The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-17
N LIBERTY'S NAME
Many Crimes are Committed
by Macedonians.
PATRIOTS ARE BANDITS
They Ndnap Men Supposed
to Have Money,

to Have Money.
Chicago. Nov. I6.-Winiam z. Curtis
writes the Chicago Record Herald from
Sofa, Bulgaria, as follows:
Under its recently deposed managers
the Macedonian cause reached its lowest
ebb, both as TO morals, money and in
huence, and lost the respect and conf
dence OF the people. Contributions ceas-
ed; the accumulated funds were stolen
and squandered by PresidentBosis Sara
ION and his associates. As birds Of a
feather flock together, they attracted to
them all the adventures and desperadoes
OF Bulgaria who have used the sacred
name of liberty for their own selfish pur-
poses and committed crime after crime
without Interference, either from the gov
eminent OF their organization. Banditism
IS by no means a lost art IN Bulgaria,
although, under the wise, humane and
progressive rule Of the late Prince Alex
ander Of Battenburg, it was practically
suppressed Uuder the weak ana incom-
Detent administration of the present rul-
ing prince there have been occasional
cases. Rich men have been captured and
carried into the mountains and their chill
dren have been seized and concealed un-
Ill ransom has been paid. But the
amounts are usually small.
The last foreigner kidnapped was Ger
asip Kirias, an Albanian Protestant
preacher, a naturalized subject of Great
britain and agent for the British Bible
Society. He was captured under circum-
stances similar TO those of Miss Stone
and carried into the mountains, where he
was kept for three months, while negoti-
ations were conducted by the British
consul general He was finally released
upon the payment of 500 Turkish pounds,
which is equivelant to 5000. The expos
ure and privation cost him his life. He
became III Of rheumatism while in the
hands Of the bandits and never recov-
cred.
Yesterday we saw a native Bulgarian
who had also been victim of the bandits
and after being detained several weeks
was released. His captors were mistaken
in supposing him 10 be a man of wealth
mistook him for a man Of the same name.
At first they demanded $500; then came
down to $500 and finally. having satisfied
themselves that he was poor. and unable
10 pay anything. they released him for
q nominal sum upon the payment of two
francs each. The Macedonian committee
were not involved, however, in either of
these cases.
Such incidents frequently occur in
Greece, Turkey and the surrounding coun-
tries where the governments are weak
and outlawry is allowed to go unpun-
ished, hut since the emancipation of Bull
garia from Turkish rule and the estab-
lishment of an independent government
they have been rare in this region.
II was not natural, however. that the
adventures connected with the Macedon-
ian liberty movement should resort 70
that mediava method, an exciting eX-
perience and a sensational episode. which
was grateful to the dramatic tastes and
love of notoriety. At the same time they
could revenge themselves upon the mis-
sionarles for refusing to contribute TO the
cause. bleed foreigners, who are sup
posed to be rich. and. by committing the
crime in Turkish DISCUSSES upon Turkish
soil, might involve the sultan in compli-
cations with the United States and com
pei him TO pay large indemnity II
has also been suggested that they desired
10 brighten the missionaries out of Bull
garia where they are not popular with
the clergy of the Greek church. the Off
Gals of the government. and that class
Of the population would like to keep the
common people in ignorance and subjec-
tion.
Tt is probable that this mixture Of mo-
tives actuated BorisSarafon. the former
president of the Macedonian committee, /
who is believed to be the author of the