The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-26
The ROMANCE OF A REFUGEE
Story of This Greek Exile Reads
Like a Novel.
Driven From Athens by Persecution,
He VIII Become "a Citizen and Seek
to Recover an ESTATE.

"A fugitive from my native land. whence
have beea driven out by political and pri-
yate persecution, 1 come to America a
refugee"
These words were spoken by Greek
named George c. K1rayannopoulos to a
Times reporter. Whether his story is true
or not, tits stranger than fiction, and not h
! lag could exceed the passionate earneStness
with wnicn it was told. MIR. Karayannopoll-
| los is thirty-fire years of age, fairly well
dressed and undoubtedly possesses supe-
nor eaucd,IOH. 4 ms is mis- story
Il am a native of Athens, Greece, and
my familyis good though nota noble one.
| MY father was a captain OF cayalryin the
Grecian army, ana he was killed at The
baUIle of PIIacus curing an InsgTTecuon
1 in $50 / was educated at the University
OF Athens, and during the first years of my
college life 1 BECAME deeply impressed by
nv studies of the ancient Attention republic
1 WAS democratic, but my felIuw.students
called me socialist. / Thought myideas were
right. and l saw no reason for concealing
them. / was unwise.
--AfLerwarL 4 " enu 70 Paris and STUDIED
political economy and the science of
government. After few years l re-
turned to Athens, where intended 10 take
up literary and journalistic work. AT this
time a wealthy maiden acnt OF mine,
named Despena Z zograp pho, adopted me
as her son ANA heir. 1t was then that
my troubles began. The principal prop
erty of my aunt was the beautiful rural
estate OF Hassani, which was SIX miles
from Athens. Part of the estate fronts
on the shores of Saronicius Bay.
''Hadgipetro, aide-de-camp to the King
OF Greece, longed To acquire this estate,
for il was said that a town would be
built on il if my aunt could be induced to
part with it. The willy courtier at once
commenced to scheme and then act. He
had a daughter several years older than J.
Being of d higher station than /. he Game to
Iae and suggested that | wed this daugh-
ter, doubtless thinking / would be flat
tered. / Indignantly refused to entertain
any such idea or even to meet his daughter.
From that hour my persecution began.
Hadgipetro used my course in the Uni"er-
sity of Athens as a weapon against inc.
Ny free speech was quoted and the Royal
lists regarded me as socialistic. commJnis-
tic, even anarchistic.
Il desired to marry, in order 20 free n.y.
self OF the cause OF these prosecutions
It was impossible. All minds were
poisoned against me, or else inundated.
Then an aunt of Hadgipetrcs daughter
instituted a false lawsuit, which resulted
in an injunction to prevent my aunt from
dispoSing OF her estate. Soon afterward
my aged aunt was seized and carried be-
fore a board for an examination into her
sanity. Her failing physical powers Were
construed into evidences OF insanity.
Il left Athens for London, determined to
earn my livelihood by my own hands. AT
the house where boarded | met a beauti-
full girl named Lena Alstrup. This was No
o Crescent street. l fell desperately in
love with her, and she returned my affec
ton We were To be married, and thought
l would be happy at last But no. The dia-
holical vengeance which made life miser
able for me in Athens followed me o. Eng
land. l saw police spies following nae 20
the house. one morning the mother Of
the girl 1 loved asked me to Leave her home
She had been told by the agent Of Hadgi-
pefro that l had promised to marry his
daughter; that could not honoraby marry
another.
The London police had been told that
/ was dangerous anarchist. i was driven
mad with despair, and / resolved to end
my life / bought charcoal, secured a
room. locked the door, and set the char
coal over a fire Soon the fumes rendered
me insenSible, but was not 10 die. In the
morning the door was broken open, and
/ was found unconscious Police surgeons
examined me for my sanity. and | was
kept locked up for six weeks. | was clearly
sane, and finally they released me.
My allegiance to the monarchical insti-
buttons of my country was never strong,
aud it was no w turnedinto enmty. Iwrote
many articles exposing things which knew
ofthe Greek court. aud they were published
in the London papers. Prince Nicholas of
Greece visited the Princess Of Wales at
Lon don about this time. / addressed a
throng of people in Hyde Park, and my
theme was the beauty OF free government
also told something of my prosecutions. A
few hours later was dragged frommy bed.
carried TO prison and locked up as a dan
gerous anarchist. | would use dynamite.
they said. How absurd!
prince Nicholas left London and l was
released and told to return TO Athens. Ny
prosecutor Hadgipetro had died hut his
two sons were as bitter against me as
there father. One is a member of the |
Chamber OF Deputies The other is an |
to the Crown Prince Constan-
tine l finally determined to come to |
America. and il what l have heard of its |
free institutions and liberal government |
were true, make it my adopted country. |
/ came to New York, but 1 had been there |
only short time when I received letters |
telling me that my actions were observed. |
took out papers declaring my intention |
of becoming an American citizen. You |
will see they are in proper form. / then |
stayed a short time in Philadelphia, and |
now l have come to Washington, which is /
really the end of my journey. |
Il have come here to ask the State De |
partment 10 assist me in preserving the |
property of my aunt, which will be mire /
at her death. She is now ninety-one years /
of age and very feeble. The guardian |
appointed for her is INSCRIPTIONS, know. |
and although the estate cannot be confis- |
q - l,., Ia i