THE MASSACRE OF BATAK.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4871, 1 November 1876, Page 3

THE MASSACRE OF BATAK.

HORRIBLE SCENES. On Tuesday evening, August 18, Sir Charles Dilke, in addressing a meeting of his constituents, read letters from Bulgaria, stating that Baring, who is investigating in Bulgaria, is thoroughly honest, and desires to do what is right (speaks Greek and some Turkish), but unfortunately took with him, as his interpreter, his father-in-law, Gnenacino, a Levantine, formerly British. Consul in Asia Minor, and bearing a very undesirable reputation. He is Turcophile, and apparently hates and despises the Bulgarians. He cannot speak Bulgarese. In going to Klissura the English were accompanied by Tussum Bey, the very chief of the Bashi-Bazouks who destroyed that village, and it is said that his bridle was still decorated with silver ornaments taken from the churches. Naturally the inhabitants were not communicative. Peasants from that place have since told me so. The villages burned whole or in part number about seventy. The loss and destruction of property by pillage has been immense, entailing a very great diminution of revenue to the Government. As to the number of people killed, it is very difficult to form an estimate. I should place it at 12,000 at least, and probably nearer 20,000. Every possible crime was committed, including, naturally, violation of women on a large scale. As to the atrocities alleged to have been committed by the Bulgarians, which are put forwar d even by Sir H. Elliott to excuse these cruelties, very little is to be said. Some Turks were killed, as will happen in all insurrections; but the number usually given by the Turks, of 200, is a very generous estimate. I have not yet succeeded in obtaining proof of the murder of a single Turkish woman or child. In four days from the breaking out of the insurrection every village had given up its arms, and there was no further opposition, but the work of destruction continued. At Philippopolis two extraordinary tribunals are now sitting—one under Selim Effendi for the trial of the insurgents. While I was there four men were hanged, one of them a priest. Great efforts are used to convict all the priests (I saw more than fifty ,in prison) and school teachers, and to implicate the chief Bulgarians of the town. The court of Selim Effendi is a parody on justice. The Turks and some Turcophiles • attempt to attach more importance to the depositions which implicate many prominent Bulgarians. The inquests, however, are conducted secretly; every attempt is made to extort testimony, and I am convinced that torture has been frequently used, chiefly by beating, but also by hanging in chains with only the tips of the toes touching the floor, by imprisoning for days in the privies, and by applying fire to the souls of the feet. Achmet.Aga, the destroyer of Batak, received a silver medal and a promotion to Yuzbachi, and still commands the rural police of the district. Another Achmet Aga, equally infamous, has been promoted, and sent to the war. Chefket Pacha, who wantonly burned the town of Boyardjik, where there were no disturbances, and murdered all the inhabitants, has been made Grand Chamberlain to the Sultan. Batak I visited yesterday. This was the last place destroyed. It was well built, was very rich, and had about 9000 inhabitants, of whom not 2000 now survive. Ahmed Aiza surrounded the town with Bashi Bazouks on May 12, ordered the inhabitants to surrender their arms, and promised them solemnly that no harm should come to them. After the arms were surrendered, many young women and children were taken to a hillside, violated, and massacred. Indiscriminate slaughter then began. As many as 7000 people perished. Many had their eyes cut out to extort money, and were then beheaded. The chief man, or Tchorbadji—Trandafil —was impaled and roasted on

a spit. There were innumerable instances of fiendish cruelty. Pregnant women were ripped up, their babes taken out and killed. Two hundred women and children were burned alive in the schoolhouse. Thirty were burned in another house. I had a long ride over the mountrains to reach Batak, which is in a lovely valley, and one would think would be protected by its very isolation. Some of the inhabitants who had returned came out to meet us, and led us first to a field where were heaps of bones and skulls, licked clean by the dogs, who fled growling at our approach. This was where the young girls were murdered. Entering the town, on every side lay skulls, bones, and even complete skeletons. Many had the long tresses, which mark a young girl, still attached to the skull. Bones of children were numerous. The stench was fearful, and increased as we approached the church. Here was the most awful sight I ever saw. The whole churchyard and the floor of the church were covered with heaps of bones and of corpses in every stage of decay. Efforts had been made to cover them with stones; but arms, legs, and even heads—one with the ears cut off—protruded. There were far over 1000 bodies in this place. In another place was a pit full of putrid remains. Under a mill were many more, while skulls innumerable marked the spots where the slaughter was the thickest. These bodies were left undisturbed for two or three weeks. Orders were then sent to bury them, but the stench was such that it was impossible. I was glad to escape from the p’ace, and hope never to have such an experience again. No battle-field could present such an awful sight. The massacre of Batak seems to me the most fearful thing in the present century. It alone is enough to condemn the Turks. The Christians are all unarmed, the Mussulmans—except in some large towns—all armed, and laugh at orders to disarm. No one dares stir out of city or village without Turkish escort, and the peasants fear to come to town. The Turks threaten new attacks, and even say that when the consuls are gone they will kill the rest. Everywhere in the villages Christians must work for Turks at illusory wages, and in some cases the Christians are allowed to cut their own crops on the condition only of giving half to their Turkish neighbors.