A WEEK WITH THE BRIGANDS OF SMYRNA. An Interview With One of the Captives.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 237, 14 January 1888, Page 3

A WEEK WITH THE BRIGANDS OF SMYRNA. An Interview With One of the Captives.

After a week's detention (writes a Constantinople correspondent) the young Englishmen captured by brigands at Bournabat, near Smyrnn, have been released on 'payment of a rnnsom of 750 Turkish pounds. This the telegraph Jbas already told you. I now send the account given by Mr William. Wilkin, one of the prisoners. He says: — " On the evening of Satuvday,the 24th ult.» we were returning from our day's partridgeshooting to Bournabat, riding back on mules, with the muleteer and our gamekeeper, Leonidhi. Dusk was falling as we crossed the Falamout Valley, and her© I spied two men running after us as hard as they could. I asked Leonidhi vwho they were, but before he had time to answer me two fellows jumped out from. behind a tree, and, placing themselves in front of us, cried out, ' Teslim I 1I 1 (• Surrender !') They were instantly joined by two other highwaymen, so there we were hemmed in on all side, by six evil-looking ruffians armed with rifles. It seemed to me easy enough to show fight, and I was going to load my gun and have a pot at one of them. But my brother Charles called out not to do anything, adding that if we fired we should probably get the worst of it, as there might be a whole lofc of brigands in hiding not far off. That moment of hesitation was fatal. I believe if we had all levelled our rifles at their heads the brigands would have bolted. As it was, they came up rapidly j and makingsigns to show us that resistance was useless* seized the barrels of our rifles and took them from us. There we were, disarmed and prisoners. The chief, dressed in Greek costume, was most courteous in manner, and invited us to write a letter- that he at once sent on to our parents by the muleteer. When this was done we wore takentowards iTakakeuy, where we bivouacked on the plateau which overlooks the valley. The chief then sent down Leonidhi with two of the brigands to buy victuals at a village hard by. These latter, having no wish to skow themselves in the place, waited oufcside the town, and sent Leonidhi on alone to the grocer's shop. He was glad of this chance of giving his grim companions the slip, and they never saw him again, ->bub had to risk detection by coming into the village themselves in search of their supper. Wo afterwards heard that Leonidhi had been arrested by the Turkish authorities as the brigands' accomplice. This was an absurd act, but only iv keeping with the general incompetence of Ottoman functionaries, who, as a rule, do nothing, or when they do something blunder. The two brigands came back, without Leonidhi, in a fitf iovi9 rage. We then had some supper, and marched on to Boz Dagn, remaining on the heights there for the whole of Sunday. About elevon o'clock that morning the alarm was given by the brigand on guard that two ynruks (foresters) were approaching in our direction. Thft chief went out to meet them, and made signs for them to come near. But they seemed dreadfully scared, for they took to their heels ; and Capiban Dhimo (so the chief was called) sent two shots after them. — volleys of contempt that, however, did not touch thorn, The alarm being thus given, there was nothing for us but to break up camp and move elsewhere. So at midday we crossed the Dermen Valley, reaching ManissaDagh at nightfall, where we stoppea all Monday. On the afternoon of that day my brother Charles was released and toldL to go back to Bournabat and inform our parents that we should not be set free unless they paid down in hard cash a sum of £T3,000. It was in vain to try and convince the brigands that such a price was beyond the resources of our parents, who were far from rich. Our arguments were met by grave tosses of the head, which with Orientals is a sign of negation or of doubt. Up went the brigands' chins in the air* and that meant, •' Don't try and bamboozle us. You're English, so can pay. And pay you shall !" So my brother went on his diplomatic mission, and we then marched to another hiding-place further off at D6d6 Tekko Alan, not far from the- Tantalus lake. Here we spent ! the night, the brigands taking care to keep us properly covered against the rain and foggy atmosphere. It was a strange night for me, among the hills with these ruffians, and of course I could not sleep much. We had hardly anything to eat all the while we were prisoners. We remained at De'de Tekke Alan until Thursday, and then were marched back to Kou> roukepe, only half an hour's walk from Bournabat. This place we reached oa Friday evening, knowing nothing as to the negotiations being carried on between Mr Richard Whittali and the brigands' envoy. At last, on Saturday night about twelve o'clock, we heard that Mr Whittali was there to pay the money— a sum originally fixed at £T3,000, bub readily reduced to 750 Turkish pounds. I must briefly describe the six brigand?. Two wore European costume, three were in bag-hose and fez; while the chief of the band, Captain Dhimo, wore the Greek national fustandla Three of the crew had Martini-Henry rifles ; the others were armed with seedy old muzzle-loaders. All the brigands were young, and they talked Greek the whole time, being curiously careful never to call each other by name for fear we should know them, it was quite by chance that we discovered that their leader was called Dhimo and that his sublieutenant answered to the name of Pappa. I must say they treated us with a good deal of friendliness, and tried all they could (this is their own phrase) " to make our stay in the mountains a pleasant one." As regards the meeting at midnight of Mr Richard Whittali with the brigands when the ransommonev of Turkiah7sopound» was paid to them, I learn the following particulars. Accompanied by four persons Mr Richard Whittali, father of one of the prisoners, went to the rendezvous fixed by the brigands, at Halasmenos Milos, on Saturday, the Ist inst. He reached there about eleven, but the brigands did not make their appearance until half -pasttwelve. Oa meeting Mr Whittali, they saluted , hunt with much ceremony, kissing him by the hand with great fervour. »• The boys are here, tchdtbi" they said. "We have kept bur word, as you see. Now for your promise." Mr Whittatl then told over 750 pounds, which he handed ,to the, brigand*", who at once brought the three, prisoners — Oscar Whittali and the two Wilkins. Witfy; much grace of manner the brigands then gave to each of the young Englishmen * {Turkish pound, to make hallalu as the. Greeks put it, or to destroy any ill-feeling-thatf might;oxisb. , „ They f then .bowed to tSk ' dis'ajlpeared* The young fellpw&iinnWdfi^ljr on their jreturn ,to Ihnyjriia were „ taken before the' Governor-General, who Risked them many questions as, to their ex- - periences; r \ „ , u r / \,'