A BRIGAND'S EXPLOITS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

A BRIGAND'S EXPLOITS.

A. notkd brigand, named Mehined Peklevan, has boen brought to Constantinople, and will (the Daily News correspondent says) probably bo placed upon his trial for Home of the many offences which he has committed. His baud has been for several years past the scourge of the country between the Asiatie shore of tbo Bosphorus aud Ismidt. Reports of mauy of the outrages committed by him and his gaDg have found their way from time to time into the newspapers ; but brigandage throughout the vvholo country in so common that the papers as a rulo chronicle only tho inoro etriking instances. Among theso was the following :—Some eighteen months ago L'eklevan took a fancy to a girl in a villago on the Gulf of Ismidt As tho father objected to give his daughter to a man exercising so risky a profession, the brigand surpris9d the village, summoned tho inhabitants to attend at the mosque, and insisted not only that tho girl should bo given up. but that the marriage ceremony should be gone through. Of eoureo capturing villagers having a little money aud so parsing among their friends as rich men and holding them t"o ransom were common events, though usually it was more profitable to receive regular supplies from thorn. It is asserted that Peklevim received his tribute more regularly than did the Government itself, and that there was hardly a villago within his district ivhieh did not pay him blackmail. His men were armed with Martini rifle*, and tho local z-iptiehs, few and unpaid, did not troublo tho chief or his gang with their attentions. Scarcely a month passed without an account of a murder attributed to this scoundrel, and some of them were peculiarly brutal. On one occasion he capturod two boys, tho sons of a villago notable. While ho was making arrangements for sending one of tho boys home to treat for their ransom one escaped. Peklevan then caused the other boy to be cut into quarters, and each ono to be hung on a tree in tVo road along which the father would come. He and his band then decamped. After committing a series of outrages, and rendering a visit to a large district absolutely unsafe, although only within in a few miles of the capital, he was at length captured, and about three years ago brought to Constantinople to *be tried. After tho close of one of the sittings of the Crimiual Court in Stamboul ho was ordered to enter the police van. Ho attacked the two zaptiehs who had charge of him, set himself free, knocked over the driver, jumped up himself upon the box, and driving off at a gallop, made good his esoape. A few days afterwards it was announced that ho had murdered a Circassian at Erenkeni, about seven miles from the capital. Ho admitted when in Constantinople that he had committed upwards of sixty offences, of which several wero murders. Lately, however, ho appears desirous of changing his profession. Adopting, therefore, tho naino of Osman, he went to Koniah and took service as a Custom house officer in tho Tobacco Jiegie, where lie is said to have been regarded as a specially honest aud ellicient servant. He was, however, recognised ; ana, thoutrh when surprised and arrested he denied that he was Mohmed Peklevan, the evidence of identity was so strong that ho finally confessed himself to be the famous brigand. He was sent in chains to tho capital, and, it is said, lias since then made a fulleonfession of his misdeeds.