New-York tribune., 1903-04-27
ON MACEDONIAN BORDER.
Continued from first page.


of tobacco. and never move until relieved. 1t
is impossible for bands or single members to
get through them by day, but at night all these
outposts go into their blockhouses and the cav
airy patrols retire to the nearest barracks. The
bands boast that while the Turks rule Mace
donia by daylight. not one of them dares to show
his face out of the large towns by night. The
revolutionsts and refugees cross the border at
will in the darkness Neither in direction
nor in the other can they pass if the Turks see
them. but the Bugarians put no obstacles in
the way of their coming in. 1t is against the
Sultan's orders for any of his subjects to leave
Turkey. l cannot imagine that the Turk himself
believes the reason which he gives to the Chris
tians-that the Sultan so loves them that he
cannot see them make the mistake OF becoming
subjects of any else. For consideration Of
few piastres. however, the Sultan foregoes his
love. even for less one of the officers will
forego It for him.
The refugees are forbidden to cross the border
for two reasons-first the tales of their suffer
ings will do no good that an attempt is
making to carry out reforms. and, second
the reports of battles brought in by wounded
men are contrary to the Turkish policy of Sc
crecy. Despite the fact that they endanger
their lives or. at least. their freedom. they are
coming in daily. The hospitals in all the towns
along the border are filed with refugees, and
wounded men are being sent to Sofia. There
are a few doctors with the Macedonian bands
and they are provided with medicine kits, but
they are either young men with fresh degrees
or students, mostly from Vienna. The wounded
make their way from village to village as far
as the frontier and then cross it by night, just
as the other revolutionists do. 1t is not per-
missibIe in Turkey for a person to go from one
village to another without securing tescary
In order to get he has to state his religion
age business and purpose. pay few plastres
and give two or three more in bakshish- Do
not think 1 exaggerating l have been
travelling in Macedonia for some time, and even
my passport, signed John Hay avatls naught
until 1 have done just what every miserable
Bulgarian and Turk also is required TO do AS
Bulgarians cannot procure these permits. the
bands move under cover of darkness from place
to place. and are secreted by day by the peace
full Bulgarian in his cottage.
saw many of these refugees in kustendie,
Dubnitza Rilo and other frontier towns TWO
came into Dubnitza in country wagon drawn
by buffaloes the day there. One was the
leader of band and the other a private. In
the bands there is military discipline. Com
mander and private on terms of equality
except when the question of authority is raised.
The wounded leader in this case had received
a bullet through the face, just behind the nose,
had taken them five days to reach the border,
climb the mountains and find refuge where
their wounds could be cared for. When the
leader was shot he turned over his command
to of his Heutenants. and started off with
the other man for his long ride. While they
were crossing the Balkans of the horses
ran away when of the men had dismounted
One could not walk and the other was too feeble
from loss of blood to follow the horse. The
I1tI, until
fell exhausted They shot the horse and then
crawled down through the all fours
into Bulgaria. They were safe there. The first
''bufie" wagon on the way to town took them
into Dubnitza. The leader one Of the men
who carried off Miss Stone. did not open the
subject. for people sensitive about 1t all
over Bulgaria Every member of band whom
1 have met except this one, has remarked:
We'll, we thought America would make Turkey
pay the bill"
was very much interested in all these
brigands' stories. The most picturesque noun
tain man" I met on that trip was outside the
monastery of Rilo which is known as the revo-
lutionists' capitol of Macedonia. The priests
ale heartily in sympathy with the cause. and
without doubt aid the revolutonists in every
possible way. This brigand had come in from
a fight and was in all his war paint. 1 had
telegraphed ahead information of our approach,
and the monks had fine meal ready for u.s.
which was a treat after our hard ride since early
morning and climb up the mountain The warm
room was considerably comfortable than
the snowy weather without. The brigand 1
asked to dinner. thinking he might have some
news There were five at table in that queer
place in the mountain pass. 1t was fantastic
group. First, there this brigand. a power
full mountain fellow who had never been With
out arms in thirty years, and had been hghthg
for his country's freedom since ne fifteen,
when his parents and all his relatives pershed
in Turkish massacre. There was monk.
with sombre robes long white beard and head
gear like Il tall hat reversed There was typl-
cal border officer, picked man. who had been
sent with me- against my protest TO see that no
harm befen me. There my interpreter, a
Russian baron who had lost his fortune and
fallen from his high estate: and finally. there
was a type for the first time seen at Rilo-ah
American newspaper man. l shall never forget
that dinner. 1t not even surpassed in WHO
interest by meal which l subsequently shared
with a group of Turkish officers in true mot
Constantinople) Turkish style. The brigand had
had innumerable adventures, to which lis
tened till late in the night. He used dialect
which only the monk. who mingled with the
mountain people, could understand. He talked
to the monk, who communicated the matter 10
the baron the officer catching it in transit; and
the baron interpreted the stories in English for
me- The brigand had drunk freely of the
monks good wine, and in illustrating and en-
phasizing his tales welded his long sword and
aimed his revolver carelessly in true swash-
buckler style, all but swapping the trigger
When the stories reached my ears they were,
know. considerably diluted; yet 1 would hear
that he had chopped off the heads of Turks at
single blow and | learned that he had 100 dead
men to his credit. He was not full booded