A Brigand Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 418, 9 November 1889, Page 3

A Brigand Story.

Ax interesting brigand story is reported from Monastir, in Macedonia. About three months ago a party, consisting of four Greek robbers from Castoria, • t.hree women in men's clothes, and a priest from the monastery of Tscherilow, arrived at WlahoKlissura, where, during the night, they broke into the dwelling o f a Servian named Simon Kottanooun. They bound him hand and foot and took him to the house of a Greek priest, near the gendarmerie barracks. He was kept there for three months as a hostage. He was shut up in a closet-cup-board, with a bandage over his eyes, and cotton wool stuffed in M 3 ear.«. Eventually the Archimandrite Gregorious, of the Tscherilow monastery, \ isited the Servian's mother, taking with him a letter from her son saying what had become of him, and adding that if a ransom of £1,500 were nob paid within ten days his ears would be cut of*. The poor woman handed £300 to the Archimandrite, but the next day she recieved woid that the brigands were not satisfied. They Iried to get away in the night with their prisoner, but tho gardener of a neighbouring house, takir.g them for ordinary thieves, fired upon them, which at once brought several of the watchmen on duty to the rescue. A stiuggle ensued, in which, two of the brgnnds weie badly wounded and the rest com polled to take ilight. Theii prisoner, who had hidden in a bush, escaped unhmt. and tlr s obtained hist liberty. Tho Ardiimnndiite and four of the biigands have since bern arrested.

The band that captures woman— -Ths husband,