The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-27
Held For Ransom
lconyrIghl. ll0l. by c. D. LewIs.l

That ls, Major Loftus. an Engllshman and an officer on leave of absence. de rlded to remain there with friends for a few weeks, while the rest of us went on to Marathon and Athens. The major had very pronounced Ideas re- garding brlgandage. The subject had often been under discussion with our party. as we were all foreigners and fair game. and the major had sworn by the beard of his father that if ever captured by brIgands he would let them cut him up piccemcal before he would pay a cent of ransom or permit any of his friends to. He was fairly wealthy man. but he objected to pay ment on principle. He was so deter mined and outspoken In this matter that believe lt dually led to his cap ture. Ouc day. a week after our dcpar' ture. he went out from HuStr on horse back attended by a servant. and the servant returned alone aud in a great funk to say that hiS master had been attacked. oyerpowered and carried on toward the mountain
 It was the first ease 0f brigandage around KastrI for ten years. and au. thoriueS were SO slow Co act that the fellows got clear away with their cap tive. The major had told his friends how hc felt on the subject of ransom aud that if he were ever captured to refuse Co pay a shilling. but as soon as they heard Of his being taken they made preparations to meet any moder' ate demand on thc part of the brig auds. What followed the capture was told aftcrward by one of the band who left it and was pardoncd by the gov erument. There were i've In the gang when the attack was made. The major shot one dead tn his tracks and badly wounded second before he was ever come. They tied hlm to the back of a donkey and made no stop until they reached mountain retreat. Within half an hour of his being freed from the donkey be bad done for another of the band by pushing blm over clir. This ..tt but two men of the five, but next day they were joined by four others. They may have tA.rs;cd for the majors ufc. but brl-ands held Co thc one ob. feet of ransom as long as possible. The major was ordered Co write letter to h.s friends u East-l aud inform them .lt h., ransom had iccn hNrJ at what would bc StLuUu m American money. IA, GrHautly refused Go do SO. More .Haa taJt. hc told tle leader Co his face that uot oue penny should bc paid by anybody. no matter what the results m.rlt uc. To "disc.pline" him they sliced or thc lobe of his right ear and seat it down Co kastri with note of their own composing. The missive had hardly gone when the major got his mrJ, free and killed one of the brig arJs outright by huriius a rock against h., head They had bad him only forty hours. and yet Iu that timc he had kill cd three of thc baud and laid up a fourth. The amount of ransom was raised Co Sl5OO0 and thc captive was trcntcd like some savage animal He constantly reylled and dared and deded them. and when they shifted their quarters from day to day they had Co carry him Ike log.
 The people at Eastri could only raiso nlout S5.OOu lu thc time given, and so it was extended i've days. but the whole of the majors left ear was sent ln as a warning that they must hustle around. They got SSOOO together be- lore the time elapsed, but the brigands refused this and sent in the majors forcdnger and further extension of two days The money could not be raised. lt was well known that the captive was against ransom. but hls friends knew that be would not escape with hls life if the money was not paid. When the last day Of grace expired, the major was informed that he must de. He laughed in their faces. Mu- tnated as he was. he would not have taken hls liberty as a gift 1t is seldom that the brignnds or Greece have ever accepted a smaller sum for the ransom ! or a captive than the one first set and , they have never been known Co turn a !, captive loose. no matter how hard pressed. lf the ransom cannot be raised the captive must die Co strengthen their position ln a succeeding case. In this Instance they were probably secretly glad that the ransom could not be rais' cd. It was an hour after sunrise when the major wus informed. and SO far ! from begging for his life he jeered at them. Bound hand and foet be was placed tn sitting position with bis ! back Co a rock and two men stood be fore hlm wi,h guns. He was supposed | To bc securely bound. but be had work ,d at the ropes until hc could cast them 1f. ue did So ul! Of sudden. aud tpring.ug up he wrested the gun from the hands O, one and then turned and J brained the other. There were four others yet Co deal with. however. and one of them grabbed up a rife and shot the captive dead as be was advancing upou them.
 It proved a pretty costly adventure for the brigands. They had lost fy' men killed and one wounded and failed to get any ransom at an. and during the week following the majors deatl the soldiers potted two more of then and drove the rect out Of the country Neither did the English government sit still under the affair. but holding Greece responsible for the crime sh' exacted S2O.OOO damages and humblet 2 king to the dust. While lt may b' doubted whether Major Loftus tool the wiSest course under the circum
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