A KURDISH BRIGAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2695, 19 October 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

A KURDISH BRIGAND.

The truculent Kurdish brigaud Moussa Bey, from whom the Sublime Porte has been requesting " explanations" on the truth or other wise of the outrages reported to have been committed by him and his confederates, is now (writes a corespondent of an English paper) comfortably quartered in the town of Bitlis. The Governer and and the Turkish otlicals cherish the heighest esteem and admiration for him, and are straining every nervo to get him acquitted of the horrible charges recently brought against hiin. Indeed Moussa is, iu the eyes of his friends in authority, but but a victim of foul play and American calumny. That he is an old offender may be gathered from the evidence of an independent and impartial writer—Mr C. B. Normand, corespondent of The Times at the seat of war in Armenia in 1877- In his work entitled "Armenia and the Campaign of 1877," he says of the Kurdish chieftain, on whom the Turks will probably bestow the palm of martyrdom ;—" In the neighbourhood of Moosh, oae Moussa Bey, a son of Mirza Bey, a Kurd, from Wear Van, has been ravaging the country at the head of a small body of cavalry. The villages of Moolah Akjam, Hadogan, and Khaikin, having been first pillaged, were set 011 tire. AtArdouk he extracted £'G0 and at Ingrakam £40 from the head men of the village, under pretence of sparing them from destruction, and straightway set the places on fire. He then proceeded to aMusselman village called Norashen, and hearing that an Armenian of Bitlis was passing through, robbed him of all his goods, to the value of 30,000 piastres, and then ordered his men to murder him. At Khartz this monster entered the houseof the Armenian priest, who had lately brought his bride to his father's home. Binding the old man and his son together with cords, this inhuman scoundrel ravished thepoor girl before their eyes, and then gave orders for the murder of the three. I can write no more. A bare recital of the horrors committed by these demons is sufficient to call for condign punishmeut. The subject is too paiuful to need any colouring, were my feeble pen enabled to give it."