The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-08

oud r1ffian followed closely behind with
q cooked revolver in his hand When
they were a short distance from the camp
the captain advanced TO meet them, sa-
luting. and saying that his patience was
nearly exhausted
Thereupon the bag containing the money
was handed over TO him. He examined
it and his dark. malignant eyes flashed
with anger. Then he collected the coins.
put them into the bag and handed them
beck.
Keep your money" he said. Il keep
my prisoner, and If in the course OF
another week you don't complete the
sum I promise to invite you TO his burial
service"
Ny friends explained that If he insisted
upon his cruel determination he would
provoke the wrath of God, as no means
were possible for the collection of such
large sum from family SO poor
Slowly he Gained down. and my friends
succeeded in convincing him that by re-
fusing the money and killing me he would
be working greatly to his own disadvan-
tage.
SO 1 regained my freedom on Monday
July %. I returned 10 my home and chill
dren in q very exhausted condition.
OF the six brigands two were Armenians
and two Bulgarians. Two OF the Bull
garian party appeared TO me TO be Off
GERS of the Bulgarian army in the pay of
the compittee-
Though saved from the brigands I was
completely ruined, financially; being left
with a debt of $500
I trust, however, that the French en-
y,
inducing the Porte to render me the
amount which I lost, owing TO the abso-
lutte lack of public safety.
One of the boidest cases Of brigand-
kidnapping on record is that in which
NJ Raymond, a Frenchman, who now
holds an official position at Constanti-
nople, was the victim. NJ. Raymond 5
own thrilling account OF mis- memorable
and perilous adventure, as recently told
TO correspondent of the New York Sun
day World as follows:
Constantinople, Nov. /.
My capture by briglujs took place IN
August, 1892.
I was managing a. wine business ct
Omsurja, a few miles from Rodosto, On
the northern shore of the sea of Marmora
and was sitting 1T work in my Office when
six outlaws entered
They were dressed in fustanelle or
Greek kilt, with sheepskin nantes and
armed with different patterns of rifles,
The chief was a man of about forty
five and the others from twenty-five 10
thirty-five years old.
DO not move or speak," threatened
one of them, coming toward me.
/ 1 sprang up. He had his Martini rife
pointed in my direction. I seized the
barrel and tried to turn it against him
self.
A blow sent me staggering back against
a cupboard.
A bottle of cognac fell on my head
with a crash. and. at the same time, the
brigand struck me heavily on the head
with the butt of his rifle, bringing me
/ to the ground.
[ was deeply gashed and the blood
spurted over my face. You can still see
! the large scar reaching down to my fore
/ head.
I Then they tied my hands. and after
/ binding up my wound, marched me off
I Ny confidential servant, who was armed
/ with a revolver. had bolted at the first
moment. The other workmen about the
place, some sixty in number Greek pea
SAINTS of the neighborhood, simply stood
and looked on, as if nothing very unusual
I were happening. MY assistant, a compa-
I triot of mine, who had had the good sense
/ to offer no resistance. was made prisoner
at the same time.
The chief o fthe band tore sheet of
paper out of one of my registers and babe
me write to the French Embassy at Con-
stantinople to say that was captured,
( and that If a ransom OF 5000 was not
paid promptly 1 should be put TO death.
/ hey then released my assistant IN order
, that he might convey the letter.
For the next four days, or rather nights
did harder walking than ever before in
my life or since We made forced marches
at night, and lay hidden from dawn until
nightfsU. One nights march in direct
course would have sufficed TO get US TO
the mountains, but we had 10 avoid the
/ villages. I walked in the center. with a
! brigand on either side OF me. The guide
| kept always at least half a mile ahead.
and he indicated the route by leaving
/ stones or branches as he went.
! The second day I was IN fever from the
! effects Of the wound and the fatigue. I
had only a thin summer suit on and as
slept one OF the brigands threw his
/ large mantle over me to shelter me.
/ They also dressed my wound with skill
and in few days shook off the fever.
/ But / was utterly miserable with the
hardship and privation. Our only food was
smashed wheat into a paste and warmed,
an indigestible mixture. Fresh water we
found ia the streams.
When we reached the mountains I
I hoped for rest and relief. But we were
I relentiessly kept on the march, doing on
4 the average twenty-five miles every night
IN the daytime we concealed ourselves
among the trees and when not sleeping
/ playing cards-a Greek name called
I sgambil which I knew. and in which
+ took q hand. Fortunately the hrigands
had carried away from Omsurdja about
twenty pounds OF tobacco, which was
! divided equally among the seven OF Us
4 Il was the only consolation had.
smoked necessarily.
/ In the evening before starting. the bri-
gands collected an the cigarette butts
] and other traces Of our stay, and buried
them, then swept the place with 4 branch
and covered any marks on The ground
with stones, 50 as 20 defy detection by
the Turkish police
I was myself ia as much fear - the
Z Turkish troops or police as the brigznss
As I afterward learned. the French
Ambassador had caused The general pur-
suit 10 be stoppe8 immediately on reeeiv-
ing my leSter. had obliged the Turkish
2 Government 10 pay Al once the 8 90 de-