The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-08-29
ONCE BEAUTIFUL CITY FIRED
AND PILlAGED BY BULGA.
RAMS AND TURKS,
DEAD STILL LEFT UNBURIED
THE DECAYING BODIES OF THE
SLAIN BEING GNAWED BY
DOGS AND PIGS.

Zb.-Ine once Deautlful city or kru
schevo is a heap of ruins. The women
and children are homeless, exposed tc
the weather and famine. The town
Is rendered uninhabitable by the odol
Of corpses, which are being gnawed
by dogs and pigs, the Turkish au
thorities refusing to allow them to be
removed, under the pretext that an in
quest will be held.
Kruschevo is situated on the sum
NIT of a mill eight hours distant and tc
the west of Monastir. 1t contained
1000 houses and 1000 inhabitants
mostly Vlachs, calling themselves
Greeks. There were only 100 poor
Bulgarian houses. The Vlachs arc
prosperous merchants who travel
abroad on business, leaving their fami
lies at hor"e.
After making fortunes abroad by
their diligence and economy they re.
turn to spend their wealth if Kru'
schevo, where they own fine houses,
furniture and jewels. The Turkish
inhabitants Of the surrounding vii
lagos have long envied the prosperity
Of KruscheTo.
Warnings Were Ignored.
The Macedonian committee, in con
nection with Bulgarian bands, have
been completing arrangements during
several months with a view to occupy.
ing the town. In July last the au.
thorities of Kruschevo, observing the
threatening movement, begged the
vail of Monastir to send reinforce
ments, as the garrison of thirty sol
diers could not cope with an insurgent
attack. These warnings were ig.
ncred. -r'-'s'--~@s , ,.ss'. IN
On Aug 9, the day fixed for the
Bulgarian attack on Kruschevo, whil2
five marriages were being celebrated
in the Greek church. a number of KO.
mitajis, by prearrangement, remained
hidden in the church and were locked
in by the sacristan on conclusion Of
the ceremonies. At 10 o'clock at night
they sounded an alarm by ringing the
church bells. simultaneously, a band
of 300 insurgents, headed by Petroff,
entered the town, ~discharging their
rifles. .
The terrified inhabitants remained
indoors. The band first burned the
residence of the mudir and massa-
cree the garrison of Turkish soldiers
and the officials of the town, but the
invaders spared the Turkish harems.
On the following morning the 10
mitajis established a provisional gov
eminent and instituted a new police
and municipality. They killed the
Albanians, who they believed had be-
trayed the plans of the committee. The
notables of the town were compelled
to contribute $4,000 to the revolution
airy fund.
Relief Force RepuIsed.
The Bulgarian villagers in the
neighborhood, hearing that Krusche-
vo was in the hands of the insurgents,
entered the town and demanded am
munition, which, however, was unob-
tainable. The provisional government
constructed a rampant enclosing the
town, and the inhabitants were order
ed to melt down their spoons to make
bullets. The Turks, informed of the
capture of the town, sent from Perlep
three squadrons of cavalry, which
we're attacked en- route and compelled
to retire with a loss of 100 killed. On
Aug. 10, the Turks concentrated seven
battalions and n battery on Kru-
schevo. They made an offer to the
Komitajis to allow the women and
children to leave the town. This pro-
posal was declined and the lombard
ment began.
The Komitajis quickly abandoned
the town and escaped to the neighbor-
ing forest. where pursuit was impossi-
BILE. The Turks entered the town,
and guided by Turkish villagers from
the neighborhood. attacked the houses
of the Greek notables and ordered the
inmates to be searched and stripped.
They seized the money and jewels and
ravaged the women, those who resist
ed being killed. A Greek priest who
sought to protect his daughter was
killed. The girls earrings were torn
out and her hand was chopped of to
secure a bracelet. When the houses
had been pillaged, the Turkish peas
ants loaded their horses with what
ever the soldiers left and the resi-
dences we're burned. The sack OF
Kruschevo lasted three days, during
which time the woman and children
remained without food and shelter
and at the mercy OF the soldiers and
the R~ashi-baZOukS.