The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-17

Sofa. Bulgaria, Aug. 1.-THE Bulgarian
government has presented a memoran-
DUN TO the powers setting out at great
length the condition of affairs during the
past three months in Macedonia since the
Turkish government undertook TO inau-
gurate the promised reforms.
The most precise details. dates, places
ard names OF persons are given in the
memorandum. the whole constituting a
terrible category of murder torture, In
cendiarism, plllage and general oppres-
sion committed by the Ottoman soldiers
and officials.
These particulars were obtained entire
~ from official sources. such as the re-
ports OF the Bulgarian consuls and
agents OF the Bulgarian government, and
in many instances the reports made by
Turkish authorities.
The Bulgarian government guarantees
the absolute trutR OF every statement
and challenges the porte 10 disprove a
single charge made in the memorandum.
The memorandum begins by stating
that during the past three months the
Ottoman government has taken series
of measures with the alleged Intention
of inaugurating the era OF promised re-
form and of assuring peace and tran
Quilfity in the Bulgarian population of
European Turkey. but which have had
ahe contrary effect OF further exasper-
Ning this population and reviving the
evolutionary movement.
Instead of proceeding solely against
persons guilty OF breaches OF the public
order the military and civil authorities
have sought every possible pretext to
persecute. TO terrorize and ruin the Bull
earian inhabitants alike in the large
cities and in the small villages.
TORTURED WOMEN.
Wholesale massacreS individual muir
dere, the destruction OF villages, the Pill
laging and setting fire to houses. arrests,
fff- treatment torture arbitrary -imprison=
ment and banishment. the closing and
disorganizshg of churches ana schools,
the running OF merchants. the collection
OF taxes for many years In advance such,
proceeds the memorandum. are among
the acts of the Ottoman administration or
the villayets OF Salonica, Monastir. Us
kub and Adrianople.
The memorandum next relates In de-
tail a number OF such cases In each VII
ayet. Beginning with the vilayet or Sa-
lonica, II states that In the town of Sa-
1onica itself tie Bulgarian professors OF
the university, the students and shop
keepers. in fact, all intelligent Bulgarians
in the city have been cast into prison.
One hundred and twenty soldiers enter
ed the village OF Gorna Dubnitza. May IS.
and tortured 10 death Ave men and two
women: During the first three weeks $40, Of
vesch were subjected 10 the depredations
OF the Turkish soldiers and Bashi- Ba-
zouks. The villagers were beaten and tor
tured. the women violated and the houses
plundered, while the administra ton au-
thoritiee looked on.
In the vilayet OF Monastir. artillery
bombarded and razed the nourishing
town of Smerdesch. the 300 houses being
left a heap OF ruins. At the beginning
OF July two Greek bands, with the conni-
vance of the authorities, pillaged Bulga-
rian villages and murdered many of their
Inhabitants.
REIGN OF TERROR
In the vilayet of Uskub the entire Bull
earian population has been systematically
persecuted since last May. The director
of the Normal school at Uskub was inn
prisoned because his library contained
the revolutionary works OF "Othelo' and
LES Miserables."
In the districts OF Palanka, Koschani,
Koumanovo and Gostigar the prisons are
filled with Bulgarian priests, school mas
ters and mechsnts During June the SOL
diers and Bashi- Bazouks terrorized the
inhabitants OF the Schlif district, tortur.
ing the people with red hot irons. Similar
atrocities. perpetrated in the vilayet OF
Adrianople, are cited.
Altogether the memorandum gives par
dculars or no less than lSl individual
and general cases OF excesses and out
RACES committed by the Turkish authori-
ties.
In summarizing the specific details Of
the outrages mentioned. the memoran-
DUN declares that wholesale massacres
were perpetrated by regulars and Bashi-
Bazouks In the town OF Salonica and the
villages OF Baldevo, Banitza. Tcihouri-
lovo Karbinza. Moghila, Smerdesch and
Emile. while the scenes OF carnage pill
iage and incendiarism were everywhere
terrible
At smerdesch over 300 Bulgarians were
shot. killed with swords or burned to
death. Over $50 houses and the churches
and schools were set on fire with petro-
leum and pillaged. the property being
sold by the soldiers and Bashi- Bazouks
IN neighboring places. Similar scenes oc-
CURED at the villages OF Gorna- Dubnitza,
lgoumenetz' Dooritkai and Nikoden The
villagers there abandoned their homes
and ned TO the mountains
ON FLIMsY PRETEXT.
Over 1000 men. women and children fed
from the Sanjak OF Seres a ad even more
from the Sanjak OF Kirkklisze
II Is difficult, says the memorandum. In
obtain the exact number OF Bulgarian,
who were imprisoned. mostly on the Aim.