The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-28
A MODERN GREEK TRAGEDY.
Albanian YIllaEer whose Suit Was RE-
Jected Takes Revenge pm Girl.

Jected Takes Revenge on Girl.
A drama which illustrates the wilder as
poets Of life in modern Greece has just
reached its last chapter. The scene Of it is
the village of Menidi. which lies about ten
miles north Of Athens at the foot Of the
Parnes Mountains. and the people are Of the
Albanian race and preserve a number OF
old traditions and customs which even to-
day have an almost religious force
One Of the most remarkable supersti-
ions Is that OF the relation between a young
girls veil and her honor. The peasant
girls all wear q veil. not the yashmak Of the
Turk, but 9 head covering something like
that which Italian peasant women wear,
and popular opinion holds q girl as dishon-
ored II a man steals this headdress away
from her. The only efficient way to reestab-
lish her reputation is to have the veil robber
marry her.
Three years ago a young man OF the viii
lage named Michas began paying attentions
to a young girl named Stavrula. His ap-
proaChes were not favorably received. He
Law in wait for her one evening when she
went TO draw water at the we'll, snatched
her veil from her head and disappeared in
the twilight.
Now the tables were turned. All the rela-
ions Of Stagrula began paying their adj
dresses to Michas. But now it was his turn
to be coy. He would not marry Stavrula;
he would not ever return the stolen veil
and so make minor reparation for the in
jury he had lone her.
He began, however, TO force his attentions
on her at such times as he could find her I'M
protected, and at last he made a forcible
attempt to carry her of to the mountain.
A village gendaFme arrived in time 70 save
the girl, but was himself shot down by
Michas. Michas was arrested and con-
demned TO a short term Of Imprisonment,
Returning to Menidi about two month
ago Michas found Stavrula betrothed to
another man. He lay in wait for her. When
she appeared she was accompanied by three
women and two o
He opened Are from his place Of conceal
ment. and did not stop until he had MORALLY
wOunde ,ery one Of the six. Then, DASH
ing outrs-Sihe road, he imprinted a kiss on
the lips ofs o~tavrula, who was already in the
throes Of death, and at the same instant
drove his dagger through her heart. Then
he disappeared.
The Government promptly offered a re-
ward Of S 900 drachmas about 81 ,0O0) for the
arrest Oh Inc HluTucIcT' All bhO POuOo. ai1u
gendarmerie in the kingdom were busy
searching for him for a month, but not a
trace OF him was found. The crime was
drifting into oblivion when suddenly a
cousin OF Michas went to the authorities and
offered 10 betray him.
In order to reach the guilty man a STRAIT
agem had TO be used. Two soldiers dressed
themselves az tramps, and, steered by the
cousin, scraped up an acquaintance with
him az IL by accident.
After a while they proposed to him that
all three should go to America together.
In this way they got him to a place near
Athens, and there, under pretence Of cele-
brating their departure, they made him
half drunk.
The two then fell upon him. Michas
fought like a wild beast and inflicted seri-
out injury on both his assailants. They
succeeded, however, in holding him n
in doing him up in a neat package with
rope 80 that he could he carried Cd to prison
without further trouble.
He is there now awaiting his trial and
sentence. 1t is expected that the Govern
ment will exact fun value for it's drachmas
and that the career OF Michas will soon be
Wrought to a close.