BRIGANDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4079, 28 February 1894, Page 4

BRIGANDS.

Brigands still appear to maintain a free hand in Caucasus. The other day 24 of them, armed to the teeth, issued irom a village about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. A pack-horse laden with cartridges and other munitions brought up the rear. Before reaching Caturoff, one of the industrial villages in the Baku petroleum regioD, the party met four peasants, whom they interrogated as to the dwelling of the richest man in the settlement. The first peasant refused to say, and was immediately cut down. A second also declining was stabbed. The other two led the brigands to the house of a benevolent and wealthy compatriot, Hapshi Hussein, in the village of Kobi. Hapshi Hußsein hesitated to say where his money was kept, but a dagger driven through the muscles of his right arm, and left there, induced him to lead the robbers to his safe. Here they found ten thousand roubles in gold and paper money, and ten thousand roubles' worth of valuables. Hapshi Hussein was afterwards cut down and decapitated. Tbe housekeeper wore gold eafringe, the glint of which attracted the attention of the murderers. In a moment ber ears were slit from tbe sides of ber head. She sprang to the door, but was stabbed. Her cries had, however, alarmed tbe villagers, who opened a fusilade on tbe robbers. The latter made a desperate sortie, regained their horses, and good their escape, leaving four of their number dead. All efforts have so far failed to unearth this band from their fastness.