The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-13
Held For Ransom
fCopvrirhI 1901 by c. B. Lewls.l

town situated about thirty miles south
 east of Mount Parnassus and only few miles from the gulf Of Corlnth, he party Of us who had been troyellng together for several weeks broke up
 That Is, Major Loftus, on Englishman Ind an officer on leave of absence, de- tded 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 gardlng brlgandage. The subject had often been under discussion with our party, as We were al foreigners and fair game. and the major had sworn by the beard Of his father that if ever captured by brlgands he would let them cut hlm up plecemeal before he would pay Q cent of ransom or permit any of hls friends to. He was fairly wealthy man. but be objected to pay ment on principle. He was SO deter mlned and outspoken in this matter that | believe lt finally lcd Co hls cap tule. One day, a week after our dcpar- ture, he went out from Kostrl on horse back attended by a servant and the servant returned alone and To a great funk to say that bis master had been attacked, overpowered and carried or l toward the mountain.
 It was the first case Of brigandage around Knstrl for ten years, mud au- thorities were SO slow to net that the fellows got clear away with their cap tive. The major had told hls friends how he felt on the subject of ransom and that if he were ever captured to refuse to pay Q shilling, but as soon as they heard Of his being taken they made preparations to meet any modcr- 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 ernment. There were five ln the gang when the attack was made The major | shot one dead In his tracks and badly | wounded a second before he wus over. come. They tied hlm to the back Of a donkey and made no stop until they reached a mountain retreat. Within half an hour of hls being freed from the ! donkey he had done for another of the hand by pushing him over a elm. This | lift but two men of the hye but next day they were joined hy four others. , They may have thirstcd for the majors | life. but brlsands hold Co thc one oh- | feet Of ransom as long as possible. The major was ordered Co write letter Co hs friends In KastrI and inform them that hls ransom bad been dXcd at what would be Sll.OOO ln American money. He dehantly refused to do SO. More | than that. be told the leader Co 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 or his right ear and sent lt down Co Kastri with a note of their own composing. The mlssiye had | hardly gone when the major got hls | bands free and killed one Of the brig ands outright by hurlIng a rock against hs head. They had bad him only forty hours. and yet in that time hc had Kill ed three Of the band and laid up a fourth. The amount Of ransom was raised to Sl5,OOO and the captive was treated Ike some savage animal He constantly revlled and dared and deded them. and when they shifted their quarters from day to day they had Co carry hlm Ike a log.
 The people at Hastri Gould only raise 1 about 5000 ln the time given, and so t was extended i've days, but the whole of the majors left eur was sent In as warning that they must hustle around. They got SSOOO together be. | fore the time elapsed. but the briguuds | refused this and sent In the majors ! foreHnger and a further extension Of two days. The money could not be raised. It was we'll known that the | captive was against ransom. but hls friends knew that he 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 ln their faces. Mu- tllated as he was, be would not have taken his liberty as a gift lt Is seldom that the brigands of Greece have ever accepted Q smaller sum for the ransom Of a captive than the one first set, and they have never been known to turn captive loose, no matter how bard pressed. If the ransom cannot be raised, the captive must de to strengthen their position in a succeeding case lD thls instance they were probably secretly glad that the ransom could not be rals- ed. It was an hour after sunrise when the major was informed, and SO far from begging for his life be jeered at them. Bound hand and foot he was plnced in a sitting position with bis back to Q rock and two men stood be- fore him with guns. He was supposed to be securely bound, but he bad work ed at the ropes until be could cast them of. He did SO all of a sudden. and
 Sprlnglng up. be wrested the gun from lhe hands or one and then turned and brnlned the other. There were four others yet to deal with. however, and one of them grabbed up a rife and shot