Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-18

SldHulIlS COHleIlpluOuSly Will Ills HI
tie group of followers in the midst of
the crowd, Tchakirdji intimated that
the first business of the evening would
be the provision Of supper for himself
and his men. The elders explained
with deep obeisance that the resources
of the village were so low that nothing
but the most meager provisions were
available.
Tchakirdji consented to waive the
supper. He would now, he said, pro-
ceed to the main object Of his visit. He
gave a sign to his men and in few
moments the heads Of ten Of the lead
ing inhabitants of Gureli were rolling
on their own market place amid the
wailing of their fellow townsmen.
II am fairly sure" explained Tcha-
kirdji in the brief address with which
he closed the proceedings, that it was
through the denunciations of one Of
you that my comrade, Sinan Mehmet,
was surrounded and killed by the SOL
diers near here some months ago.
have now avenged him, and I hope
that this will serve as a lesson to any
who may be tempted to betray me or
my companions. will kill informers
without pity, and, If necessary, the in
nocent shall pay for the guilty"
With this the brigand and his
friends withdrew, and except for a fu-
tile expedition of a company Of SOL
diers into the mountains after him,
which returned with nothing but
marching to it's credit, this was the end
of the affair.
His ride being wide and his obser
vations general, the Smyrna black
beard has of late come to take an in
terest in the needs Of the communities
through which he passes. He has
dropped a hint, and backed 1t up with
his ride, that a school house would be
a proper public work in certain
country district, and even now 1t is
under way, the cost being assessed, by
the bandit method Of taxation, upon
those selected by him as worthy Of a
loftier civic spirit. In this way he has
come to be known as an unofficial
commissioner Of public works.
Recently, between robberies and
general activity along the highway, the
Smyrna bandit crossed bridge which
was out Of repair. He took the mat
ter in hand at once. He pointed out by
letter to a wealthy Turk Of the neigh
borhood that the benefit Of an entire
ly new bridge could be conferred on
the locality at a cost Of $4,000. Three
times this message was repeated with
out effect. Then one evening, as the
rich man was gathering with the rest
of the village In the mosque at the
time Of the sunset prayer, Tchakirdji,
with a dozen armed men, appeared at
the door. Leaning his rife against the
wall he took off his shoes and joined
the kneeling throng in their silent
prostrations. When his prayer was
finished, Tchakirdji walked quietly
over to the rich man, who had not seen
him enter the mosque, and touched
him gently on the arm. The man
started up, but Tcharkirdji nodded his
head toward the little escort waiting
outside the open door, and in a few
moments the tardy public benefactor
was on horseback on the way to an
unknown destination in the noun
tnY In, a
time, when his friends had sent $10,-
900 in gold to a secluded meeting
place.
Then at last began the reconstruc-
ton Of the ruined bridge. A gang Of
workmen appeared under the direction
of a young Greek. The latter was at
once arrested as an accomplice OF
Tchakirdji. He denied all knowledge
of the brigand. He was young mas
ter builder; he had received written
instructions, with remittance OF
money, he said, to carry out his
work. 1t was his first big job and he
had asked no questions.
The young Greek was locked up In
Thera, and the work on the bridge was
stopped. Three days afterward there
was an alarm of fire at a village three
miles from Thera, and half the garri-
son was sent off there to put 1t out.
Hardly had they gone when there came
call for help at another fire five
miles away on the other side. The rest
Of the troops hurried off to the scene
of the second alarm.
Then into the empty town dashed
Tchakirdji and his men. They slew
the few sentries that were left, carried
off the local governor and the COM
mander of the garrison, together with
the imprisoned Greek, and were on the
way back to the mountains before the
weary troops got back to Thera from
their false alarms. The negotiations
that led to the release of the captured
officials arranged also for the compile
tion of the bridge.
Which fact is offered in further proof
that the blackboard operates with d.
rectness and is not to be turned from
the work 1t has in hand by unlocked
for interruptions.
Now and then, in spirit of reck-
lessness, Tchakirdji steps into fine
clothes and goes calling on government
officials, who happen to be carrying
forward the work Of rejuvenating Tur-
key in his part Of the country.
Il was carrying out government
survey in the mountains behind Smyr-
na," said one of the engineering
force. LAS l sat in my tent one evcn-
ing a young man came in, saluted me,
sat down, took the cigarette I offered
him and began to talk. I thought he
was some local notable paying me
call. He was about 80, tall, with
frank and open expression and a
straightforward bearing, and he spoke
like an educated man.
He stayed about 10 minutes, and
when he had gone my servant came ID
me and said. DO you know who that
was, Effendi? 1t was Tchakirdji, who
has killed 700 men,"