Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-08-21
A HORRIBLE STORY
Is Told in a Note Sent to the
Powers by Bulgaria.
Details of Wholesale MRssRcres, Tor
ture, IncendIRrIsnI, Outrage, Pill
lRge and General Oppression
Committed by Ottoman
Soldiers and officials.

affairs during the past three months
in Macedonia since the Turkish gov
ernment undertook to inaugurate the
promised reforms. The most precise
details, dates, places and names of
persons are given in the memoran-
dunn, the whole constituting ter
rible category of murder, torture, in
cendiarism, pillage and general OPP
preston committed by the Ottoman
soldiers and officials. These partic-
ulars were obtained entirely from
official sources,
The memorandum begins by stat
ing that during the past three
months the Ottoman government has
taken series of measures with the
alleged intention of inaugurating the
era of promised reform and of as
suring peace and tranquility to the
Bulgarian population of European
Turkey, but which have had the con-
trary effect of further eXasperating
this population and reviving the revo-
lutionary movement. Instead of pre-
ceeding solely against persons guilty
of branches of the public order, the
military and civil authorities have
sought every possible preteNt to per-
secute, terrorize and ruin the Bull
garian inhabitants, alike in the large
cities and in the small villages.
Wholesale massacres, individual
murders, the destruction of villages,
the pillaging and setting fire to
houses, the arrests. ill-treatment, tor
lures, arbitrary Imprisonment and
banishment, the closing and disorgan-
i1;,,r Of on1 ba
running of merchants, the collection
of taxes for many years in advance
such, says the memorandum, are
among the acts of the Ottoman ad-
ministration of the vilayets of Sa-
lonica, Monastir, Uskub and Adj
rianople.
The memorandum next relates in
detail a number of such cases in each
vilayet. Beginning with the vilayet
of Salonfca, it states that in the town
of Salonica the Bulgarian professors
of the university. the students and
shopkeepers, in fact all the intelli-
gent Bulgarians in the city, have
been cast into prison. One hundred
and twenty soldiers entered the vii
lage of Gorna- -Ribnitza May 10 and
tortured to death five men and two
women. During the first three weeks
of July % villages in the district of
Tillvesch were subjected to the depre-
dation of the Turkish soldiers and
Bashi Bazouks. The villagers were
beaten and tortured, the women vio-
lated and the houses plundered while
the authorities looked on.
In the vilayet of Monastir artillery
bombarded and razed the lourishing
town of Smerdesch, the 800 houses
being left heap of ruins. At the be-
ginning of July two Greek bands,
with the connivance of the authori-
ties, pillaged Bulgarian villages and
murdered many of the inhabitants.
In the districts of Palanka, Kos
chania, Koumanovo and Gostigar, the
prisons are filled with Bulgarian
priests, schoolmasters and mer-
chants. During June, the soldiers
and Bashi Bazouks terrorized the in
habitants of the Schtif district, tor
turing the people with red-hot irons.
Altogether, the memorandum gives
particulars of 131 cases of eXcesses
and outrages committed by the Turk
ish authorities. In summarizing the
specific details of the outrages men
toned, the memorandum declares
that wholesale massacres were per-
petrated by regulars and Bashi Baz-
ouks in the town of Salonica and the
villages of Baldevo, Banitza, Tchouri-
lovo, Karbinza, Moghila, Smerdesch
and Enidje, where the scenes of car
mage, pillage and incendiarism were
everywhere terrible.
Constantinople, Aug. 17.-The Off
cials here affect ignorance of the
news that Russia is sending squad
ron to Turkish waters.
The Ottoman government has con-
cluded negotiations with the Krupp
works for the supply of 80 batteries
of field artillery, each consisting of
six guns.
Rome, Aug. 17.-Reports from Bull
garian sources received here say that
the insurrectiou in the Balkans is
spreading and daily gaining ground.
Sofia, Bulgaria, Aug. ia reign of
terror is reported to prevail at Us
kub, where the Christian inhabitants
are afraid TO leave their houses. The
vail has issued the strictest orders to
the Mussulman population to remain
quiet and not molest their Christian
neighbors, but the Mussulmans, meet
ing in the mosques, have resolved at
given signal to massacre the whole
Christian population, Immediately
the first insurgent band appears near
Uskub, or on any other pretext.
The Christians are terrorized. The
Turkish troops, who are their only
protection, do not show the slightest
disDOSitiOn to aid them
A fierce battle is reported to have
occurred in the neighborhood Of Mon
astir. Three Turkish battalions at
tackled 1000 Insurgents and after the
fight had ragged for six hours the
Turks We're repulsed with the loss of
210 men killed or wounded. The in
surgent loss is not given.
Two Roys Drowned.
Philadelphia, Aug. 17.-Louis Ham
mel, aged 0 years, and George Wilcox,
aged II, were drowned in the Della
ware river Sunday, and Albert Nc
Il 4