The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-01-21
Held For Ransom
Icopyrtght, 1gol. by 9. B. Lewia.l

Held For Ransom
copyright. 1901. by C. B. Lewis.1
At Kastri, Greece, which is an old
town situated about thirty miles south
east of Mount Parnassus and only a
few miles from the gulf of Corinth,
the party of US who had been travelling
together for several weeks broke up.
That is, Major LOTUS. an Englishman
and an officer on leave Of absence, de-
cided to remain there with friends for
few weeks, while the rest of us went
on to Marathon and Athens. The
major had very pronounced ideas re-
garding brigandage. The subject had
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 piecemeal before he
would pay cent of ransom or permit
any of his friends to. He was a fairly
wealthy man, but he objected to pay
ment on principle. He was SO deter
mined and outspoken In this matter
that l believe it finally led to his cap
ture. One day, week after our depar-
ture, he went out from Kastri on horse
back attended by servant, and the
servant returned alone and In great
funk to say that his master had been
attacked, overpowered and carried of
toward the mountain.
1t was the first case of brigandage
around Kastri for ten years, and au-
thoritIes were so slow to act that the
fellows got clear away with their cap
tive. The major had told his friends
how he felt on the subject of ransom
and that if he were ever captured to
refuse to pay shilling, but as soon as
they heard of his being taken they
made preparations to meet any moder-
ate demand on the part of the brig
ands. What followed the capture was
told afterward by one of the band who
left it and was pardoned by the gov
eminent. There were five in the gang
when the attack was made. The major
shot one dead in his tracks and badly
wounded q second before he was over
come. They tied him to the back of
donkey and made no stop until they
reached a mountain retreat. Within
half an hour of his being freed from the
ha E,1d 70 80 ~,
band by pushing him over cliff. This
left but two men of the five, but next
day they were Joined by four others.
They may have thirsted for the majors
life, but brigands hold to the one OBJ
ject of ransom as long as possible. The
major was ordered to write letter to
his friends in Kastri and inform them
that his ransom had been fixed at what
would be $1,000 in American money.
He defiantly refused to do so. More
than that, he told the leader to his face
that not one penny should be paid by
anybody, no matter what the results
might be. To discipline" him they
sliced off the lobe of his right ear and
sent it down to Kastri with a note Of
their own composing. The missive had
hardly gone when the major got his
hands free and killed one of the brig
ands outright by hurting a rock against
his head. They had had him only forty
hours, and yet in that time he had kill
ed three of the band and laid up a
fourth. The amount of ransom was
raised to $4,000 and the captive was
treated like some savage animal. He
constantly reviled and dared and defied
them, and when they shifted their
quarters from day to day they had to
carry him Ike a log.
The people ut Kastri could only raise
about $1,000 in the time given, and SO
it was extended five days, but the
whole of the majors left ear was sent
In as warning that they must hustle
around. They got $4,000 together be-
fore the time elapsed, but the brigands
refused this and sent in the majors
forefnger and a further extension of
two days. The money could not be
raised. 1t was well known that the
captive was against ransom, but his
friends knew that he would not escape
with his life if the money was not paid.
When the last day of grace expired,
the major was Informed that he must
die. He laughed in their faces. Mu-
tilated as he was. he would not have
taken his liberty as a gift. 1t is seldom
that the brigands of Greece have ever
accepted smaller sum for the ransom
of a captive than the one first set, and
they have never been known to turn a
captive loose. no matter how hard
pressed. If the ransom cannot be raised,
the captive must die to strengthen their
position III a succeeding case. In this
instance they were probably secretly
glad that the ransom could not be rails
ed 1t was an hour after sunrise when
the major was Informed, and so far
from begging for his life he jeered at
them Bound hand and foot, he was
placed in sitting position with his
back to a rock and two men stood be-
fore him with guns. He was supposed
to be securely bound. but he had work.
ed at the ropes until he could cast them
off. He did so all of sudden. and,
springing up he wrested the gun from
the hands Of one and then turned and
Drained the other. There were four
others yet to deal with. however, and
one of them grabbed up rifle and shot
the captive dead as he was advancing
upon them.
1t proved a pretty costly adventure
for the brigands. They had lost five
men killed and one wounded and failed |
to get any ransom at ALL and during |
the week following the majors death |
the soldiers ported two more of them
and drove the rest out of the country.
Neither did the English government sit |
still under the affair. but holding |
Fareece responsible for the crime she |
acted $4,000 damages and humbled |
king to the dust. While it may be |
doubted whether Major LOTUS took |
p he wisest course under the circum- /
,: ances, he certainly died the death of I
I; brave man and gave Grecian brigand-
age shock it did not recover from for
years. NJ. QUAD. !.