Page 659 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

ignjat and Cveja Petković went to the wood to collect firewood. They were attacked by the albanians who stripped them of their clothes and sent them thus naked back to the village. Today, 10 oxen have been stolen from Gračanica. No one can go to the mountain to collect firewood in fear of the albanians.
Two Serbian families fled from Novo Selo to Prejace in order to avoid the terror perpetrated by albanians.
The village of Sušice has been attacked by the albanians every night for three weeks now. On September 13th, an open clash broke out. The gunfire lasted for several hours and some were wounded.
On September 16, in the middle of Priština, sons of jusuf Fetah beat up an old ethnic Serb N. from Priština for refus- ing to carry for them sacks full of salt for free.
On the night between September 15th and 16th, a gang of albanians attacked Laplje-Selo (Kadikej), an hour’s walking distance away from Priština, intending to murder Djordje (antush), a mehandžija [tavern owner] of Serbian national- ity but the villagers prevented it. The entire village of Laplje- -selo has been sleepless for eight days now due to incessant albanian strikes occurring every night.
albanians in Babuš murdered one Serb of unknown iden- tity.
On September 17th, the Ottoman police [zaptiahs] forced several Serb families to return from Batusa wherefrom they intended to flee to Serbia in order to avoid the terror which had already caused the displacement of the entire village pop- ulation. all of the Serbs were arrested. However, the alba- nian terrorists though being true culprits and instigators of emigration are still at large.
To illustrate albanian disrespect of the imperial author- ities, the following case is worth noting: on September 12th, it was announced via the telal [town-crier] that whoever car- ries a revolver or a knife in town shall be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment and fined with two ducats. Now, even those albanians who, until now, have not been carrying weap- ons (e.g. merchants) started carrying revolvers in public— even two revolvers in one belt.
Kajtas, an albanian from Radevo across Sitnica, wants to forcefully expel several Serb families, which are the only remaining Serb families in Radevo. The major victim of his assaults being Živa N. of Serb nationality to whom he offers to personally take him to Serbia. The latter does not want to leave his home and land which would be immediately ap- propriated by the albanians pretending to be true owners. The self-same man, Kajtas, forcefully evicted two Serb fam- ilies from their homes forcing them to move to Serbia hav- ing confiscated their houses and property.
in the village of Batusa, albanians forcefully evict Serbs population from their houses forcing them to flee to Serbia. They also force the Serbs to do agricultural field works for the albanians on Sundays and without reimbursement. On September 19th, the daughter of Nicko N.—who had fled to Serbia—was forced to turn Turk and convert to islam.
On the nights of September 19th and 20th, there were shoot- ings in front of the Serbian Consulate in Priština and there was loud banging of the rifle-butts on the windows of the Consulate as a mere provocation of the kavazes [guards].
Sources and Testimonies
During the month of September, the following numbers of Serb females were forced to turn Turk and convert to is- lam: in Dobridub 1, in alaš 2, in Rušce 1, in Batusa 1.
in addition to that, the following Serb females have been forced to turn Turk: Dajina Bobica from Prepolac, Marija N. in Sjenica, Stefanija from the village of Crveška (the District [District] of Sjenica).
a group of unidentified albanians have torched the lime- -pit belonging to Vasa N. from Priština. That lime-pit is used for state buildings and is guarded by a zaptiah [guard] who was afraid to react when the arsonists were setting it on fire.
When Serbs complain of cattle and oxen raiding to bim- bashsa, Commander of the Gendarmerie in Priština, he usu- ally responses as follows:
- So, what am i supposed to do?! There are thefts as well in the center of Priština. Or, perhaps you want me to send a zaptiah to guard each and individual house in the village.
With villagers’ complaints being treated and answered in this manner, no one wants to complain any more having lost all their faith in the government.
October 2nd, 1894
alija Skopče from Priština has beaten up to death and tram- pled upon a 70-year old elderly named Kosta N. in his vine- yard; Kosta is now lying on his deathbed.
in Priština, Turkish children attack and beat Serb chil- dren when going out from school. in addition to this, they throw mud and snow at Serb priests and their escorts.
When the Serbs of Priština filed a complaint to the Mu- tesarif, he did not want to either investigate the incident or to arrest the assaulters but rather summoned all the Serbs, signatories of the complaint, for interrogation, intimidating and questioning them about who wrote their complaint in Turkish language.
in 1894, at Bairam, albanians dragged a Serb schoolboy from the street inside a building where he was raped by many. His parents’ complaint has remained unresolved until now with the family being forced to flee Priština in fear of alba- nians seeking shelter in Serbia (jovan Lipljanka).
On October 11th, albanians beat up an old woman, Baba- -Božana, in the charshija [business district and market place]. With the same intensity, they beat up to death Djordje Vasi- ljević, a quilt-maker, alson known as Tače jorgandzija, on his way to work; he was beaten up in the middle of the ucu- mat.
On October 15th, albanians shot at Stojan aritanović from Priština. Now, he is afraid to leave his home and has hired an albanian to guard him. (Subsequently, Stojan also fled to Serbia).
Nikola Sičan from Priština hired an albanian man to bodyguard him and keep him company in the shop protect- ing him from the albanians.
in the village of Vrbeštince, in the Sirinćka Župa, alba- nians slew a 16 year old boy, the only son of janićije N., an ethnic Serb.
in Mitrovica, albanians killed a tavern-owner (mehan- dzija) N., an ethnic Serb from Veles.
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