BRIGANDS IN TURKEY.

Kumara Times, Issue 1137, 21 May 1880, Page 3

BRIGANDS IN TURKEY.

"Consular reports from Salonica de'clare that,-with the exception of the "towns and the immediate vicinity, the 'country is in the hands of the brigands. Thirteen distinct bands are enumerated. "containing in all about 150 men of various creeds and nationalities—- " Greeks, Lutzo WaHacbsj Bulgarians, Albanians, and Turkish deserters, At. % certain time some of the bands received subsidies from Athens, and processed to be the representatives of .Hellenic aspirations, but of late they bave divested themselves of this semipolitical character, and play the part of simple brigands, levying black mail from Mussulmans and Christians indiscriminately. There seems to be a "certain tacit xmderstandiug that no band should poach on the other preißcrves, for there is no instance of the sameindividual being kidnapped a second /time after he had once been ransomed. Their system is to support themselves by levying contributions on the peasantry, who are forced to supply them with food,- shelter, and money, and who are "so afraid of vengeance that they rarely the matter to the authorities. "When opportunity offers' they kidnap "rich proprietors or merchants for the purpose of getting their ransom, The sums demanded vary from .£ISOO to ".£4OOO. Several proprietors of farms within thirty .niil'es -of Salonica have riot dared to visit their properties for 'the last two years from, fear of being Occasionally a demand for 'money is ; made from men known to be "wealthy without any attempt to kidnap 'them, and there is so little faith in the official means of protection, that such "demands fife gene Vally complied with. The brigands avoid is much as possible all conflict with the military forces, but they have no fear of the local police or "civil who are too ofteK, it •is.saidyin league with the chiefs. Certainly, when a -Well-known chief comes Hnto a; village or town lie lives openly "at free'quarters, and ho attempt is made 'to capture'him. One of the best known 'and most feared of the chiefs is Niko, •who has carried off Colonel Synge. "Whether he is a pure Greek or a Hel■"lenized Lutzo-Wallach ia hot certain, but there ia little br ho. doubt that he is a> native of Lamia, a Greek town near . the Turkish frontier, and thai of his near relatives, having been convicted of brigandage, are already in prison. His name inspires .terror throughout the greater part of Thessaly. Not long ago he kidnapped 'tW6 children and caused one of them to be murdered because the £SO which lie demanded as a ransom waS not fo'r&coming. In a petition recently presented, to the Bishop by the peasants of. the neighborhood of Aliakmon, it is isaid.that.there are in the district a large dumber of brigands who not only rob and murder, but Vvho carry off young f girls and married women and keep •them prisoners in the mountains. From Veria it is reported that the village of Tranitza has been attacked by a band of sixty brigands, and twenty-three have been carried off.