced
to Members of the Government
Scarcely has the excitement created
by the Boitscheff murder trial at Phil
ippopolis subsidized than a fresh case
occurs to show how corrupt and unciV-
ilized the Buigarians still are. Al
PhiIippopolis the poet, Aleko konstant-
inoff and the lawyer, DR.. Taketf, were
intimate friends. The latter took an
active part in politics, was once mem
ber of the sobranye, and, as such, vlo-
lently attacked the prince, sharply
censuring the extravaganza OF the
court. In Bulgaria such action is dan
gerous, and DIR. Takeff's friends warned
him to take care. On May % last DR.
Takeff and KOnstantinoff were carry;
ing on an agitation in the district OF
Tatar Bazardshik in view of the ap-
preaching municipal elections. Late
that evening the two friends left vii
lage not far from the town of TataI
Bazardshik, DIR. Takeff sitting on the
left side of the carriage. During the
drive they happened to change seats
About a quarter of an hour later
whole volley was fired behind them, nc
fewer than Is empty cartridges being
afterward found on the spot. Kon-
stantinoff was instantly killed, but
Takeff remained unhurt.
The lawyer drove with his dead
friend to Tatar Bazardshik and in
formed the police prefect, Pisanoff, OF
what had occurred; but the prefect
would not let him finish speaking. He
appeared very nervous, and, finally,
rudely dismissed him. Pisanoff did not
report the case at all to his superiors,
But DR.. Takeff knew no rest till he had
won the people over to his side against
the authorities, who continued to ig-
more the murder. At last the excite
ment grew so great that the court OF
justice was obliged to take up the case.
and as it happened that there was
very energetic and honest public pros
ecutor at Tatar Bazardshik, the admin
istrative authorities interfered and did
their utmost to get the case referred to
a court-martial, which would have been
equivalent to hushing it up. But the
public prosecutor would not give way,
and finally the affair was brought be-
fore the court of cessation, which de-
cided that the court-martial would not
be competent. Then the government
attempted to influence Public Prose
cutor Meyer by sending Deputy Prose
cutor Milkoff from the appeal court
at Philippopolis to Tatar BazardshiB
nominally to assist but really doing his
utmost to confuse the case, and to sug.
~ l. l. - II
Konstantinoff.
Milkoff's intentions were so obvious
that Meyer was on the point of having
him arrested. Police Prefect Pisanoff,
when the affair had already created
great sensation, was transferred to an
other district. After that transfer one
of Pisanoff's former subordinates had
the courage to tell the examining judge
that Pisanoff had, as he alleged, direct
ly asked him if he could not have DR..
Takeff murdered. When the subordi.
Pisanoff said to him: Perhaps you
have no proper gendarmes; if so, send
some of yours away, and I will give
you some of mine who will do the deed"
The subordinate, refusing to make the
exchange, was subsequently trans
ferred to a post elsewhere. Public
Prosecutor Meyer wished to have Po-
lice Prefect Pisanoff arrested, but the
government would not give up its IA
vorite, and as Meyer insisted on his de-
mand, he was dismissed from the pub
lie service. At Phllippopolis a rich
burgher erected a monument to the
poet Konstantinoff with an epitaph dis
tasteful to the authorities, which was
shortly afterward erased by their Or
der. AS yet only a so-called prelimin.
ary investigation has taken place, but
the trial itself may be expected to
throw as much light on the state of af-
fairs in Bulgaria as did the Boitscheff
affair, unless, after all, the action is
quashed, which the governments con-
duct with regard to Public Prosecutor
Meyer makes likely enough. Here we
have a striking confirmation of the
perfect accuracy of DR.. Stoiloff's recent
statement that in Bulgaria it is neces-
sary to make police projects of scoun.
drels.-London Standard.