New-York tribune., 1903-05-05
MACEDONIAN BANDS BUSY
Fights at Various Places-Wuch
Excitement at Uskab.

y Cable from Special Correspondent. Of The Irieunel
Copyright: The Tribune Association,
Uskub. Macedonia via London. May 4.-Bands
of insurgents springing up like mushrooms
The Bulgarian committees were disheartened
fortnight ago. but they have regained their
courage and have taken new lease or llIe
The bands are crossing the frontier. Now that
the Albanians are on the warpath fights are re-
ported with bands, large or small at various
places mainly in the Janioia district, near the
frontier The bands are reported as proclaim
ing the intention of making descent upon
Monastir. but probably this has been done TO
mislead and deceive the Turks. The bands are
bent upon keeping the pot boiling and creating
impossible situation.
The excitement at Uskub, the centre of the re-
form movement, has been rendered intense by
the dynamite outrages. In addition to the de-
struction of the Ottoman Bank at Salonca, an
attempt was made to blow up train outside the
town, but 1t failed. Every precaution has been
taken TO prevent the recurrence of similar plots
here against the recently established branch
Ottoman Bank, the railway bridges around
the town. the foreign consulates and the offices
of the inspector general and of the Turkish au-
thorities The situation here is frightful. All the
prominent officials go through the streets heavily
escorted. The bank Is surrounded by guards,
Hilmi Pacha's office is heavily garrisoned. The
sassinate the Russian Consul have rendered
necessary the statoning of large force around
the consulate here. The soldiers guard are
picked men, known to be uninfluenced by
fanatical desire to kill the foreign Christians.
No stronghold in Uskub is now considered safe,
Notwithstanding the presence Of large bodies of
Albanians and anti -Bulgarians in the popuia-
ton The town committees once despised, are
now feared in consequence of these fresh dyna-
mite outrages and the fights which have oc-
Cured at Komanova and other places near the
town. and the steady increase of acts of violence
is dreaded.
The military information from headquarters
here is contradictory. One consul has been Of
fcially informed that the First Division of the
army advancing for the occupation of Albania,
has reached Prisrend and marched toward
Dchakova. Hilmi Pacha has told that the
entire army was still in Prisrend. the fst Bat
TALON of the Second Division of rediffs from
Asia Minor has gone to Verisovich, but the "a
Battalion has been held at Salonica on account
Of the dynamite disturbances there. When the
entire division reaches Albania the Turkish
Army there will number f1fty-two thousand
troops.
Himi Pacha takes optimistic view and
says that the occupation of Albania Will be
peaceable. and that the chiefs will be deported
without difficulty He remarks that the Bull
garIan movement is the only cause of disturb
ance but outsiders do not share the belief. The
two consuls who have spies and secret agents in
the towns of Albania and old Serva report the
Turkish troops in a sedtious state. An Al
banian spy of one consulate was told by many
soldiers that there would be a general mu'iny
If two or three solid battalions refused to move
against their fellow Mussulmans. The commits
sion of peacemakers is still reported at Ipek