The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
Its First Publication Made Stimuli
~taneOus1y I'm United States and
Vienna Official Paper.
WANDERING IN wILDERNEssEs
BANDITS CALI THEMSELVES "NOBLES
OF THE MOUNTAINS"
Letter Sounds Like an Appeal to Pub
lie and Is a Business-Like State
ment of the situation.

letter delivered in Sofa, Nov. l, 1901
The American lady ought to thank the
God in whom she believes that she is with
Observation-Disclosures is, the Mobiles of
the Mountains" The mobiles of the noun
tains are the gentlemen. the signores
among %brigands, and have so high an
opinion Of themselves and of their respon-
sibilities-are so eager to leave behind a
spotless reputation-that they hire ordi-
nary chicken thieves to do all dirty work
incidental to the trade. The "chicken
thieves do not necessarily restrict their
activity to stealing poultry, though we
use them as chance provisioners, too, as
they can be relied upon to smell three
miles off a sheep in the valley and a bear.
or deer, in a mountain ravine quicker than
any other boss brigand, who has more i'm
portant matters on his mind. Very fire.
quently the chicken thieves are employed
by the leaders to terrorize a district, a viii
lage or small town, even, to induce the
money bags to loosen their purse strings.
For instance: When the friends, or rela-
tives, of the kidnapped show a tendency to
delay paying over the ransom beyond the
time limit-which is always generously
drawn, by the way-we feel called upon to
let people know that we are not simply
fooling and have the courage to execute
the threats made. To this end formidable
robberies are sometimes committed, at 9TH
er times a murder or two becomes neces-
sary. So much the worse for the persons
refusing to respond to our call. They, not
we, will have to answer for the bloodshed.
AS said, such deeds are instigated by US
for nOliCV'S ca Ep-a n-TSchpIPhiS NAV
even act as leader in one or another-but
chicken thieves and the like invariably do
the dirty work. That's what they are
hired for.
MAY KILL CAPTIVES.
The mountain noble is no common muir
derer; he never soils his hands with ordi-
nary theft. His mission is to fight the enc
mics of freedom-soldiers and gendarmes-
also to avenge treachery and punish re-
fusal to obey commands for ransom.
If the ransom is not paid and Miss Stone
is killed her friends may rest assured that
she will die by the hand of a gentleman,
either by the leader of the noble band or by
a person deputized by the chief to carry
out the bands decision.
The mobiles of the mountains would not
think of leaving the strange lady, aban-
doned by her friends, to the mercies of the
chicken thieves. She will die in a style be
fitting the noble sentiments of her captors.
No torture, no undue violence. The BalIam-
Tschelebis prefer to dispatch their victim
really the victim of parsimOnious or treach-
erous friends-in his or her sleep or by
poison, but such merciful intention cannot
always be carried out, the parties being too
nervous or suspicious to permit the same.
When open execution is resorted to a
bullet or a dexterous knife thrust usually
is made to f~orestall further sufferings.
For let il be understood the mobiles of the
mountains have nothing in common with
the Italian brigand or with the brigand of
Mussulman extraction. The Italian brigand
we are told delights i'm torturing his VIC
Tins, while the other. though not given to
cruelty outright, nevertheless sheds much
blood unnecessarily. If the muschtuluk
(ransom) is not forthcoming at the stipu-
lated time the Turk is very liable TO take
it out of the captive and wreak his venge-
ance upon his innocent head. And he does
it in a bungling, unchivalrous manner, too,
l am told, sometimes binding the victim to
a tree and using him for a rifle target or
inviting the whole band to throw knives
into his body until life is gone.
CALL THEMSELVES DIPLOMATS.
This is not only unworthy of the best
traditions of brigandage, it's stupid too.
As the big chief Panazoi Hilow-may his
soul rest easily in paradise-used TO say:
There are a hundred and one reasons why
a ransom cannot always be paid promptly.
If that be so-and Panazoi HiIow certainly
knew his business-why not give the cap
tive a chance to live and the captor time
to earn the money he promised himself?
The mobiles of the mountains would not
deserve their title if they were not diplo-
mats, as well as men of action. AS a gen
eral thing they prefer temporizing 10 rash
ness, persuasion to diplomacy. But that
does not mean that their patience is inter-
minable. If Miss stones friends attempt
TO betray us and cheat US, she must pay the
forfeit in the end, and may the God of her
fathers smile upon her in her last hours.
The band is entirely guided by the tradi-
tons of the big chief who, as is well known.
was a learned man and wrote a book on his
own adventures and on the trade of bri-
gandage. Though i have not seen the book
for years, 1 know it's contents by heart.
Our organization is on a military footing;
there are twelve of us, not counting the
guards and chicken-thieves of course. The
latter are now used for foraging, horse
tending and similar work only. They must
not steal anything aside from food, nor Of
fer violence to anybody. OF our Heyducs
several serve as spies and keep up com
munication with Sofa; the rest hold the
mountain population that might interfere
with our plans in subsection. If it should
be found necessary to take extreme meas
ures, our Heyducs viii prove very useful.
Most of them are discharged soldiers, and
all are crack shots, fearing neither God
nor devil.
The guard is under a harambascha
Chief and a bajraktor ~(paymaster.) The
latter could teach a lawyer. so smart is he.
II the Americans think they can pay US in
bad coin, the bajraktor will quickly unde-
ceive them. He is also our commissary
general. and the American woman will tes-
tify. when released, that he always tried
J to procure for her the. best the mountains
afford.
NO FEARS OF VIOLENCE.
Among the Mobiles of the Mountains the
American woman's honor is safe. as they
regard her like their own mother. When
| the Balkan-Tschelebls is on the road he