From Costa Papa Tomorri
Part four
Memorie.al/ publishes the book “Greek Barbarians in South Albania” – in the years 1913 – 14, written by Kosta Papa Tomorri, who was an Albanian Orthodox priest, originally from Leusa e Përmet. As a witness of the Greek massacres during the First Balkan War, he wrote a book, or rather a volume, dedicating it to Mehmet bey Konica and it was published in 1917. Priest Kosta Papa Tomorri, was a witness of the time of the Greek attacks and barbarism of 1913-1914, who experienced the tragic events on the defenseless Albanian population in the South of the country, which he then described in that book. His evidence is shocking, also due to the fact that he was an accurate observer of those events and in his chronicles, illuminates many incidents and events that shed light on the barbarism of the Greek invaders. That book is a unique specimen, perhaps the only one, devoted to those events, from an eyewitness. Kosta Papa Tomorri’s book describes horrifying events, and testifies in detail, the tragic history of the inhabitants of those parts, where the author served in those years. The book is an accusation made by a priest and browsing its pages, we see that, among other things, he says: “Albanians! You, our sons, generation after generation, when you speak the word Greek, don’t forget the slaughter, burning and dishonor”! The priest gives this order,
You Albanians, you and your brother killed me, and I scattered a few of them. V.P
GREEK BARBARIANS IN ALBANIA
From
COSTA P. TOMORI LEUSA
JOURNAL PRESS
FRAMINGHAM, MASS
1917
IT COSTS 35C
MEHMET BE KONITZA TO THE DELEGATES OF THE ALBANIANS OF AMERICA WHO ARE TRYING TO SAVE ALBANIA FROM TOMORROW’S TROUBLE LIKE THOSE IN THIS BOOK
I DEDICATE THIS WORK TO ONE OF HIS SOLDIER
A flash, then night,
O beautiful Butterfly.
Continues from last issue
Then with a trembling voice tells you; You savages, who had neither God nor Christ, you did everything to us, you killed us, our husbands, brothers and parents, finally you came and dishonored us, don’t you know that the Albanians all the evil that comes to them, they must endure, except for one and this is an honor! Therefore, what you have in mind, you cannot finish it until my soul is in the corpse, how will my soul come out, from the corpse you can do what you want to me, but I will be dead and I will not see thing, I will die happy and with honor. So I am begging you at the last hour, to have mercy and remove my burin. If you were quiet in my husband’s house, and you watched your wife be ashamed in front of your eyes, how would it be? Add this and set it free! And the Greek, in pity, rolled his eyes at the Woman and tried to put her down.
The Albanian was protecting herself with her hands; finally the Greek took out the dagger and tried to stick it in her stomach. The lady saw that there was no escape, she rushed at the Greek and grabbed the dagger with her hands and you were trying to hit her, her hand got stuck and I didn’t let go of the dagger, his friend saw that it was not possible to they did the Albanian woman as they wanted, they attacked you with a knife and stuck it in her stomach! As soon as the lady felt the knife in her stomach, she fell to the ground and, giving up her soul, said now I’m dying, you can do whatever you want to me, die with honor! Her bound husband was watching this scene and was shedding tears, so the poor lady ended her life for honor, but the Greek barbarian, giving up the lady’s soul, he was fulfilling his desire! In her last hour…!
AREZA OFFENSIVE
As we said above, the district of Leskovik had occupied the border in the village of Arëzë and Barmash, under the command of Kapedan Fjorgakaqi, the Albanians had occupied the border in Vari Chobanit and went down to the river Barmashit. The Albanians never wanted to give anything to the Greeks; they only occupied the border to protect the honor of Albania. And the Greeks, who had come only to show their barbarism, and to devastate Albania, were looking for a reason to finish their goal. Above the village of Shalë, there is a village called Leshnjë with Muhammadans, the Greeks attacked this village like beasts and whatever they saw in front of them, they went at them with knives, women, men, babies were massacred by the savages, the streets of the village were filled with corpses, then they set fire to your houses and reduced them to ashes…!
