New-York tribune., 1903-04-05
ALLOWED TO CONVERSE PAsT1ME

Many women had had their girls as mere chill
Qren captured before their eyes 10y soldiers, and,
If the men interfered they were shot down. One
woman came across the border with her infant
on her back and when she lifted it down found
1t coid IN death from a bullet fired at her
she was crossing into Bulgarian territory.
women and men were crowded into the same
little hospitals when Nine, Bakhmeten arrived.
Many were lying on the floors, with ha dly skins
enough to cover them. She secured other build
lhgs, had them fitted out with cots and blankets,
and had the women moved into them She
went on to katcharino RisoIeIo. DragOdan,
Bo9ochova. the monastery OF the Bulgarian
MONKS at HlO and all The other towns where
the fug1tives were Guartered, and she carried
the same work. Wherever she went she had
escort Of soldiers usually with an officer in
charge; but her faithful kavass Yenni Mace
donan himself, slept with all his weapons in
his belt by Nine BaEh.~ e.eff's door every night
and shadowed her by day. At RisoIeIJ a bright
eyed boy. about twelve years Old crept up to
Nine. Bakhmetef and asked if she would take
him home with her He had a remarkable story
that won her heart, and she brought him back
to Sofia when she came. His father and mother
had disappeared, and he worked in a cafe for
ms living in a small not far from the
border. His master suspected of being
OF him So the soldiers took the boy. carried
him off to the woods and threatened to kill him
II he did not tell where the man had hidden the
guns. They had raised their swords to kill him
when a large band of Macedonians came over
a hill. and the Turks fed before them leaving
the boy behind. His rescuers sent him across
the border with band of fugitives. He begged
plteously that Nine. Bakhmeteff would take
him with her, and promised that he would
serve her faithfully.
There is not work enough to employ a fifth
of the refugees in the villages where they are
quartered In Dubnitza, town of G,OOO in
habltants, there are nearly one thousand, and
they are still coming in despite the Sultans
forms in Macedonia. In one little place near
the monastery there are as many refugees
Inhabitants In consequence. they have to be
supported almost entirely by charity. Mime.
Bakhmeten has managed her meagre funds
with the utmost economy and has sought to
save remnant of the money which she has at
her disposal until the weather She has
systematzed everything and cut down her ex-
penditures until the whole number of fugitives
is now fed with three frugal meals day at
IS centimes apiece-Iess than cents-and at
this low figure they have meat three times a
week.
Before she made a second trip to the border
Nine Bakhmeteff TO St Petersburg to
report on ner discoveries. Inere Sne was Indue
an honorary member of the organization Of
which Count Ignatieff is at the head. Countess
Ignatieff and Nine. Olga Navikof the only
other who have received this distnc-
ton. Nine. Bakhmeteffs reports were trans
lated into many languages and sent by the
various diplomats at Sofia to their governments,
and there is little doubt that her work helped
TO unite the powers in their demands upon the
Sultan for reforms. Nine. Bakhmeteff is the
daughter of the late General Edward F. Beale,
of Washington, who served during President
Grants administration Minister to Austria.
1t was while she in Vienna that she met
and became the wife of the noted Russian dip
lomat, who holds one of the most delicate
posts in Europe. There are two other American
women in Sofia whose husbands have high po-
sitions under the Bulgarian Government
Baroness Elmer Won Eschenbach is from MeXi-
CO. and Nine Hadgimichief is from Chicago