Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-29
BRIGANDAGE.
Famous Cases Suggested by
Capture Of Miss Stone.
The Attitude of Governments in Anal
ogous Instances.
Travellers and Missionaries Who Take
Their Lives in Their Hands,

| Miss stones fate in being cantured
BY Bulgarian brigands. carried Off to
mountain businesses and held for
ransom is one to which all foreigners
| expose them selves who soiourn ~
travel in countries Of the Old World
where. through the weakness or con-
nvance of The authorities, brigandage
prevails. There nave been numerous
| cases of the same kind in the last
| thirty wears N so. especially in Greece
in Turkey. i'll the Balkan states.
along the northern coast Of Africa and
even in Italy and Spain. In every in
stance j. ransom is demanded, and each
time a discussion arises as to the
policy ana principle of paying this
ransom. OF course, the first inclina
| ton Of the friends, the fellow country
men and the government Of the can
tives is to pay the ransom at once the
hope Of saving them from death Of
even torture rising superior to every
other consideration. But naturally
there are many objections 10 this
course. Fo9, in the first place. it con
| stitutes an encoura cement to the conf
mission OF other outrages of the same
| character. and with the same lucra-
| tive results, in countries where money
| is scarce and laWlessness rife. Then,
| too, it is contrary to the principles oI
| law, since it is nothing but com
pounding a felony. while the govern
ment Of the country in which the cap
| turc has taken place is naturally op-
posed to the payment of any ransom
to the bIigauls, knowing full well that
claim viii eventually be made upon
it by the state to Which the captive
belongs for the money thus handed
over to the bandits.
The grounds on which the ransom
has been claimed in the past from the
authorities Of the country where the
crime has been committed is that they
are responsible in the eyes Of foreisn
nations for the maintenance Of law ana
order within their borders. ana for tn
concession til Foreigners Of the same
protection and safeguard that their
oWn subjects enjoy abroad.
One OF tAo most famous instances Of
foreigners being captured by brigands
and held for ransom is that of Lord
ana Lady MunCaster. Lord Muncaster.
who is nov an elderly man. and a ire
quent visitor 10 this country, WIS
staying at Athens in 1870 when picnic
to the plain Of Mara thon was organized
by some OF the members of the di-
pl0matic corps accredited to the Greek
court The party consisted Of Lord
and Lady NuncJster Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ward Lloyd and their child, Fred Wy
ner. brother Of the Marchioness Of
Ripon; Count Albert Bayl, secretary to
the Austrian Legation; the Hon. Ed
ward Herbert, secretary to the British
mission, and several other young at
taches. They We're on their way back
To the city, when they were suddenly
bounced upon by a party of lbrigands,
under the command Of the wei known
brigand chief, Agvanitaki, and Were
carried of to the hill country lying be-
| tween Pentelikon ana Mount Parnas-
sus. The brigands after about twenty
TOUR hours let the women go, not from
any motives of chivalry, but merely be-.
cause their presence impeded the rap
idity of the movement of the band At
the same time, the men of the party
were directed to draw lots for one Of
their number to return to Athens, and
to announce the terms under which his
companions would recover their lib
erty. 1t was Lord Muncaster who was
fortunate enough to be selected as
enissary, and the demands with which
be was intrusted by the brigand chief
called for a ransom of 100000 in
money, a free pardon for present and
past crimes, and the liberation of GER
tain bandits then in custody. Lord
| Muncaster was given to understand
moreover, that if any attempt were
made to pursue the band the prisoners
would be put to death.
Lord Muncaster on reaching Athens
| hastened at once to the English lega-
tion. and sought the assistance Of Mr..
| Frskine, the British Envoy. The lat
| ter Immediately arranged to pay the
ransom demanded, and at the same
| time took steps to obtain from the
| Greek government the promise of par
don for the bandits. 1t was here that
| Mr. Erskinc and Lord Muncaster en-
counterel difficulties. Tor while the
Greek constitution. empowers the
sovereign to grant amnesties for
political offences, he cannot grant any
Inardon for criminal offences, save with
the consent Of the national legislature,
which was not then in session. Ne
eotiations were in progress with the
hrigands, with the object Of conveying
to them some assurance that a pardon
| would be granted in their favor as
soon as Parliament reassembled. when
the Greek cabinet, foreseeing not only
ltroubte in the Chamber about the
amnesty but likewise that it would be
called upon by Great Britain in course
OF time to de6ray the amount Of the
ransom paid by Mr.. Erskine, started
large bodies of troops and constabulary
after the brigands. This was done
without the knowledge of the King,
and in defiance of the solemn pledges
given by The Greek Premier to the
British Envoy and to Lord Muncaster
The bIigands, enraged by this breach
Of faith. carried their c8ptives still
further into the mountains, and, when
I hard pressed by" Their pursuers. zInur-
dered every one Of them, servants and
ALL in cold Blood Some Of them were
shot, others stabbed in the back. while
tothers had their Threats cut.
Z, SO great was the indignation CREATED
by the behavior Of the Greek govern
ment in Breaking its promises TO tbs
British legation. that King George was
! f,,r-cfs n y7ierT,iz- entire Cabinet