The Albanians, who were not far from this village, when they saw smoke and flags, did not think they were attacking the Greeks. After a hard fight they gave you the date, put them in front like kids, and gave you so much terror that they couldn’t find a hole to enter, they followed them to Lesković and took the Postenan Gorge. The most departed Greeks from Leskovik were set on fire and reduced to ashes. In this war, the commander of the detachments, the Greek Kapedan Fjorgakaqi, was also wounded, who was pierced in Ioannina to heal. The inhabitants of Leskovik and the Rotull villages, as they saw the panic, to save their lives and the child’s, stood up and took the rugs to find protection among the hurries, where the regular army of Greece was.
And the Greeks, even though they were in this panic, did not leave this people in peace who were struggling to save their lives, who left behind deserted houses and piles of clothes, these were not enough, but they also watch their wives, their daughters, being shamed in the streets by the Greek barbarians, until they forget in the middle of the revelry. The squares in the middle of the streets were filled with children. The Greek government opened some tents and let the children sit down and gave them a piece of bread to keep their spirits up: And the people with that panic that I had, and they went to the middle of the hurries, but the Greek government did not reach them there , that he told you to come and die there. He also gave you a new army and they started to follow the Albanians from Leskovik and the gorge of Postenani.
MELANIE HAD IT
As we said above, the Albanians, as they put the Andars of the Leskovik district in front, occupied the gorge of Postenan. The panic of the Andars was heard and in the Përmet district, the locals of the Përmet district saw the advance of the Albanians from Leskovik, they were sure that the Përmet district would be closed in by the Albanians, on the other hand they knew very well that the Andars The Greeks, if they were defeated, had a plan to burn down all the houses and turn the country into ashes and dust, so that the Albanians would find the child and come to Ioannina. They collected all their spoils and sent them to Ioannina and they themselves were waiting for the last hour to go.
The village as the members of Leskovik was divided remained empty; only in the village of Melan was Father Stathi, with a small group from the country. Father Stathi is an Albanian priest with a sense of nationalism, but since he was under the Greek bayonet, he was not allowed to show his feelings, out of evil he had taken command of that gang in Melan and was waiting for the hour to join the Albanians.
I don’t think much, that the Albanians took Postenen Gorge, crossed the Barmashi River, and took the villages of Radinisht, Peshtan, Kreshovë, Icgar, Ogdunan and Delvinë, where they lost money. The Andars of the Përmet district were shocked when they learned that the Albanians occupied Delvina, that without a word they would be closed by the Albanians. Commander’ of Përmet, sent Father Stathi an aid of 50 people under the command of Kapedan Josif from Arëza. Father Stathi took the courage to think that the time had come to show his patriotism. He gave orders to the squad, when he saw that Capedan Josif was coming to Melan, to tell them that they were Albanians, he told you, his squad, without knowing that it was their help, gave you a battery.
And Capedan Josifi, you answered the battery and after half an hour of fighting, Capedan Josifi saw the pike, took his comrades and ran away, leaving one killed and one wounded. Pandehu that the Albanians had occupied Melani as well. At’ Stathi, when he saw no helpers, he split up, took his son and went to Delvina, where he joined the Albanians. At’ Stathi’s gang, they understood that At’ Stathi lied to them, got angry and went to his house and found At’ Stathi’s wife, together with her two children, took them and sent them to Përmet and the house of At’ Stathi they set fire.
When the commissioners arrived in Përmet, they told the Commander about Father Stathi’s betrayal. Commander Mr. Kocifaq, when I learn about this event, I rolled my eyes and said; ah! Trathëtor I will set out on my own and try to capture him alive, and if God wills that I capture him alive, I will take him to the Qaratana spit. I don’t see Mr. Kocifaqi, he was preparing his army and headed for Melan.
OFFENSIVE AGAINST ALBANIA
When the Greek government saw that the troops it had sent were breaking from all sides and if no more help was sent, the Albanians would occupy the bridges, so I sent an officer with 100 souls to the province of Leskovik. The commander of the Leskovik troops agreed with the commander of Përmet to launch an offensive against the Albanians. The Commander of Përmet also sent a ball to Commander Leskovik and marked the day of the offensive, which was April 2, 1914. The day came and after the word that the troops of Përmet had made, they would occupy the war first. Kocifaqi occupied the neck of Melani, the troops that were in Lupcke under the command of Pappageorgi, half occupied the tabor’ of Ogren and half occupied the coast of Kostrec and the cannon they had in Lupcke, they threw it on Kostrec.
