TERRIBLE SCENES AT BULGARIAN EXECUTIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLX, Issue 8168, 20 August 1887, Page 7

TERRIBLE SCENES AT BULGARIAN EXECUTIONS.

The Odessa correspondent of the Daily News writes: —‘I have had during the last few •days several conversations with M. Gnercff, a Bulgarian deputy, and his daughter, Madame 'Zelenogorcff, the widow of Captain Zelenogoroff, who, with eight others, was shot at Bnsbchnk on February 22, by order of the Regents. Madame Zelenogoroff is a young lady of some twenty years, and of very considerable personal attractions. All the leaders shot on February 22, she admitted, were asaembled in her boose ten days previously ; but she asserted that she knew-nothing of the ■ meditated revolt, Madame Z.lenogortff states 'that she was not permitted by the Regents’ order to visit her husband during the three •days’ imprisonment before the execution. She gained access, however, to his prison in disguise. She complains bitterly of the manner of the executions, and if her statement be correct they were certainly carried out in a shocking manner. She ra'd : "My husband and the rest were sentenced to death late on the evening of 21st, and shot at four o’clock next morning. On that morning I was prostrated by illness, and my husband had only time to write a few rapidly pencilled words before he was led out to bis grave. This is what happened. The nine victims were placed before their shallow, short graves, which were ■not more than four feet in length and a foot and a halt deep. My husband refused to have his eyes bandaged, and tore open the tunic of, his uniform, that it might not be riddled, say* ing that his coat was guilty of no treason. The firing party numbered ninety, and jet my husband was left unscathed after the first volley. At the second and third discharge he was wounded and fell. Then the officer m ■charge advanced to give him the coup de grace, aud emptied five chambers of his revolver before the ‘ murder ’ of my huoband was completed. Then the crowd rushed in, and tore •the boots and clothes from the still warm bodies, which were.pitched into the too small .graves, and trodden down. My husband’s feet were hacked off so that bis poor mutilated corpse might be made to fit the grave. It was all very horrible. The dogs came in the night, and we had to set guardians over the ;graves. Subsequently we erected cresses and ■headstones, but they were demolished by the brutal and vindictive agents of the Regents. Now things are quieter we have re■placed the headstones. Madame Zelenogoroff ;had much to say about Prince Alexander. He was honourable, good-natured, and amiable ; but his amiability, if it may be so termed, said - Madame Zalenogoroff, was -carried to an extreme, which affected and injured his position. In the latter days of ■his reign not only many ladies, but-officersdid not think of rising when the Prince entered or left a room. He was somewhat boyish in bis •.amusmenta, and would divert himself with a .a number of officers in all manner of school* boy frolics.’ ■