BUTCHER IN MACEDONIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 314, 13 January 1908, Page 4

BUTCHER IN MACEDONIA.

-' •••'■■l (says a writer In I a - ••■■' )• 'Uiul) that word gets iu ih> „ut-..? world of the derate li,: '' '» going on now in Macedou.u. Out-.- iu a while a brief despatch I gets into the press stating that the . lurkish troops have succeeded in wiping nut a mud. As often as not, the lurks declare that it was a Greek band they defeated, although it is common knowledge in the Balkan country that the lurks are working hand in glove with the Greek lands. Such announcement, are made whenever the Turkish authorities fear that Europe may become edited over further atrocities committed. Three desperate battles have taken place within the last few months. One was not a fight, but a massacre, and it occurred only . monlh Wh » Spas* Augeloff, the teacher of a villa™ »wI his wife were out walking, they baamks, Turkish irregular troops, who demanded to know if he was the vCe teacher. Augenoff promptly denied Zt he was for the Turks always murder £e teachem when they can find them because they know that it is the mission hll t T^ n to kee P b "™»g in the !f m J oppression which has AnSetff "f UP the idea of ffl^ing tton »« M* Bnd r ""? tUrned their «tt«tn fnlU 8 Whom tl,e - v attempted o force to indicate her husband as the T% T - She refused. Driven off then, the Turks returned in greater jorce. Some of the peasants took the teachers wife, and escaped to the mountain.., but the rest stuck to their posts wider hu direction. Augeloff, himself, died fighting, which was perhaps well. His death would not have been an easy one had he been taken alive. The torture is still practised in Macedonia in hideous ways. Bit by bit the villagers were overpowered. They did not light with the dauntless dare-devilry of the chetnuks, for they had homes and families to think of, and they hoped that the lurk might prove lenient for once. When the last ilannlicher cracked the yelling horde of Turks burst down the main street, stark mad with fanaticism and the blood-lust. The trembling villagers shrank back in dismay at these fiends, the women ran about shrieking and yelhug like chickens whose necks are to be wrung. There was no possi-i bihty of holding back the troops. There iR-icr is, tor tnat matter. I'hey simply ran wi.u througu me place, destining, Miimg now auu men, violating, doing auytuing that devilry could devise, lueir ouicers secured wine, and Mulled unui tne men had unulied. I'iaaliy an enterprising fiend seized a torch 'and prupomu setting the village on lire. In an iimaiu m was joined by eager comrades, who had sated their lusts, and they prepared to give the village to Haines, xuej would most certainly have done ii, had not an Italian officer of the International Gendarmerie galloped up the street, lie succeeded in preventing the destruction of the place, though it is said he came near being murdered for interfering in the soldiers'fun. But despite all his efforts 15 men of the village luve disappeared completely, and 30 men have been imprisoned. There have in.cn the usual stories of women killing themselves, and the village, while yet standing, is devastated. This story was told by eye-witnesses. Of course, the committee in Soiit will not stand idle alter this. A cheta will be Bent to punish the Turks who committed the atrocities, as soon as possible. And so the war drags along its bloody way, either side striking blow for blow. '