That day at 4 o’clock in the morning, Kocifaqi gave the order to his troops to fight against Delvina. The army, following the order of the Commander, took the battle against Delvina. And the Albanians like hail, they answer to the Greeks. After a few minutes of duels, Pappa Gheorgjiu set fire to the ball and bombarded Delvina, but Leskovik’s troops, when they burned that the offensive took against Delvina, did not hesitate, they also took the double leg, against Postenan’s neck, and their cannon was bombarding Tabje’ of the Albanians .
The battle was fierce, which lasted the whole day, and they could not dislodge the Albanians from their positions, until the rifle was darkened and the ball did not stop, so they were depressed and rained, so they forced themselves to rest the rifle. The Albanians, who were in Delvina that night, were forced to leave Delvina because the place was not tragic and if they were young for the next day, they would be killed alive, that night they left Delvina and took the neck of Peshtan. Qaf’ of Peshtani is a strategic place. The next day, the Greek commander ordered the troops to throw batteries against Delvina, but in these batteries, no one from Delvina responded, the commander understood that the Albanians had left Delvina.
Then Kumandari, I can’t go without you to Delvina. When the Christians of Delvina saw that the Andars were coming, they went outside and welcomed them with songs. The Muslims of Delvina had fled together with the Albanians and had left their homes, with all their belongings deserted. When the Andars entered Delvina, it poured into the houses of the Muslims; they opened the doors, looted them and then set them on fire and reduced them to ashes. The Albanians, who were in the mouth of Postenani, were not broken, but still the next day they were blowing violently.
When the Andars of Përmet finished from Delvina, they went to the village of Kreshovë, 1 hour away from Delvina, and in this village, the Andars were received with great honor. After resting a bit in this village, they started to go to Peshtan, going with a big remark that they didn’t know where the Albanians had spent their money. As they approached the Peshtan River, the Albanians were very strong and they would not be able to dislodge them from the country.
Here Commander Mr. Kocifaqi sent an agent to Lupçka where Pappa Gheorgjiu was, where he told him to take the ball and push it to Kreshovo and from there to bombard Peshtani’s Neck and Rotull villages. Pappa Gheorgjiu, I don’t think he took the ball and punched it in the Neck of Kreshova. The day darkened and the war had not stopped, from the gorge of Postenan to Peshtan, smoke and flag of the city, as the wind blew, the war stopped. As soon as the next day dawned, the war took over from both sides, the cannon from Qaf’e Kreshovo was constantly bombarding Qaf’e Peshtan and the villages of Rotull, Icgar, Radimisht and Barmash.
The Albanian troops that were in the gorge of Postenan, that day fought 10 hours bravely against the Greeks, but unfortunately they could not succeed, because the Greeks were more numerous and the cannons did not stop bombarding for 10 hours. They forced themselves to leave Postenan’s throat. As they came, they fled and attacked Barmash. That night, the Greeks realized that the Albanians had left their place. The next day, when it dawned, the war started again in Peshtan, the Albanians who were in the Peshtan Pass did not leave their place and they realized that the Albanians of Postenani had left their place, the first night, so again that morning, they took the rifle with the intention of crushing the bones of the barbarians.
They were lied to, because the Greek troops saw that morning that the Albanians had fled, they took the road and approached Barmash. When they approached Barmash, they tried to fight with the Albanians, a fierce battle took place, and until they forced the Albanians to leave their place and the Greeks entered Barmash and set them on fire. The Albanians, who were in the Pass of Peshtan, when they saw that Barmash was burning, realized that they were in danger of being surrounded, so they decided to leave Peshtan. They got up little by little and fled and joined the other troops that were across the Barmashit River. In this war, the Greeks left many dead and wounded.
When the Greeks saw that the Albanians left the Pass of Peshtan, they poured into this village, in Peshtan there were also 30 Muslim children who could not go with the Albanians, but fate left them there to look for fright. When the savages entered the village, the Christians together with the Moslems came forward to meet those savages! As soon as the barbarians entered, they gathered all the Muslims, who made a total of 40 people and pierced them with a spear outside the village and put them in the cannonade, killed them and left them in the spear, then returned to the village, gathered all the women and the maids and close a house to them.
