Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-26
BULGARIAN BRGANDS' FAVORTTE INDUSTRY.

n IDNAPPING persons having
means or having wealthy
w and influential friends, that
the ceDtlves may be held Tor
MA ransom, just as Miss Ellen
stone, the American mission
ary. whose abduction by
~ brigands Is now attracting
the attention Of the civilized World ID
nourIshing industry In Bulgaria
whether the brigands Of Bulgaria have
nroated by the example OF the powers
,hat nrey in New York or whether the
',rdef world here learned useful les
ean from their professional brethren OF
,Sn balkans Is not known; but 1t Is
i,nown that the Importance OF being
right" with the powers that rule Is as
f,liy understood in one place as in the
thar Turkish officials whose duty u
,s m suppress brigandage, contriye TO
ave fortunes out of small salaries In
few years, as Tammany officials are
said by some unkind critics 10 DO
case Identical with that OF MISS
stone occurred when ! was IN Constan-
,inonle. four years ago. j met there
French woman, who had just been re-
essed by the brigands on the payment
M an enormous sum by the French gov
eminent. She and her maid were out
walking m Haidar Pasha, when tney
we're set upon and carried away, Inc
ransom was set and speedily paid by
the French minister resident VINO, IN
behalf OF his government, made requi-
sltiOn for the amount upon the porte
With French gunboats In the Bospnor-
us. their guns unpleasantly near hlldiz
Kiosk. the claim was honored. Inc
Turkish troops, however, were imme-
diately sent out and the brigands cap
tured The French woman, while pros
rated neryously and wearied by long
forced march over the mountains, re-
norted her treatment not unhlnN.
Similar cases are Of frequent occur
romeo in the neighborhoOd OF SalOnlca,
n consul. an English naval captain ana
nm English woman having been among
the more recent victims.
Moi many years ago, DR.. Parsons OF
tho American board was travelling on
foot on a missionary tour, accompanied
NV some OF his students. They had with
tbem a large quantity Of tracts ana
pihles done up In packages. The bril-
eands installing them for booty, the
Marty was waylaid and the doctor MUIR
dered To avoid similar attacks, stu
dents returning TO our mission schools
usually dress like the parish peasants
When the assault is directed against
n person singled out for them as one
eligible for ransom, the captlVes are
hauled off to some stronghold In the
mountains where they are kindly or
cruelty treated, according TO circum-
stances.
Brlgandage IA nothing new In the
Balkans. Ovid dolefuly narrates IN
verse how the nelghboring barbarlans
OF his day scared and devastated the
country. The rape OF the Sabine wo"
men in Italy found its counterpart IN
the captive maids OF Trechis across the
narrow Lea that divides the TWO pen
nsulas.
With the Turkish occupation in the
fifteenth century, the plot thickeneu
and the lucrative profession OF brigand-
age under political patronage assumed
the proportions OF a gigantic trust
What little agriculture there was IAN
guished. Trade, there could be none
but the merry men OF the hills and the
Turkish officials fattened al the eN-
pense of every traveller or caravan that
crossed their path Every peasant
whose flocks had multiplied sufficiently
10 excite their cupdity was ruthlessly
levied upon, Christian women were
daily torn from home and family.
AS in the course Of the last quarter
century northern Bulgaria, Roumania,
Seryia, Montenegro and Bosnia crept
out from under the Turkish yoke, the
erstwhile gentlemanly profession lost
It's respectable character ana was
frowned down upll by the near ana
more enlightened governments. ana nri-
gandage gave way to honest INDUSTRY
Not so, however, In Albania anu slace-
donia, the last strongholds OF the TURK
In Europe. Placed nomlnally under the
care OF Christian Europe by the treaty
of Berlin, the unspeakable TURK sun
dominates the land which has become
the rallying ground OF bands OF cut
throats belonging TO all creeds and ma
tionalities. The chiefs, however, and the
backbone of these bands are Albanians.
The membership is made up OF Greeks,
Turks and Bulgarians.
The Mussulman Albanian takes to
brlgandage because he likes II, and
willingly makes a profession Of II. The
others join in response to the dictates
OF a vicious and criminal disposition. or
I'm order TO eyade justice. All do II to
fill their pockets.
The brgands usually have associates
living In the towns who furnish them
with timely notice of when and where
n good piece Of business can be done.
They have spies who can give them
warning when danger is at hand, and
they are always sure by the judlcious
administration OF backsheesh to find
protectors In high places to help them
escape the arm OF the law The Turkish
police are VIGOROUSLY inefficient and in
sufficient, and have never been known
20 attack the brigands unless on the