Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-10-03
zEL|M KAHN, ROBIN
HOOD OF CAUCASUS,
0UTWITS FLY COPS
Noted Brigand Has ALI the Quail
tiles of English Original
of Romance.

Tyflis, Russia-Zelim Khan. the
'.Robin Hood of the Caucasus noun
tains," who has defied Russian author
tiles for over 20 years. has just duped
a special detective sent from Moscow
to catch him. When changing horses
between Tyflis and Erivan the detec-
! tive was accosted by a decrepit old
| man who begged for a lift home, some
miles up the mountains. The detective
| agreed. The old man, SO weak that
| every jolt over the stones made him
but was ruined by Zelim Khan, who
robbed him of all his money.
AS he left the carriage he handed
the detective a note. Give this to Me
tribesman who lives at the top of the
next hill-he will help you," ne said,
and tottered into q hut close by.
AS the detective could not find the
tribesman he opened the note, which
ran: Next time you travel with Zelim
Khan be sure you arrest him"
He hurried back to the hut, but
found only the rags with which Zelim
had disguised himself.
Last autumn, disguised as an ortho-
doN priest, Zelim got another detective
to carry his p-ortnlanteau, filled with
cartridges, into a train. -Four days
later he was robbing rich merchants
near the spot.
liz Always sues WIFI TIC pOOI, WHO
adore him and refuse to be tempted by
the large sums set upon his head.
Once, meeting a Tartar who had
bought a Door Circassian girl Of her
parents. he ransomed her and sent her
home with a roll of notes.
Zelim Khan comes of ancient stock.
and is a MOhammedan. He claims that
his forefathers ruled from kutais to
Balku centuries before the Russians in
vaded the Caucasus. He is about SO,
they say, and the last of his race, his
three sons having been killed in fights
with Russian gendarmes and troops.
A few years ago he swooped down
into Baku and kidnapped young Rylski.
an oil ling, shaved his head. dressed
him in sheepskins and entertained him
in princely style in a mountain hut
hung with priceless rugs and carpets.
RylslSi refused to eat.
lit is not poisoned remarked Ze-
linn. II always play fair. / have never
drowned men in oil, like you.
II know all Baku secrets. You grew
rich by cheating a Tartar, digging a
canal between his claim and yours, SO
that all his Gil went into yours. When
he complained had him drowned in
oil. You must pay for it. You do not
leave this hut till o IL family have
given his widow and child enough to
live in comfort. Write home at once.
One of my men will take the letter.
Lie was SET Tree when Tie Tartar
widow came to say she had been paid
enough to live on.
Once some of Zelim's band captured
"a Young officer and brought him to
Zelim, thinking. he would be glad to
have {: Russian in hand. But the chief
was angry and said:
"Set him free ut once. He is but do,
ing his duty and is kind to his men"
The hillsmen tell wonderful tales of
Zelirn's wealth, hidden in the caves and
mountains.
His talent for quick c%hanges) is
in the Caucasus We're hunting him for
rohbing the post of $500, 600 dollars he
was here in Tyfiis, playing at being a
street barber, shaving Tartars and SOL
diers as if he had one nothing else all
his life. An officer. knowing that Zelim
had lost a finger, and learning that the
barber had one missing, sent down a
strong detachment to arrest him. But
the bird had flown. Zelim had walked
out OF town, playing %bagpipes, like one
of the many minstrels in these parts.
Not n of his band, consisting of
Kabardinsti, has been caught alive.
Each has q dose of poison in his dag
ger hilt and swallows it the moment
the game is up.
Once only did the police get the bet
complies, We're captured as they car
rled notes worth $4,000 for him to
.Tyflis. where he is said to have q large
bank account, under a feigned name.
The policeman in charge noticed that
they refused solid food. He mixed a
strong drug with their tea and found
they had swallowed notes worth am
other $780, 900.
Zelim took the defeat in good part.
writing to the policeman:
Come and work with me. You are
too clever to be a policeman"
Mann persons believe that Zelim has
q charmed life.