The poor babies were running around the streets screaming and looking for their parents. So the savages gathered all the babies and drilled them into a house, where there was a well, and there they took the babies one by one, cut off their heads and threw them into the well. The number of babies they slaughtered was 27. When they finished slaughtering the babies, they covered the well with stones. Then they looted the houses and set them on fire and reduced them to ashes. They sent the booty they took from Peshtani to Delvina, where they also had the others. Now it’s the women’s turn. They took the poor women and drove them away from the village where they live in a square, Kocifaqi told the Andars; feel free to have fun with these women. So they took the savages and were fulfilling their desires. When they finished having fun, they went to the two-faced bayonets and tortured the poor women until they died…! This is how the tragic scene of Peshtan ends.
From Barmash, the Greeks defeated the Albanians and burning the villages they found, they attacked Kolonje, and they went as far as the village of Ngjonç and looted them. Kocifaq’s body was returned to Përmet. This body in the bridge of Badelonji, I am sorry, because Badelonji also has Muslim residents. They went up to the village and called the Myftari of the village, to tell them the houses of the Myslymans that they were going to raid them for weapons. The butler told them and these were released like beasts through the houses, gathered all the men they could find and shut them up in a house. Then they went to search the houses, opened the boxes and took money, rings, watches, bracelets and anything else they could find. They dishonored the women, when they went to Hoxha Badeloni’s house, he had a maid for 16 years, he collected 30 souls for the poor girl, they had fun and left her with half a soul, the girl was sent to bed for two weeks and gave up her soul…!
When they finished having fun, they left the men and laid them on the tree and said; where are the weapons, what did the poor people give you, when they didn’t have any?! Finally, they asked for money, which they gave as soon as they had. As the money was taken, they were released. That’s how the poor people went to the houses with half a soul, but what did they find at home? Their crying children, who were telling them what the boilers did to them, but what should they do? Where should they cry? Who would give you the right?
OFFENSIVE AGAINST COLOGNE AND FRASHERI
Leskovik’s troops, which were located in Gjonç and Borrovë, stayed until April 20 without making a single fight. On April 20, he took the offensive against Cologne. After a tough fight, the Albanians were defeated, in this fight Sali Butka besieged a body of 160 Gjirits, of which only 80 people escaped. As the Albanians were defeated, the Greeks invaded the villages of Kolonje, burning, smoke and flames were coming from the mountains of Kolonje. The troops of Përmet who were in the camp of Ogren, when they saw smoke and flames coming out of the mountains of Kolonje, were rejoicing and asking each other (you devil? Pote tha ekomen ap’edho panigiri?). Leskovik’s troops arrived by burning the villages to the brink.
They set fire to the old Luaras. In this village, he burned two Christian children because they were accused of being nationalists. All the children of these villages wear rugs and forget about Lupçke. The Andars raided this village, slaughtered 275 people, and burned the village. Here the Andars made cents, all this was done in 3 days. The commander of the Përmet troops, Papa Gheorgjiu, when he saw that Kolonja was completely burned, he also decided to launch an offensive against Frashër, the day of April 23, at dawn on Sunday.
On Saturday night, all the Kapedans gathered in the camp of Ogren, to make the plan of the offensive, after it was known where each one would sit. They told the soldiers to get ready, that the next day Kokojka Frashëri would fall. As I go in the middle of the night, each Kapedan burned his body to be buried in the place that the Commander orders. Captain Farmaqi, a shepherd from Kosovo, would fall to Zavalani from Ogreni. Kapedan Bubuna from Buhali, in Korbit’s neck.
Qirovaso shepherd and Kapedan Begori in Vigje, Lake Kosina shepherd and Nikio, Grykë e Borockë. He took the place as he did. He threw the ball in the old tabor and the mouth to Kokojka. As soon as the whitewash came from the side of Qirovasa, rifles were fired, and the entire line was fired at once, and the Albanians were responding like machine guns. After a few minutes, the cannon began to bombard Kokojka, and in half an hour, it fired 80 cannons. Among the Albanians, duality was becoming rare. When the Albanians saw that they couldn’t hold on any longer, Kolonja gave up their courage, so they stayed a little in Kokojka, to protect them until the child went from Selenica and Frashëri.
