The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
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ne savsrsus Pesp,s IN ths wsv,a Are Hst
In Afrtcn-

TIE Unynno0e Reorte IN inc Wetta AN9 80
In Arrtca-
There Is q general idea that the most savage
races now on the earth have TO be looked for In
Africn-somewherc In Dahomey, Ashantee, In
the Beniu country. or among tho tribes OF the
Congo. This is n mistake. BY a Journey OF In
side Of Ave days from Paris by railway one can
find ones self among some of tho most cruol and
bloodtlirsty people In the world. A traveller
has only to take a ticket from Paris by the ORR.
entail express to Belgrade, In Servia, and con.
tinue the journey to Uskub, in northern Mace
donia, to find himself on the bordorland Of saw.
agcry. Uskub Is ono OF the ancient cities OF tho
world that Inns been little heard OF, for tho reason
that IL stands somewhat Off tho beaten track of
history. It is only in tho last few years, since tho
construction Of the railway from tho city of SALON.
lea to Nish In scrvia, whore II Joins the Turkish
and Bulgarian railway system. that Uskub has
become n place of modern Importance. 1t Ia now
a Turkish fortress something after the style OF
Plevna during the Russo-Turkish war OF 1877.
and IL a junction Of three lines Of rail-that to
Salonica, tho prolonRation Of tho Salonica limo
to Sish, and tho third running through the tun-
nels under the mountains that separate the
plain of Uskub from tho celebrated plain Of Kos
sovo. on which the great baltic was fought in
1889 between the Servians and the Turks that
ended the Servian empire.
About thirty miles north Of Uskub, on the
railway line, is tho Albanian town OF varosh,
also called verisovitch by the Servians. On tho
outskirts Of this place q tragedy was enacted
some seventeen years ago which will give an
| idea Of tho ferocity of the ideas and customs Of
the Albanian Mussulmans OF those parts. The
story begins at Uskub Ave years before tho final
act. An Albanian Turk of Uskub had married
IN Albanian woman OF varosh, and on the out
break Of the Turoo-Scrvian war Of 1875 was
called away TO Join tho army. The Russo-Turk-
ish war that followed in 1877 took the husband
into Bulgaria, where his regiment formed part
OF the army of the hero of Plcvna, Osman Pasha
Ghazi, the victorious. During the war the poor
woman heard nothing OF her husband, and It
was not until the disbandment of the army
after 1t was over and the return OF some OF her
husbands comrades that she learned OF his
having been killed in battle. She was in n state
OF destitution, and, her condition becoming
known to a gypsy Of the town. he offered
to tako her as his wife. In Uskub the
gypsies, or "Tziganes." as they are called
all over the east Of Europe, are the principal
workers In metals, in'copper, tin, and iron. and
are also the gunsmiths OF the place, as in most
other towns Of Turkey. They are in matters Of
religion practically heathens. and for that rea-
son are held in the lowest esteem by the Turks,
who respect all religions having n book" such
as the Bible is among Christians. The widow
ee'N"' :" '"S ohS't oh Shtiei
that they should leave the place at once. which
they did. They took train to Salonica. and from
there went by steamer to Constantinople. For
some reason or other their evil genius induced
them to return to Uskub after they had been
absent about eighteen months. and the gypsy
went back to his old business. They had
not been long in the place when the
woman was seen by one Of her Turkish
sisters-in-law entering the gypsy's house. 1t
yraa than rap,arGal chat har
some eighteen months before had been coinci.
dent with the departure OF the gypsy. and the
brother Of her former husband went one day to
the gypsy's house and soon found out the truth
Of the situation. Tho woman marrying a nom
Mussulman. but especially a gypsy, was an I'M
pardonable offence IN both OF them In the eyes Of
the Cheri0t, the sacred law: so. in conformity
with usage. a family council was held. and in due
course, both the man and the woman were con-
demned to death. The unlucky pair were taken
up TO Varosh. where the woman's family lived,
and the late husbands brother. as the avenger
Of his memory and OF her crime, was appointed
to kill the woman. while another member of the
family was deputed to perform the same duty on
the gypsy. In due course the wretched couple
were taken outside the town into q field
near the railway line. where the brother-in.law
cut the woman's throat and the gypsy's life was
ended by a pistol bullet into his brain. and tho
two corpses. were left TO tester in the sun and be-
come a prey to the carrion crows. and vultures.
A few days after the odor Of the putrefying
bodies became so offensive to the railway people
who had occasion to pass up and down the line
that a party was sent up from Uskub to bury
them. They had hardly. however. begun their
work. when the townsmen, armed to the teeth
with their guns, pistols, daggers, and h~andjars,
that give every Albanian the appearance of a
walking arsenal, came out in force and warned
them off the ground. as burial of the bodies was
not allowed in such n case. The burying party
was Obliged to desist and returned to Uskub.
happened to be at Cskub just about the time
OF the events I have described. One morning
one Of the railway officials with whom I had
struck up a friendship looked in on me at the
hotel near the station. where I was stopping
and said that II would like a trip up the line
with him there was a section train going up tc
Varosh, and he would show me something that
would interest me. I was very glad to accept his
offer, and we started. When we arrived near the
had been enacted. he stoppod the train and TOLD
me TO come with him.. We only went a little dis
tance from the line, when he stopped and pointet
out to me the dried remains OF two human be
ings lying a short distance apart on the stubbl,
field. THAT is what l ' wanted to show you" h,
said, and we returned to the train that WA
: waiting for us; and RS we went hack to Uskul
I, he told me the story have Just penned.
GEORGE FREEMAN.
a FIsHERMAN BAKER'S BOAT.