Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
HAS A CHANGE FOR THE WORSE
SITUATION IN MONASTIR FAR
FROM PROMISING.
Greek and Servian Bands Revive
Activity and Join Hands Against
the Bulgarians.

Special Cablegram to The Star
MONASTIR, July 1S.-During the past
few weeks the situation in this country
has undergone a marked change for the
worse. The most noteworthy feature Is
the revived activity of the Greek and
Servian bands, which have now appar-
emily joined hands against the Bulgarians.
The effects of this combination are most
conspicuous in the Monastir vilayet, where
an appalling number Of political crimes on
large scale have latterly been commit
ted. The Greek forces which are we'll
armed and abundantly financed, have re-
Gently been considerably augmented.
Among their principal exploits has been
an attack on the village of Kostenetz.
in the district of Kastoria, by band
variOusly estimated at 10 or 200 men.
Here they killed four men. 4 woman and
a girl, and had already set fire to thirty
five houses when a small party of four
Turkish soldiers and one gendarme ap-
peared on the scene and put the band to
flight. killing two of it's members An
other achievement of the Greeks in this
district was an attack by band of some
thirty or forty men, under the well known
Kapetan Makris. on the village of Wis.,
hani. Before entering the village they
killed nine women VINO were WOTklnS IN
the fields: in the village they killed four
men, wounded three women and set fire to
four houses. but further destruction was
prevented by party of three gendarmes
which happened to be passing and which
opened fire. routing the assailants.
Smallness of the Forces.
Attention may be drawn to the small
ness OF the forces which on these and
other occasions put large bands to flight:
It may safely be concluded that these
villages would never have been attacked
if in each case some half a dozen of their
inhabitants had been allowed to possess
firearms. In the case of the village Poz-
har which they attacked June Is, the
Greeks blockaded the neighboring gen.
darmere station before beginning opera
tons in the village. On account of this
precaution they were enabled to kill ten
Of the villagers. including one woman.
and to burn twenty-five houses. Three
gendarmes. who happened to be In the
village, made a gallant defense, one OF
the number being killed and another
wounded.
In the northern portion of the Monastir
vilayet the cooperating Servian bands.
which have been largely reinforced, have
shown a parallel activity, though on a
somewhat smaller scale. Their chief eX-
PLOTS have been attacks on the villages
of Sekerji. where they carried away five
notableS whom they afterward put to the
knife. and Majushista. where they were
routed by handful of gendarmes and
Moslem peasant, who possessed a fowl
ing piece. On the day following the al
tack on Majushista they fell upon tile
funeral procession of a peasant whom
they had killed the previous day and
slaughtered two of the mourners. The
principal theater of Servian activity. how
ever has been the vilayet of kossovo
especially the KaZas of kumanovo. Pa
lanka and Kratovo. In these districts
during the last three years seventy-two
Bulgarian villages have been forcfbly
.'converted.'
In 1903 the number of deaths by violence
in Macedonia was loss; in 1905, !, 400; in
1907, 1,61J.