The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-11

outrages are not nearly so common in
syria as in Armenia. Still, they are
plentiful enough to fill Syria with tales
of Turkish brutality when all the world
beyond the bounds of the Sultan's do
mains is talking of peace on earth,
good VIII toward men"
Chief among the Syrians in their
fight for Christmas peace are the coun-
trys national heroes. Bandits they
would be called in any land except
that ruled over by bloodthirsty ty-
rants, for they are men who have slain
their scores of Turks and then fed to
the Businesses of the Lebanon noun
tains, whence they make unexpected
lncursions against the enemy and gem
orally manage to kill several before re-
treating back to their caves.
Keep nm Eye on the Turks.
These heroes are kept well posted
by underground methods by their
countrymen of the trend of events in
the plains, and when they get an ink
ling that the Turks are planning to ar
rest this or that citizen of Beirut, or
are endeavoring to provoke trouble in
some village. in order to have an ex-
cuse for committing depredations
therein, they make it their duty to
Illustrate the Turks. They keep an ex-
ceedingly close watch on the Turk
around the Christmas season, and the
moment they learn that he intends to
infiict wrongs upon some of their fell
low Christians they creep into the
towns, slay leading Mohammedan or
two by way of warning, and are off
again before the Soldiery, under whose
very noses the deeds have been done,
have been able to catch up their guns
and give pursuit. The Turks civilians
and soldiers alike. fear these national
heroes with a mighty fear. and they
usually take heed of the warning, so
that the Christians against whom plots
had been made are permitted to eat
their pig, which takes the place of
our turkey. without let or hinderance.
Shot ON Sight.
But if the sign is not needed. woe
betide the perpetrators of the out
RACES! Eelies Halibi, the greatest of
the national heroes, and his fellow
fugitives in Lebanon's innermost re-
cesseS will remorselessly shoot them
down one after another when the
chance offers. Perhaps this will re-
quire a dozen dangerous trips from
the mountains to the scene of the in
dignities. No matter. Running great
risk Is the business of the heroes; and
then there is the exhilaration attend
ant on the staying of a dog of a Mo-
hammedan who has thrown your
brother or aged father into prison to
rot, or stabbed your best friend in the
back as he was on his way to early
mass on the holy day.
Kept Supplied with Arms.
The Syrians generally are cognizant
of the good work done by this handful
of bandits, and while they keep these
men supplied with the necessary arms.
ammunition and money at all times
it is at Christmas time that the peo-
pies gratitude shows itself in all it's
depth. Then money, rifles, ammuni-
ton and clothing are literally show
cred upon Halibi and the rest, being
Struggled to secret rendezvous named
by them.
One of these national heroes is now
in America, where he has lived for a
number of years. The last Christmas
he spent in Syria he received fifty
rifles, enough rounds of ammunition
to last him a full year, also clothing,
a great quantity of provisions. and
four mules on which to carry all the
g.ifts of his fellow townsmen Of
Mazah to his mountain lair. His
name is Eelies Zoriek. He is now a
restaurant keeper in New Yorks
Syrian quarter, where he is looked
up to as a sort of demi-god, and every
night a goodly portion of the colony
stories of his blood vengeance on their
| traditional foe.
Outrages by Bashi-BazOulxs.
To tell of the Christmas season
| outrages perpetrated in Macedonia by
bashi-bazouks and Turkish regulars
would be to repeat the story of Syria
and of Armenia in large part. Turk
ish atrocity is about the same in one
quarter of the Sultan's domains as in
another when Christmas are con-
| cerned. 1t is only question of how
far the troops officers and the vail
will let the soldiery go. At Christmas
when the pigs of unbelievers long to
be at peace with all the world. they
are allowed to go far enough to make
Christmas a day of misery to all
Christians; far enough to cause no
protest from the powers; so far, and
no farther. But God knows that is
far enough.
n