Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-08-22
OUTRAGES BY THE TURKS
Bulgaria Presents Memorandum TO
The Powers.
WHOLE STORY ONE OF MASSACRE.
Statemen. Compiled from Official Reports,
the Correctness OF Which is Guaranteed BY
Bu'garian Persecution Takes
Every Conceivable Form. and People Are
Imprisoned on Slightest Pretext.

Sofia. Bulgaria (SpcciaD The Bull
garian government has presented 4
memorandum TO the powers setting
forth at great length the condition OF
affairs during the past three months
in Macedonia since thu Turkish govern
ncnt undertook 10 inauguratc the
promised reforms, The most precise
details. dates. places. and names OF
persons are given III the memorandum.
the whole constituting 4 terrible cate
CORY OF murder. torture. incendiarlsm.
pilage. and general oppression COM
mt,ed by the Ottoman soldiers and
officials.
These particulars were obtained en-
,irely from official sources. such as the
reports q; Bulgarian consuls and
agents OF the Bulgarian government.
ard in many instances the reports
made by Turkish authorities. The
Bulgarian government guarantees the
absolute truth of every statement and
challenges the Porte to disprovc a SIM
gle 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
oi inaugurating the era oi promised re-
form and oil assuring peace and tran
guilty TO the Bulgarian population OF
European Turkey. but which have had
the contrary effect of further eXaspcr
ating this population and reviving the
revolutionary movement Instead oil
proceeding solely against persons guilty
OF breaches OF the public order. the
military and civil authorities have
sought every possible prcicXt TO per-
Sccute. tcrrorize. ard rain the Bulgar
ian inhabitants, alike in the large cities
and in the small villages.
Wholesale massacrcS, individual muir
dcrs. the destruction oil villages. the
pillagng and setting fire to houses. the
arrests. illircatment. fortunes. arbi
trary imprisonment and Punishment
the closing and d:sorganizng OF
churches and 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 OF the
vilayets OF Saloniki Monastir, Uskub.
and Adrianople.
The memorandum next relates in de
tail 4 number oi such cases i'll each
vilayet. Beginning with the vilayet OF
Saloniki. it states that i'll the town OF
Salonki itself the Bulgarian professors
OF the university. the students and
shopkeepers. i'll fact. all the intelligent
Bulgarians III the city. have been cast
into prison. One hundred and twenty
soldiers entered the village OF Gorna-
Ribnitza May 10. and tortured to death
FIVE men and two women.
During the first three weeks oi July.
twenty-five villages in the district OF
Tikvesch were subjected TO the depre-
dations OF the Turkish soldiers and
Bashi- BazoukS The villagers were
beaten and tortured the women violat-
ed. and the houses plundered while the
administrative authorities looked on.
In the vilayct OF Monastir artillery
bombarded and RACED the flourishing
town OF Smerdesch. the 800 houses be-
ing lett heap OF ruins At the be-
ginning OF July two Greek bands. with
the connivance OF the authorities. pill
LACED Bulgarian villages and murdered
many vt their inhabitants.
At Smerdesch over 200 Bulgarians
were shot. killed with swords. or burn
cd Ia death. Over go houses and the
churches and schools were set on FIRE
with petroleum and pillaged. the prop
erty being sold by the soldiers and
BASH Bazouks in neighboring places