Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-11-06 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

TALE OF HORROR.  The following account of the massacre during the recent elections of Bulgarian delegates mentioned in the Message of the Regency at the opening of the Subranje is communicated through the Haves Agency: On the morning of the elections a number of peasants invaded the town of Dubnitza and entered the polling-booth, and, when the board of examining officers had been formed, shouted, 'We will have no elections !" M. Grantcharoff, a former deputy, explained to them the object of the elections and sought to pacify the authors of the disturbance, who, however, became more and more violent. While he was thus engaged a fresh band of peasants forced their way into the room and surrounded the members of the board, against whom they hurled violent threats, shouting, "It is you who provoked the war with Servia thathascaused us to be crushed by taxation. Now you are seeking a war with Russia.We will not permit A conflict arose, and the infuriated mob sacked the polling-booth, wrecking and destroying all within their reach. MM. Granteharoff, Zograff, and the schoolmaster Papoukchieff managed to escape by the window. They were pursued and on the point of capture when M. Papoukchieff turned, making the gesture of drawing a revolver, and the momentary halt of their mu-suers enabled the party to take refuge in a neighbouring house. Another member of the board, M. Maehimakoff, managed to escape from the raging mob, who took possession of the town; but he was pursued by a party of ruffians across country for upwards of two hours. The mob then attacked the sub-prefecture, and, seizing the Sub-Prefect, dragged him jut, the street, where they beat him to death with their bludgeons. They then rushed into the telegraph office, hard by, and sought to set fire to the building. This was averted by the clerk in charge, M. Bocknakoff,who threw himself on his knees, and cried to them, "Brothers, what are you about? Touch nothing here. All is sacred, for here are the 'letters and telegrams of your own friends and relatives." By this means the fury of the mob was momentarily checked. But fresh atrocities were soon to be perpetrated. The Sub-Prefect was not quite dead, and had managed to crawl into another room in the building. He was, however, soon discovered, and a body of men rushed upon him and, seizing. him by the legs, flung him through the window into the street, and his dead of fidtiym Tthhee enr niter t in t hentoth Perceivedriver ..11 313ty oth Grant.others charoff, Zograff, and Papoukchieff running to take refuge in another house. They were pursued and the house surrounded, and the peasants, yelling and shouting savagely were about to burst in the door when M. Papoukchieff, opening it, essayed toaddress them. No sooner had he opened his lips than he was seized and murdered ; and some of the mob, splitting open his skull with their knives, scattered his brains in the street. M. Zograff then left the house crying "Good-bye, Grantcharoff." The unfortunate man was at once murlered,his body being mutilated in the most shameful and revolting manner. Then came the turn of M. Geantcharoff, who was disembowelled by his assassins, who shouted, "Be is fatter than our pigs, and it is by our sweat that he has fattened." At the close of this horrible scene a dead silence fell upon the town, which remained buried in stupor throughout the rest of the day. The peasant mob had dispersed.  An engagement of marriage between Ali,s Ellen Stager, of Chicago, and Lord Arthur Butler, the heis to the Marquisate of Cirmcinde, is annoWie-Pd