As the Andars saw that the two-faith was attacked by the Albanians, Qiro Vasua and Kostë Beçor, damn Kokojkë. The Albanians fled, and then all the Andar troops attacked and left Kokojka, where they found two Albanian gendarmes killed. They left Selenica, there was no one left in Selenica, only the ruined houses, their spoils had been tied up and made into dens, ready to be erected, but they didn’t harvest everything, these dens were erected by the Andars and how did one gather them again square, they set your houses on fire. They went to Frashër, in Frashër the Christians were left, who went forward to meet the wolves.
When they came to Frashër, they opened the shops and took the spoils, the Christians were screaming that it was their spoils, but they were telling you that you are also Turko-Allvanj, then they poured into the Muhammedans’ mahalla, they set fire to your houses. A Muhammadan who was left with all his sons, they found him on the road and killed both of them in the middle of the road, leaving them in masjid. There was a dervish and an old woman left in masjid, who when they saw that the Andars were coming to masjid, guarded the gates, but they didn’t wait for them, they also killed the accesses in masjid, collected all the spoils that masjid had and then set them on fire. All the houses of Frashëri had an Albanian flag in the window, which burned together with the houses, smoke and flames became Frashëri.
The ash that brought out the gods of Albania. Where are you O soul of the undead Naim Be? Where were you that minute to watch Frashëri? Why didn’t they come out and legislate it? With that sweet tongue? Yes, not mourning, a death rest, you had covered Frashëri…! After Frashëri, they went to Kreshovo, fire and there, they went to Miçan, fire and there. Here they found 13 women, whom they stabbed. Rifle was cracking on the side of Bocka and Lipostivan. Here the Albanians were having a great time. In Lipostivan, the brave with the blade, Bilal Lipostivan, who was fighting against 300 people from masjid, I am not going anywhere, says Bilal, I want to die here. Capedan Manoli, a Gjiritas, tried to capture Bilal alive, but he was not surprised, because Bilal’s bullet hit him in the forehead and bit him.
Borocks was broken, but Bilal was not, his friends left, he was left with four people, he was still alive until a stray bullet took him in the head, then my friends also ran away. They chased Bilal all the way to Berat, where they fled. They chased Bilal all the way to Berat, where this brave man died. The Andars went to Borockë, to Pagri, to Lipostivan, to Stevran, to Fratar, to Senica, they stayed here.
MURDER COST BECHORIT
This barbarian stays in Miçan with his whole body. As a few days went by without any effort being made, this cunning befriended the Albanians and advised them to come to his house and promised them that they would not suffer anything. One day the Albanians gave him a feast in Koprenckë, where they invited Kostë Beçorë and this vat with some of his friends to the feast. They were well received by the Albanians, and he even exchanged his double faith with an Albanian. As soon as the feast was over, they left, as they went, I invited the Albanians for a feast, and the Albanians promised to come. But this one did not mean to be feasted on the Albanians as they were feasted, but you followed the way of the Greeks, that is, disloyalty.
This barbarian had in mind that if the Albanians came to have a feast, they would kill them all. This plan was brought to the attention of the Greek Commander, Pope George, who forbade him to do this crime and thus the Albanians were saved. One hot day in the village of Verzhezhë, where he was received by the Albanians of that village, eating, drinking, with roasted meats and all the good things. You had watered yourself for the fourth time. After they had had a good time, they also asked for a dish. This was the custom of the Greek to disrespect him. The Lord of the house had a daughter who fell in love with Beçor and he wanted to marry her so that he could have her to pass the time. I understand the plan that I wanted to make and with tricks, I send his son to inform the friends of the village, what is going to happen.
The Albanians of the village drew their weapons and stood waiting for him when he came out of the door of the house. When he got ready to go, he motioned to his friends to be ready to take the chupa. And before they took the chupa, there was a knock on the door because the fly knew there was no one there. As soon as he stuck his head out the door, the Albanians guarding him shot him in the forehead. Beçor fell if an ox and called (with the ephagan of Allvani), the Albanians ate me, the other three friends, how they burned Beçor’s doublet and voice, they both wanted to see what it sounded like. The Albanians didn’t expect it; they gave you a bullet and let them go. Then they went to take the corpses and put them in the pit. They found a lot of money in Beçor’s bag, after crushing his head with a stone, he threw all four into a pit, and this was the end of Kostë Beçor, who could not be occupied by the Greek governess. Memorie.al
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