Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-26
KRUSCHEVO HORRORS
BEAUTIFUL -MAcEDoNIAN CITY
HEAP OF. BUNS
Scene Of Bloody Battles Between Insur-
gents ant 1uks-captured
ana Rstaken-

astir, European Tu1Hey, say: The once
beautiful city Of Kruschevo is heap of
ruins. The women aG children are home
less. exposed to~the weather and famine.
The town is rendered uninhabitable by the
odor Of corpses which are being gnawed by
dogs and pigs, the Turkish authorities re-
fusing to allow them to be rescued under
the pretext that an inquest will be held.
Kruschevo is situated on the summit of a
hill. eight hours distant and to the north
west of Monastir. 1t contained 1900 houses
and 10000 inhabitants, mostly Vlachs call
ing themselves Greeks. There were only 100
poor Bulgarian houses
The Vlachs are prosperous merchants who
families in Kruschevo. After making for
tunes abroad by their diligence and econ
omy, they return to spend their wealth in
kruschevo. where they own fine houses. fur
niture and jewels: The Turkish inhabitants
OF the surrounding villages have long en-
We'd the prosperity of Kruschevo.
Object Of Insurgent Attack.
The Macedonian committee. in concert
with Bulgarian bands. has been completing
arrangements during several months with
view to occupying the town. In July last
the authorities Of Kruschevo. observing the
threatening movement. begged the vail Of
garrison Of thirty soldiers was insufficient
to cope with an 1nsurgent attack. These
warnings were ignored.
On August 2. the day fixed for the Bull
marriages were being celebrated in the
Greek Church, a number of Komitajis. by
prearangement, remained hidden in the
church, and were locked in by the sacristan
on the conclusion Of the ceremonies. At 10
o'clock at night they sounded an alarm by
ringing the church bells simultaneously a
band Of three hundred insurgents, headed
by Petroff entered the town. discharging
their rifles.
Massacred Turkish Garrison.
The terrified inhabitants remained in
doors. The band first burned the residence
OF the mudir and massacred the garrison
of Turkish soldiers and the officials of the
town. but the invaders spared the Turkish
harems.
On the following morning the Komitajis
established provisional government They
killed ten Christians who they believed had
betrayed the plans Of the committee. The
notables Of the town were compelled to
contribute $4,000 to the revolutionary fund.
The Bulgarian villagers in the neighbor-
hood. hearing that Kruschevo was in the
hands of the insurgents, entered the town
and demanded ammunition, which, how
ever. was unobtainable.
Inc provisional government constructed
a rampant inclosfng the town. and the in
habitants were ordered to melt down their
spoons to make bullets.
Turkish Troops Arrive.
The Turks. informed of the capture of
the town. sent from Perlepe three squad
rons of cavalry which were attacked en-
route and compelled. to retire, with a loss
of 100 killed. IL
On August Is the Turks concentrated
seven battalions and one battery on Krus-
chevo. They made an offer to the Komita-
js to allow the women and children to
leave the town. @This proposal was declined
and the bombardment began.
The Komitajis quickly abandoned the
town and escaped to the neighboring forest,
where pursuit was impossible. The Turks
entered the town and, guided by Turkish
villagers from the neighborhood attacked
the houses of the Greek notables and or
dered the inmates to be searched and strip
ped. They seized money and jewels and
ravished women, those who resisted being
Immediately killed. A Greek priest who
sought to protest his daughter was killed
The girls earrings were torn out and her
hand was chopped of to secure q bracelet
When the houses had been pillaged the
Turkish peasants loaded their horses with
whatever the soldiers left, and the resi-
dences were burned The sack Of Krus-
chevo lasted three days, during which time
the women and children remained without
food and shelter and at the mercy Of the
soldiers and the Bashi-BaZouks.