The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-09-14

N-|OH tie PAST few wcCHS |
Gl@NSGiN @SiN lave been studying bits of
MRl H IiiN reports that have come in
M!. GMM from Macedonia from va
sA@ lious chiefs of chetas, Sc
cret agents and other i'll
dlvldual members OF the organization.
all regarding certain incident which
occurred some weeks ago down in
Southern Macedonia, in the c&Za. or
district of Tevgeli. 1t Was much tele-
graphed about at the time and men-
toned in the European papers, but
some of the main facts ana all the
details have as yet remained secret.
Putting tog.tner the dry official re-
ports to, the committee with the nar-
r:stives of several participants or viii
nesses who arrived here several days
ago, and excluding obvious indiviGu&:
eXaggerations, there still remains the
Stoly Of an event which stands out as
remarkable. even in this country of
sensational events. 1t is just such Ii
one as YOU may find here and there
in the pages of HerodotUs-a second
Lsoni1as in another Thermopylae 1t
is the story Of how :hirty-eight comi-
tajis, we'll armed and we'll enSrenched.
for whole day stood off the repeated
attacks of 200O regular Turkish
soldiers, a horde Of Several thousand
bashi-bazouks, several hundred Alban-
ians and band of thirty Greeks.
These numbers are quoted in the Turk
ish reports.
Few people familiar with events
here for the past few years have not
heard of Apostol Voyvoda. known to
the Turks and gendarmerie officers as
Captain Apostol. There is a standing
price of 5000 liras, or Turkish pounds.
OH his head. He is small. dark.
keen-eyed man Of about thirty-fve
years, who can neither rad nor write,
and always signs his dispatches. writ
ten by his secretary, with 4 rubber
stamp hanging as watch charlA.
Were lie q man Of education. lie would
be one of the genera! le: 6ers, for lie
, is intellectually keen. But he is the
Robin Hood of Macedonia. 1t is about
Elm that the story centres.
A week before Lent Apostol came
here to KustendiI, to recross the fro.l-
tier some days later With several horse
loads of munitions. He was going to
take them to his cw' district. cache
tEem in the mountains to use them us
Will him were Save Micha eloG, his
sub-chief. and th;rty-eight men. On
the day before the begi:nins Of Lent.
Apostle and his band We're III the
Giavato Mountains. lie wanted 10
get over into the Cherni-Dervens Noun
tains; between the two ranges runs
the River Nard&r. During the day lie
had sent q courier across the river
to the vil;"ge OF Spalivo, asking the
villagers to send horses Cor the anmu-
I.it:on. AS was afterwards known,
the courier was stopped in the inter
mediate village of Stoyak, where a
company of soldiers were Quartered.
Ard this is the reason he Was stopped.
A Greek shepherd boy. wandering
about the mountains with his flock.
came accidentally upon Arostors band
in hiding for the Gay. They took him
prisoner. Now. every Greek is all
enemy to every BElgar. and for some
moments the boys life w;,s III danger.
Perhaps it was his youth which ;;p-
pealed 10 the chief: at any rate. he
released him. The boy at once went
g the village OF Stoyak ana reported
Arosto!'s presence in the nearby moun-
tains, and .ater pointed out the courier
passing through the village for Si';i!!vo.
The latter WAS arrested. When hight
came and the horses from Spalivo did
rot appear Apo$tol de ;ded that per
laps the villagers had lost the WA.
so lie and his men shouldeTad the am
munilion bags among them, descended
10 lie river. crossed it. md by moon
light had reached tLeir destination.
Spalivo. This village WAS several
miles higher up the same bank Of the
river on which stood Stoyak, where
the sold;e.s Were GIartered. On one
side are l;an mountain biuls, on the
other tie River Nartlar.
But as the villagers had not received
ApoStoi's message, they, not expecting
him. had ma IL 10 preparations. FIRST.
they had allowed their dogs free. VINO
noisily announced tie entrance OF the
bsndsuen into the village. Their bark
ings were heard by some Albanian
Shepherds q short distance outside.
However, the ammunition was
stored in an Old. half-broNen-dcwn de-
serted house. and TWO Of the bandSmen
were detailed to sleep upon it. Anostol,
Micllaeioff and their companions thel:
divided themselves among :; E;l!f dozen
houses nearby. In half an Eou,' Ill
were asleep, save 4 few OF the Vii
layers. who remained awake TO guard
against surprise. Meanwhile tie sol