The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-09-13

| in command from Salonica. he i'm.
| patiently ordered general attack at
once. The soldiers made a wild nm.
ward scramble, but again the bombs
were blasting up the loose lava among
them. That attack failed. as had the
first. Two more equally desperate at
| tacks had n similar result soon after.
| Then the Turks withdrew and began
to open up a heavy fire on the rocks
above, depending on rock splinters to
destroy The insurgents behind their
positions. These tactics, although
costly-for Apostol and his men were
slowly pot shooting individual officers
wherever visible-were more success
full. BY seven that evening, at fifteen
o'clock by Turkish time the iusur-
gents mad been much reduced. Another
attack was ordered, before dark should
| give the few survivors possible
| chance to escape. In the. first trench
only Michaelof and three lnen were
alive, and they all wounded. In the
other two lines Of trenches were eight
men unwounded.
As this last general attack began
the ammunition of the bandsmen gave
| out in few last volleys. Then
Michaeloff and his three men in the
first trench rose, deliberatel; smashed
their rifles over the rocks, DESTROYED
their watches in a similar manner
and drank the poison, which is part
of every bandsman's equipment TO
save him from torture, If wounded.
The eight men above killed their
wounded comrades with their knives.
and then made a break for the river.
The Turks We're successful. They had
gained the position. The news was then
telegraphed that Apostol had been
killed. From one of the bodies were
taken personal letters addressed to him,
rife with his name engraved upon it
was found, and various villagers iden-
tilted the corpse. Later it was found
that this was the body of Apostols
secretary. So well was the Sultan
pleased with the ews that lie imme-
diately telegraphed his personal thanks
to the troops, and sent 1850 to be
divided among them. The gendarmes,
the creatures established by the re-
forms, who had taken part in the
fight, were all promoted.
Next day Georgis Pasha, the Italian
gendarmerie officer, commissioned
there by the Powers, arrived and be-
gan an investigation. 1t seems he
was the first TO question Apostol's
death. At any rate, he sent for Apos-
tOlS wife, who lives in village near
by, and the dead having already been
buried lie ordered them disinterred,
that she might identify her husband
among them. She failed to do so.
But several days after all doubts
were settled when the kaimakam. or
governor of the caza, received letter
bearing Apostols rubber stamped seal.
announcing himself in good health,
save for a sprained ankle. OF the
whole band of forty men, six escaped.
two being the guards who watched
over the ammunition and took no part
in the fight. They remained with it
until another band came a week later
and carried it safely off. OF the eight
who broke for the river, three We're
drowned while attempting to swim
across, and one, realizing that he could
not even attempt. it, drank poison.
One reached the opposite bank and
escaped, and is now here in Kustendil.
Apostol and his three comrades
crouched among some rushes in shall
low water, and escaped later in the
night when the search was over. He
is now recovering from his sprained
ankle in a secret hospital in the
mountains.
What the Turkish losses were in the
fight is hard to estimate truly. Turk
ish reports only mention two Greeks
and sixteen Albanians killed. VIII
layers of Spalivo say 1900 in all fell,
but that is perhaps an exaggeration.
Still, the casualties must have been
heavy, otherwise such a large force
could not have been checked for a
whole day by thirty-eight men.-New
York Post