Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-03
SERBIAN PATRIOT
Writes with Own Blood
of His Sufferings
Serbians Kill Themselves Rather Than
Face Tortures Inflicted by 5ulsar-
ians-Deseribes Serbian Instruction
of Last April and Fate Of the Cap.
tured insurrectionists.

the possession of the Serbian authors
ties recently letter, written by Ser
bian patriot who barely escaped hang
ing by the BulSarians. He describes
ir some detail the instructions in Ser
bia in April last. the fate that they met,
and unspeakable cruelties visited upon
the 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
blood from his hiding place in the Ser
bian mountains, and is addressed to
his friend, a Serbian captain serving
with the Saloniki forces. The captain
fell into captivity not long after receipt
of the missive but succeeded in snug
Cling it out by means of Serbian
sentry.
The letter frankly advises all Ser
bians to kill themselves rather than
submit to capture: it tells of the forci-
BILE deportation Of thousands Of chill
dren to Constantinople; of the fright
full fortunes inflicted upon prisoners be-
fore they are executed by the Bulgar-
ians. such as hanging by the tongue:
Of gibbets erected everywhere to dis
pOSe VI CeTDidH prisoners or war, cS-
pecially Of insurrectionists.
The names Of both sender and reci-
pient have been suppressed for obvious
reasons, but both are on file with the
original Of the letter, which runs as
follows
Here I am in a mountain which Is,
actually. my sad residence. I escaped
or April rs from the Bulgarian prison
where I was incarcerated with 20 COM
redes after having been surround.
ed and captured in the revolt near
-----------. There had been $4,000 Of
us insurgents; we had moreover fought
with German division that defeated
us and drove US to flight Then we had
been attacked by two Bulgarian diH.
sions armed with cannon and machine
guns. I was taken, put in prison ana
condemned to be hanged but, during
the night. my ar
rived with band in Prokouplie, killed
the sentinels and rescued me. In con-
sequence I was able to reach the noun.
tain. There are more than 5000 Of us
insurgents. Nearly all Of the other
mountains are filled with insurgents.
THE Bulgarians had summoned all
the male population between the ages
OF 16 and IS in order to incorporate
them in the army and send them i'm
mediately to the front. At the same
time they had gathered together all the
young people between 10 and 1s and
had sent them to Constantinople Il
was this yandal process Of these mon
strous Mongols that provoked the re-
Hyn1t rhn
perated by the cries Of their children
as they were carried off by force, at
tackled the Bulgarians with stones.
This was a genuine revolt, to which
the Bulgarians replied with gibbets to
which they hanged women and chill
dren. Finally the people, exhausted
and revolving. threw themselves upon
the Bulgarian depots Men and women
carried off arms and ammunition, first
to Prokouplie, then to Leskovatz. Le-
bane, Vrania, Vlassotintze. Zayetchar.
Kniagevatz, Pojarevatz and the VII
lagos.
80 here ! am in the mountain Of
- II may he that when you
read these lines shall no longer be
among the living. but the insurrection
Bulgarians are proceeding systematic
cally to exterminate our nation. On
the 25th Of April they placed aboard
trains at Belotintze 5000 children be-
tween the ages Of ~ and Is, bound for
Constantinople. Many of the children
jumped from the cars along the way.
and found death in that manner.
1.-THE Bulgarians gathered the entire
population for the purpose of vaccinat-
ing everyone. But. instead of injecting
serum against cholera or smallpox
they innoculated them with contagious
diseases One Of the doctors admitted
that to those who had fed to the noun
tains with their children.
1.-THE Bulgarians have raised gibbets
on the bridge Of Leskovatz, at Belo-
tintze. Vlasotintze, 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 a municipal
ity. who, he asserts. was hanged by the
tongue. The writer continued
II have neither time nor space to
describe my misfortune but I can tell
you briefly that If you do not come by
the month Of September, it will not be
worth while coming at ALL It will be
too late.
THE hanging Of ~ Serbian soldiers
made prisoner on the Saloniki front
was a sad sight. Their sentence was
read to them. including the words
Because you have abandoned your flag
and your Bulgarian brothers you cam
rot longer be loyal Bulgarian subjects
So i. should be told our soldiers who
are fighting on the Saloniki front that
they had best kill themselves rather
than let themselves be taken prisoner.
for these savages hang their prisoners
Of war. after having tortured them.
There, my dear----, is q faint
picture Of all that is going on In our;
Unfortunate Serbia. No power could
ever stif1e the Serbian Instruction.
which is spreading about the entire,
country. There are even among us