The Penny Bee-Hive. — 1870-04-30 (London, England)

THE TRAGEDY IN GREECE.  A BA.ND of Greek brigands have taken the lives of three English and one Italian g entle, man. They belonged to a party who had  visited the ancient battle,field of Marathon, and were on their return to Athens when sur. rounded, fired upon, and seized by the brigands. The object of the hand was money, and they stipulated for a large ransom, and also for complete amnesty, as the conditions on which alone they would release their captives. Voluntarily they did release two ladies and a little girl, with a servant; but the husband of one of these ladies and the father of the child is among the number massacred. The brigands showed no intention to commit murder until fallen upon by a detachment of Greek troops sent in pursuit. It is a terrible business, and will require great calmness of judgment on the part of all concerned, in order to viewing it in a right light. On the eleventh of April, the party in ques,. tion set forth. It consisted of Lord and Lady MUNCASTEB, Mr. and Mrs. LLOYD, and their daughter,Mr.VvNEß, brother of Lady DE GREY, the Honourable Mr. HERBERT, third Secretary to the British Legation, and cousin tx) the Honourable Arrnmtox HERBERT, Member for Nottingham, ani COUNT Dr Bovr., Secretary to the Italian Legation. These eight persons were escorted by a professed guide, and four mounted policemen. Having satisfied their curiosity, they returned towards Athens. As they entered a narrow pass between the hills, a file of guns covered them. The four policemen rushed to the attack. The brigands fired. One policeman fell dead, a second was, it is feared, mortally wounded. The whole band then came from behind the bushes on either side, and made a complete capture of the party. After a while, the ladies and the little girl were liberated, and allowed to go on to Athens, •attended by the two surviving policemen, who were empowered to offer a release of the male prisoners on the double condition of an amnesty from the Government, and a payment equal to £32,000 by the friends of the detained gentlemen. A casual escort on foot were deterred through fear of hurting the prisoners as well as the captors, who hurried. the ladies and gentlemen up the hills to their fastnesses.  Two days after (April 13) Lord MUNCAsTER arrived at his hotel in a country waggon with a peasant, to negotiate with the Government, and to procure supplies for his friends. He saw the Greek MINISTER Of WAR and the Honourable Mr. ERsKINE, the British Envoy; and, it is said, true to his word of honour, returned to his captors. Mr. ERSKINE set himself at once to prevent the doing of anything that might provoke the brigands to kill their captives. This point, as he imagined, secured, he sent a proposal to give seven thousand pounds ransom. The offer was rejected. According to an account sent by a correspondent of the Scotsman, the ultimatum sent by Lord IVluNcAsrEtt was £25,000 or an amnesty; besides which, he speaks as one of a party who had intended the same excursion, but heard so much about the danger from brigands that they resolved to keep within the suburbs of the capital. A whole week appears to have elapsed in futile negociations or incapable hesitation. On the morning of the 21st, the brigands were surrounded by troops in a tower on the coast, when they insisted upon an amnesty. This the officer in command would seem to have had no authority for promising. On the contrary, it must be assumed that his instructions were to employ force ; for, before noon, he ordered the attack. Upon this, the two secretaries of lega, tion residing at the Court of Greece were selected as the first victims, and despatched by their captors. The sad intelligence reached the Foreign Office in Downing-street by tele• gram on Friday the 22nd, with the addition, that Mr. VYNER had been carried off by the briTands, and that of Mr. LLOYD nothing was known. A second telegram, however, only five hours and a half later in date, apprised Lord CLARENDoN of the murder of Mr. VYNER near Thebes, and of Mr. Lnorn also. In communicating these facts to the House of Commons, Mr. °TWAY added, that there was then every reason to believe that Lord MUNCASTER was in safety.  With respect to the circumstances under which this dreadful tragedy has been enacted, the