Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-14
NAME OF TALL
GUERILLA CHIEF
STRIKES TERROR
Mention of "Babounsky" Is
Enough to Force Obedi-
cnce in Serbia
nj Cd ERN R0BINHOOD
Was First a School Teacher,
Then Took to Leading
Wild Bands
MODERN ROBINHOOD

GevSheh. Serbia Correspondence
most picturesque figures OF the Euro
pean war is the Serbian "komitadji'
or guerilla, Ivan Stoik kovitch, known TO
fame as "Babounsky'. The name is
drawn from the famous Babouna Pass,
where the Serbs so long held the in
Nading Bulgarians at bay. Ivan Stoi-
kovitch comes from that part of Serbia
and is therefore known 10 his follow
ers and TO the Serbian population at
large by nickname indicating the
fact.
A slight man. tall. with honest gray
blue eyes and the pale features of a
student, he impresses tho stranger with
anything but the terror which his
name inspires. Nor do his looks belle
his real profession. For the redoubt-
able Babounsky was a school teacher
until, fred by an ardent patriotism.
he gave I'm his classes to gather about
him a band of intrepid spirits in the
fight for the release of the Turkish
part of Serbia from the Ottoman yoke.
Ever since the first Balkan war he
and his followers have been under
arms. UnreCoEnized by the laws of
war, they have taken their own risks
of capture and instant execution.
Their refuge is in the Serbian noun
tains and they have been willing to
trust their security TO their own astute-
ness and the impregnability of their
numerous hiding places.
Regular Robin Hood
During the brief periods separating
the first Balkan war "rom the second
and the second Bali. war from the
present European suru ggle the internal
administration of Serbia was in such a
state OF disorder that it seemed to
Babounsky better TO retain his band
under arms and to assist in the ad-
ministration of a rough and ready JUS
tice than to send his followers to their
own tresides. In this capacity even
in the short intervals of peace he kept
his ma ne as a kind of modern Robin
Hood-the friend of the weak and
the terror of the evildoer.
Especially since the complete break
down of the Serbian administration fol-
lowing the flight of the government to
Scutari has BabounskY become a per-
Sonage of prime importance in Serbia.
Before the advancing German and
Bulgarian armies. town after town was
evacuated. Sometimes the inhabitants
were able 10 take a few of their be
longinGs with them: more often they
were forced to leave with the clothes
they wore as their only possessions.
But especially in the southern part of
Serbia. where the greater part of the
1hnant3ntS are really OF Turkish or
Bulgarian extraction. only the Serbs
fled, and the Turks and Bulgarians
remained. While waiting for the ar
rival of the armies of their COM
patriots they were not averse to going
through the deserted Serbian dwell
ingS and acquiring n few useful ar
ticles.
Babounsky did not approve of this.
Naturally the deserted dwellings and
all in them would fall into the hands
of the Conduerors. That was all right
the chance of war. But that for
mer neighbors should do the looting
was not in Babounsky's code And
those who tried it were dealt with in
q most summary maner.
"kcchko' Escapes
Whoever among the Bulgarians was
suspected of giving information to the
advancing Bulgar armies also received
short shrit. \ story is told of the first
Balkan war when d certain pseudo
Serb, known as ''Kechko," was sus-