Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-03
WRITES WITH OWN BLOOD
FROM HIS HIDING PLACE
Letter Sent by Serbian Patriot, Who
Barely Escapes Hanging by
Bulgarians.
INSURGENTS IN MOUNTAINS
Frankly Advises His People to Kill
Themselves Rather Than Submit
to Capture-Tells Of Deportation
OF Many Children Into Turkey.
CORRESPONDENTS Of Assoclnted Press. l

Correspondence OF Associated Press
| PARIS. August S.-There has como
into the possession OF the Serbian au-
thorities recently a letter. written by
a Serbian patriot who barely escaped
hanging by the Bulgarians He de-
scribcs in some detail the insurrec-
tons In Serbia In April last. the fate
that they met, and unspeakablc cruel
ties visited upon tho insurrectionists
by the Bulgarians.
His letter, the original Is at present
In the Serbian archives but can be seen
at any time. Is written with his own
hood from his hiding place in the Ser
| Dian mountains. and Is addressed to his
| f'!end. a Serbian captain serving with
the Saloniki forces. Tho captain fell
into captivity not long after receipt of
the nissive but succeeded in smuggling
| It out by means OF Serbian sentry.
The letter frankly advises all Ser
bans to kill themselves rather than
submit to capture; it tells OF the forci-
be deportation of thousands Of chill
| dren OF Constantinople; OF tho fright
full fortunes inflicted upon prisoners be-
| fore they arc executed by tho Bull
garians. such hanging by the tongue:
ut sibbets erected everywhere to dis
pose Of Serbian prisoners Of war.
especially OF insurrectionists.
! The names of both sender and re-
cipient have been suppressed for OBJ
vious reasons. but both are on 1le with
the original Of the letter. which runs
as follows:
Hero I am In a mountain which Is.
actually, my sad residence. I escaped
on April IS from the Bulgarian prison.
where ] was incarcerated with twenty
comrades after having been surrounded
and captured in the revolt near
There had been $4,000 Of US insurgents;
we had moreover fought with a Ger
man division that defeated us and
drove us to Night. Then we had been
attacked by two Bulgarian divisions
armed with cannon and machine guns.
was taken. put in prison and con-
demned to be hanged. but. during the
night. my friend arrived with
band In Prokouplic. killed the senti-
nels and rescued me. In consequence
was able to reach the mountain.
There arc more than 5000 OF us in
surgents. Nearly all OF the other
mountains are filled with insurgents.
vANDAL PROCESS OF MoNGoLs
THAT PROVOKED REVOLT
The Bulgarians had summoned all
the male population between the ages
OF sixteen and sixty-fve in order to
Incorporate them In the army and send
them Immediately to the front. At
the same time they had gathered to-
scther all tho young people between
10 Constantinople. 1t was this vandal
process OF these monstrous Mongols
that provoked the revolt The unfor-
tunate mothers; exasperated by the
cries of their children as they were
carried OF by force. attacked the Bull
Earians WI. stones. This was gen
uine revolt. to which the Bulga rians re-
piled with Eibbets to which they hanged
women and children. Finally the peo-
pie, exhausted and revolving. threw
themselves upon the Bulgarian depots.
Men AMI women carried off arms and
ammunition. first to Prokouplie. then
to Leskovatz. Leblanc. vrania. ylasso-
tintze. Zayetchar. Kniagevatz. Pojare-
vatz and the villages.
1T was agre- that the insurgents OF
Zayetchar and its suburbs should march
on Ntsh. that the rest of us, from Pro-
kouplie. Lcskovatz and Vranie. should
do the same and. reunited. should take
possession OF the city. Unfortunately
those from Zayetchar were late: we
got ahead OF them and had. alone to
Withstand an attack from German d.
vision. We beat them and took away
two batteries and 500 soldiers The
battle took place near Gitoradja. From
there we carried Leblanc. Lcskovatz and
Prokouplie Of which we made ourselves
masters. Then we attacked Nish, car
rying the depots and half Of the city
Meanwhile two bulgarian divisions
arrived. and a bloody battle developed;
we should have been able to defeat
the Bulgarians AS we had defeated the
Germans, II they had not used a COW
ardly strategy to prevent us from at
tackinE them; they forced the women
and the children to march in front
OF their ranks. Unble to fire upon our
own people. we withdrew as far as
korvingrad. where new battle began
and where the Hungarians attacked us
from behind. We made an opening and
took refuge in the mountains. Since
vas dead from fatigue. ] was taken
prisoner. and. with dozen other in
surgcnts. was condemned to be hang
ed. Waiting while the Eibbet was pre-
pared, we were incarcerated in the
prison of Prokouple. but one Of our
bands killed the garrison and rescued
us.
PROCEEDING SYSTEMATICALLY
TO EXTERMINATE1 NATION
so here am in the mountain Of
-. 1t may be that when you read
these lines I shall no longer be among
the living, but the Instruction can
not be snuffed out so easily, for tho
Bulsarians are proceeding systemati-
cally to exterminate our nation. On
the 25th OF April they placed aboard
trains at Belotintze 5000 children be-
tween the ages Of twelve and fifteen,
bound for Constantinople. Many of the
children jumped from the cars along
the way. and found death in that man.
ner.
THE Bulgarians gathered the en-
tire population for the purpose Of vac
cinatins everyone. But, instead OF In
jecting serum against cholera or small
| pox. they innoculated them with con-
| tagious diseases. One of the doctors
| admitted that to those who had fed to
the mountains. with their children.
The Bulgarians have raised glib
bets on the bridge OF Leskovatz. at
Belotintze, Flasotintze, Leblanc, Nish,
Kniajevatz and at other places. and
on them have hung people. women and
children. compelling the others to help
them In their terrible tortures"
| One Of the notable Serbs who was
| hanged. the writer states. was a GER
tain Jordan. registrar of municipal
ity. who. lie asserts. was hanged by
the tongue. The writer continued:
Il have neither time nor space to
ascribe my misfortune. but can tell
you briefly that If you do not como
by tho month OF September. 1t will not
be worth while coming at all. 1t will
be too late.