Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-27

murders were paid for at a recognized rate
of from ga to &c. according to the i'm
portance of the man slain.
Campaign Against BuIgarians.
I had heard in Athens in 1904 that an
armed campaign against the Bulgarians
was then to be started; an ex-prime minis
ter told me that bands would soon leave
Greece to enter Macedonia. And / knew
for l had spent tho year of 1903 in Mace
d~onia-that the Greek priests. especially
the bishops there, had been threatening
Bulgarian communities with massacre I'M
less they became Greek partisans and ad-
herents to the Greek church.
Their system was this, or at least this
was the typical system Of the bishop OF
Florina, religious head Of the most i'm
portant district of Monastir: When the
Turks were suppressing, in their usual
fashion, a rebellion of Bulgarians, the
Greek bishop would go about the country,
seeing the headmen Of each village and
assuring them that they would not be
molested by the Turkish armies II they de-
clared themselves Greeks and enrolled
their names on the books of the Greek
church.
To save themselves from destruction
lldIJ bulBdlldn communicates i6AN NlG
Exarchate, the Bulgarian church, and
became to all political intents Greeks. For,
I must explain, the Bulgarians were COM
batting the authority OF the Turk, while the
Greek peasants, though many Of them
sympathized with the movement against
the government, were restrained for polici-
cal motives by their dreaded clergy.
In turn the Bulgarian armed bands re-
taliated with murders of Greek priests.
Greek school teachers, and the headmen of
Greek villages, making It a rule to leave
upon the bodies of their victims letters tell
ing the reason for their destruction. II
was the old war Of the original church
against the schismatic Bulgarian creed, the
Patriarchate against the exarchate, when
has not ended with the new government by
Young Turks.
OutgrOwth of the Move.
When murders Of Bulgarians become a
matter of daily occurrence in every town
where Greek partisans were in the ma
jority the reforming agents OF the powers
brought such pressure to bear on the Turk
ish authorities that the most notorious OF
the Greek bishops were removed. The man
OF Castoria and the bishop Of Fiorina,
who 1 nave visited at his house, were re-
quired to withdraw. and Chrysostomos had
his correspondence taken from him and
examined and later he was ordered to leave
Drama within twenty hours.
To this post a younger, less fanatioal man
then came; but as he would not support
the so-called political campaign he was re-
called by the Patrarchate TO CONSTANT
nople and the See remained vacant until q
few days ago.
Still the assassination OF Bulgarisus went
on, with one OF the Greek vice consuls OF
an important town nearby as head Of the
committee in this district. From the town
OF Series every Bulgarian who had some
foreign protection is said TO have beer
driven out.
At KRvaia, the important tobacco port
a list OF exarchists was kept and weekly a
number OF the names were stricken off
Finally eight inoffensive unarmed peasants
bringing in tobacco for sale to the Ameri
can company there. were attacked in tn,
open road and six OF them knitted and sho
20 death, two surviving.
Colonel Bonham. chief OF the British
staff here, rode over to Kayala and asked
the Turkish governor what he was goinl
TO DO.
what can / doH'' came the reply.
You can at least" the colonel nswsre
give all other Bulgarians safe escort ou
of this town."
A few days later the survivors Of TN,
race were taken By Turkish soldiers VI