CAPTURED BY BULGARS.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1819, 10 January 1913, Page 3

CAPTURED BY BULGARS.

ADENTURES OF A CORRESPONDENT. WELL TREATED. From the Daily News Correspondent.

FANCIS McCULLAGH. Dispatched from Kirk Kilisse Nov. 19. j, I was captured by the Bulgarians Oil the night of Nov. 11 ten miles west a Chatalja. I became separated ; from the other correspondents at Chorlu owing to my horse getting ; lame. Gradually I retreated to the village of Albasan, to the west of Chatalja, which was not occupied by either side. From Albasan I rode through a sort of No Man's Land between hostile armies—an extraordinary region dotted with deserted villages, traversed only by a few scouts and by abandoned, brokendown army horses and by village dogs. The latter, having become wild and shy, fed on corpses, and shunned the face of man. On Nov 10. I rode towards the station at Sinekli, on the railway, four hours' riding west of Chatalja. When within a hundred yards of it I ascertained that it was occupied by a small Bulgarian outpost. I concluded, therefore that the Bulgarian army was at Cherkeskoi, and would take a week to reach Chatalja, and that consequently for some days I was safe at Albasan. I stated this expectation in a telegram which I sent you via Constantinople from Bogadas, on the Sea of Marmora. On the morning of Nov 11. I had ridden to Bogados for that purpose, and was riding back to Albasan in the afternoon when I heard from the local Greeks the incredible news that | the intervening village of Surgunkoi had been already occupied by the Bulgarian infantry, the cavalry having pushed on to Chatalja. town. i laughed at this news, thinking it was a usual Greek tale, but on nearing Surgunkoi I saw over a thousand infantry men on the hills a few miles to the north. Concluding that Surgunkoi was occupied I J avoided it, riding into the fields on | the east, but night came on, and I j lost my bearings. Finally my Alban- | ian servant, who had been in advance, rode back with the news that twenty infantrymen were on the road a hundred yards distant. FIRED AT IN THE DARK. I rode slowly, hoping in the darkness that we should be mistaken for peasants, but my Albanian's turban must have betrayed us. The soldiers began shouting, and finally fired. The leader of the party afterwards said they fired over our heads, but I thought they were aiming at us and dismounted. I waved a handkerchief and called out that I was an Englishman. Unfortunately my Albanian servant lost his head, and created an uproar. I told him in Bulgarian, "Don't speak." Thereupon he began shrieking, yelling, and shouting in an incomprehensible language. The effect of this mysterious turbaned pigmy howling in such an extraordinary fashion at such a time must have rather tempted the enemy, but they closed in on us. At forty paces the leader said, '' Lay down your arms.'' I said I had nothing but a revolver, and invited them to come and take it. I spoke in a mongrel tongue which we mutually understood. When they took the revolver out of my pocket a small silver cross fell out. The soldier restored it reverentially, and his manner softened, j it being clear I was not a Mahommedan. They examined '' The Daily News and Leader" permit, and concluded that I was a doctor. The revolver ami everything else was restored to me, the leader, who was only a non-commissioned officer, saying sternly to the men, '' That is private property. We can't touch it." Thus the iron discipline and justice in the Bulgarian army struck me at tiie very onset, and has been filling me with wonder ever since. Subsequently we were taken charge of by a lieutenant, and then taken before a colonel, who was sitting in a tent with another officer. The colonel invited me to eat, drink, and smoke. We conversed jovially in > Russian, but lie refused to believe I . was not an officer.

MARVELLOUS DISCIPLINE. During our wanderings in the dark we were often brought up sharply by the voice of sentinels hidden on the roadside, who instantly demanded the password, accompanying the demand by the click of their rifles. This marvellous discipline and carefulness struck me in contrast with the Turkish carelessness after Lule Bu s as -^*^ u .H&ZZSSE&s* After being handed over to another colonel I was then brought before General Popoff. He spoke perfect Russian, having long served iu the Russian Army., Ke seemed to regard the situation as being highly humorous, as I conversed with Iviui in his tent the floor of which was littered with sleeping officers and soldiers, whom he hkd sheltered from the rain. He gave me a tent for the night, and ordered that I I should be supplied with blankets and food. Next day he sent rue under escort to General Kutinschef, the leader of the Fifth Army, at a village a few miles to the v. est. On the way we met detachments of the Fifth Army on the march to the hills, which had to be taken before the capital coif,ld be readied. So complete was the organization, that an ofcacer roc 1 © in.front of the baggage. Everthing was almost /painfully perfect and shipshape. Many of the officers spoke to me, aad I was aiaazed at the high standard of education in the army. Many offiosis •spoke iu Russian, French, and German.

Though I was regarded at first [ with suspicion, and placed under arrest iu a room, I ivas well arii politely treated. All my baggage was restored to the smallest item, but two of my horses were seized by the party who took me prisoner at Albasau, and tonld not be found. However, I ampromised compensation. In all Eastern Thrace a Turkish civilian, man, woman, or child, is now as great an object of curiosity as in Surrey. The natives remaining wear the sign of the cross on their fez, and the same sign appears on the doors of their houses. The shops liavo re-opened, and business in the towns has been resumed, under excellent regulations. Ordinary prices are paid for food, clothing, etc. Post Offices are also open, and all the conveniences of transport are j now available. ]S T o intoxicants nre !

allowed to be imported or sold to the army, nothing stronger than coffee being allotted to be purchased by the troops.