New-York tribune., 1903-04-05
THE ALBANIAN OUTBREAK
POSSIBILITIES DESCRIBED.
First Protest an Force against Re
forms Instituted by Sultan.
Special to The NeO-Fork Tribune by French cable)


TFRoN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIsUNE.l
Sofia. Bulgaria, via London. April AFTER an
adventurous journey across Macedonia, from
Salonica, by horse and trap during which I have
passed through the most dangerous dominions
Of the Albanians and Bulgarians I have re-
turned to Sofia with detailed information of the
outbreak Of hostilties. 1t was my good fortune
10 be the ground when the Albanians made
their first protest in force against the institution
Of the reforms demanded by the powers and
sanctioned by the Sultan. The air is filed
with dynamite tales and accounts of the renewal
Of fighting by the resentful Albanians but these
come from irresponsible sources and
nleshed with contradictions. 1 can at least give
clear account Of what witnessed and investi-
gated at Us1ub. Istip and Mitrovitza-
The enlistment OF Christian gendarmes began
n the village Of Mitrovitza, about the middle OF
March. Thirteen Christians had taken the
chances Of the service in order to test the
efficacy Of the reforms, enlisting in the little
town Of Nutchitryn, not far from the railway
line, leading from Nioch TO Salonica. About
three thousand Albanians took action so secret
y that the natives Of their own race IN
the village Were surprised. The object Of their
conspiracy was 10 murder the Bulgarian gen.
darmes.
They entered the village suddenly on March
%. but the gendarmes received warning few
minutes before they appeared. The Bulgarians
mounted horses and fed 10 Presren with the
Albanians in hot pursuit. Only one Bulgarian
was overtaken and he was riddled with bull
lets. The Albanians spared the villagers and
marched toward Mitrovitza. a town the
Servian frontier. where they threatened not
long ago kill the consuls. Whether they
would have taken decisive action against them
Il they had entered the town is a matter for
conjecture. They were not allowed TO follow the
fugitive gendarrles. and menace the foreign con-
sulates. Two regiments OF Turkish troops. with
hundreds of guns, blocked their passage in the
mountain pass.
The Albanian iIregulars not in the field
10 attack the Sultans troops, and when re-
sislante was offered they dispersed, returning
70 their respective villages as synpathizers. In
their expansive Oriental language, their leaders
exclaimed, Let the Sultan give US a million
rifles and viii fight against his enemies."
The Turkish soldiers have been reported as
either in sympathy with the Albanians or as
afraid Of them, but the command certainly
given to head eff the lawless irregulars and to
capture them. Only twenty Albanian marauders
were taken prisoners. FIilmi Pacha. inspector
general of the Sultara's reform movement, in an
interview with me, said that the Albanians TAX
ing part in this outbreak would all be severely
punished. The foreign consuls. however. frank
iy expressed scepticisnn, reInarkng that they did
not believe the Sultan's soldiers would either
desire or be able to punish the Albanians.
At least six small skirrnshes have taken place
IN the course cf the week but the Turkish sys-
TEN Of censorship is so perfect that little
is communicated from village in Macedonia
10 another, ard when reports PASS out of the
country there is a maze of contradictions and
Of irresponsible versions. Although 1 pre-
vented by the force OF Turkish soldiers under
the direction of the Governor OF Istip from being
personally the scene ! was only distant an
hour and half by horse from the village Of Grab
rilza- where for thirty hours thirty-seven Bul-
garians held bay four battalions Of Turkish
troops. and persisted with the exception OF one
man who was taken prisoner when the house
was set on fire and burned almost over his head.
There is a strong force OF Turkish infantry.
caralry and artillery al Istip but they keep out
Of the Bulgarian villages round about unless
they can muster strong force Experience
during the last month has shown that death Will
lie courted il two or three Turkish soldiers vent
ure 10 enter these villages
The Turkish Governor at Istip learned through
spies that q large amount Of ammunition for
distribution in the neighborhOod had arrived at
rabnitza. hamlet Of fifty shepherds houses.
Under his orders two companies Of Turkish
soldiers two hundred strong. were dispatched
from Istip 10 search the village. They ran
sacked every house, tore open every mattress
and pulled up the floors, frightening women ana
children. but not accomplishing any other re
suit. As the soldiers moved in a body from
house 70 house q band Of Macedonians. who had
brought in arms and ammunition. crept out OF
sight. When the search was ended bugle was
sounded as the Turkish commander subse-
quently explained, in order 10 form the men IN
line for the return march to Istip- The troops
happened to collect directly below the last house
in which the Macedonians had taken refuge.
The Macedonians. thinking that the bugle was
q signal for a general attack and expecting
that they could hold their position until they
could repulse the Turks and effect safe re-
treat by dashing through the lines. let loose a
vcuey Three Turks fell dead and many were
wounded. and the remaining soldiers retired to
positions OF safety behind haystacks and rocks
The Turks formed a Gordon about the house
which the Bulgarians were holding, and kept up
E rapid, whitening fire until full regiment could
be brought up from Istip a demand was then
made for q surrender, to which the little garri-
son replied in their own picturesque language
which, freely translated meant No Turkish
dungeon Cor us. II VIII cost you ten 10 one
Come on
The fight had begun at 10 o'clock IN the hioil-
ing. and at nightfalI the firing from the niue
rock house was almost vigorous as AT 'He
outset yet the Bulgarians had lost nineteen OF
their number and had not been able even 10
give water TO their dying companions Every
hsystack around and many wooden houses hao
been DESTROYED b. being set on fire by dyhafii'e
b nts flung from the rock fortress at the TURK
.sh troops The ground around the house mao
been cleared in this way and the Turks hau
fallen back toward the natural mountaiilsiue