New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-21
MACEDONIAN STRUGGLE.
One of the Monastir Fights-The
Country on Fire.
Uskub, May "a

commissioner of police. Said Enendi with
twenty zaptichs. started from Monastir for Mo
eila village two hours distant in the direc-
ton Of Prelip. TO search for arms in district
where the Bulgarians are the most desperate
and the Mahometans the most bitter prob
ably IN al Macedonia. They reached the vii
lage and entered one or two houses and
sacked them They did not find arms. but
they had hardly begun the search when they
came in close rifle range Of house in which
were CHARTERED thirteen insurgents and four
villagers. The Turks fell back at the first vol
ley, leaving their leader dead. and undoubtedly
e number Of others killed and wounded al
though the Turks never acknowledge any Joss
except what they cannot hide. Though the in
su-eents could have escaped at this point with
out the slightest difficulty, for some unknown
reason they preferred TO wait until their enemy
was reinforced and enabled TO renew the at
tack In a few hours a messenger had deiv-
cred the news at the barracks at Monastir. and
several hundred cavalrynen and artillerists,
with two field pieces. were on the ground. The
Turks were further reinforced by a company
from Florina and another from ~Prelip, and.
having nearly five hundred men. stormed the
village during the remainder Of the day and
throughout the night The work Of the Bull
ra-ians was wonderful and their ammunition
supply apparently endless. House after house
WIS burned around them TO clear the way for
s+n-7uing their stronghold. Thirty shells were
hurled at them or rather at nothing, accord
ing = the Turks who say that they fired the
cannon TO prevent other villagers from neigh
boring towns from rising and coming 10 the
aid Of the insurgents. In any event twelve
houses were destroyed. whether lighted by
shells or by torches
II daybreak one man emerged and attempted
10 surrender but hundred bullets pierced ms
Indy when The Turks caught sight Of him In
another house there were twelve more lnsur-
cents chartered who escaped the next night
-Four women were shot-two killed ano Two
slightly wounded. What provoked this oeco on
The part OF the Turks cannot be explained 1t
nay have been that they took them Tor men
dressed IN female attire in the hope OF escaping
The two who were killed were a mother ana
daughter, whose house was one Of those near
the stronghold OF the insurgents and had to be
r,-7-red in order 10 clear the way for assault
While the two women We're shot, strangely
enough the husband emerged from the burning
building and took refuge IL another without
being struck by any Of the bullets hreo at MIN
He went into Monastir the next DAY TO letch
e priest to bury his wife and daughter, tor
the village priest was afraid TO perform the last
sad rites over any OF the dead; but It is SAID
that no priest would go with him from Monastir
without the regular fee and in tears he cried:
.T have not even a para to buy myself piece
Of breadP The villagers say in self-defeI---
that the band came in 70 make them puy ~
lirgs $3.50 worth Of ammunition They mad
much more than that quantity with them AFTER
the firing had gone on continuously for nearly
fwenty-four hours every corpse mao IhIee Iuii
cartridge belts around il.
The Commissioner Of Police was popular III
Nronastir and his death viii doubt goad on
the now almost uncomfortable Mahornetans OF
the district to bloody reprisals. Last week
body of them went to the Vail and demanded
-re release of ninety bashibazouks whom ne
had arrested for participating IN the little mas
sac-e OF St Georges Day. The Vail told them
70 20 avav and attend to their business They
retired and attempted TO hold q mass meeting
This he dispersed. and he has been preventing
ell gatherings ever since; but IT is most i'm
uroha bic that he will be able to keep in check
much longer the Mahornetans in this district
where they are more fanatical than probably
anywhere else in Macedonia
The Turkish official reports of encounters with
Bulgarian bands and Of uprisings and Elaugh-
ters on the part OF AIahometans are generally
absolute fiction. Why did this last incident.
-aa arrest Of ninety Of the AIussurnan popula-
Ion. take place if. as the embassy at London
er7rounces no bashibazouks took part in the
miniature massacre at Monastir? The word
-'cfacial' lends adventurous Importance TO aru-
fetal disclosures. but in regard TO that Monastlr
affair the official reports from the Vail al Mon
sstir. the Sublime Porte and the embassy at
London published almost simultaneously, were
essentially different The reports of trouble are
only given out here al the office Of the inspector
general vyher there is possibility Of Keep
ing them secret when they are Icble TO come
from another source Seventeen Bulgarlans
End three Turks is always the official record
Of losses The Porte apparently has settled upon
these figures as Official in all cases, probably
70 keep Europeans from thinking that any great
slaughter Of BuIgarians is going Oh. and also
rs matter Of martial pride. In one case where
r. vas officially ~e71orred that three Turks had
heen killed. about one hundred and sixty were
killed and wounded. The most remarkable thing
IN these encounters Is the constantly recurring
escape Of half the band through a Gordon some
times fifty times their number There Is propa-
NV Some truth in the point on which stress is
lait in every official report that two men In
Bulgarian officers uniforms are among the
slain The Turks never leave this out of their
account. because it is prima facie evidence for
the world that Bulgaria Is waging this war
against them. Many Macedonians have resigned
their commissions IN the Bulgarian. army and
are here leading bands. One Bulgarian. who is
N the inside in committee affairs. says that
these fellows think that the uniform VIII I'M
press the peasants more and aid in melting
them 10 rise. Moreover. he adds. these men
want to die IN their colors- Probably. too. /
may add, many OF the peasants are made to be-
seve by the uniform that Bulgaria is sending
ter officers 10 lead them in their struggle for
liberty.
Macedonia Is 81 nharled now that cnly blood
VIII extinguish the fire. Since the biz flare at
SaIonica only small outbreaks have occurred
here and there nut the Turks themselves have