Captain Nikos and Captivity of Col. Synge

The difficult situations under which the Greek and other Christian populations were living during the Ottoman occupation of Macedonia during the late 19th century, forced many in the non-Muslim population of Macedonia to take radical measures. These measures and actions were taken in order to draw the attention of Europe and the rest of the West so that they should put pressure on the Ottoman authorities to improve the paltry situation of Christians in Macedonia. One such action was taken by some Greek bandits under the infamous Niko which led to the capture of the Anglo-Irish captain Henry Synge. Synge was a British adviser to the Ottoman gendarmerie. In order to secure the freedom of Colonel Synge and Harry Suter the British Government paid £24.000 (the equivalent of perhaps as much as half-a-million pounds today).

In the article of New York Times titled "In the hands of the brigands" (23 May 1880), Col. Synge tells the story during his captivity (phototype down on the left side): 

"...On the following Tuesday I left for my farm a Tricovista. On Thursday night, between 10 and 11 o'clock, sitting in my arm-chair, I was startled by shots rattling in at the windows and blows at the granary door below... I went up to the top of the house, and opened fire with small shot where I saw the flashes of the rifles. They were all around banging away, and the bullets smashing up everything. My Albanians, who occupy a house across the farmyard, about 100 yards off, also opened fire, but the brigands were all under cover... The band is under the leadership of Niko, assisted by his brother Basil, and his brother-in-law, Kalesh. Another brother, Georghi, is chief of a second band, numbering only eight. A third brother is in prison in Greece. Of Niko's band, six are deserters from the Greek Army. These, with Niko and his relatives, are armed with the 'Gras' or Greek service rifle, which they prefer to all others. The remainder of the band are armed with the 'Martini' and 'Milonar,' or old Greek service weapon. One of the deserters had served at the time of the Marathon murders, and was well up in the events of that time. One had been a monk at Mount Athos. All made the sign of the cross before and after eating. All had taken part in the last raid in Thessaly. I fear I shall never know who were their instigators and accomplices, but I cannot believe that the attack originated with the brigands. What a difference between the ragged ruffians who formed the brigand bands when I first came to this country - five or ten men, armed with old flint guns, which would not go off at all in wet weather, and were a nearly equal source of danger to the shooter and the 'shootee' in fine-and now-bands of 50 to 150, armed with the best of modern villages and carrying people off to ransom."

In the another article of NY Times from 25 March 1880 titled as "Various Eastern Interests", ethnicity of the rebels is written as Greek:

An Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald, published an article titled "Release of Colonel Synge and wife" (24 March 1880). And here is mentioned the ethnicity of the bandits (phototype down):

The Reading Daily Eagle on 22 February 1880, published an article with title "Outrage by Greek brigands":

On 17 April 1880, British magazine The Illustrated London News, published picture from the arrival of Col. Synge after his release by the brigands:

In the book "Greek pictures; drawn with pen and pencil" (1890) by J. P. Mahaffy, about the kidnapping of Colonel Synge writes:

"...The notorious case of Colonel Synge, which happened in 1881, is perhaps not in the recollection of the reader, but it illustrates too clearly the condition of the Greeks under Turkey not to be briefly stated here. This Irish gentleman thought fit to occupy a farm on the northern slopes of Mount Olympus, where he lived with some stout Albanian dependants. The fact that he was a British subject, and a man of social position tempted the notorious bandit and murderer, Niko, to organise a band for the purpose of surprising him, and extracting a large ransom. Colonel Synge had some vague notice of their intentions, but trusted to his followers and to his own resources to resist them. When they attacked his house, he defended himself for some time, but when they proceeded to set fire to it, and it became necessary to retreat, he had a woman and young children under his care whom he could not desert, and who could not possibly be carried off in a running fight. He was, therefore, compelled to surrender. Some of the Albanians with him were murdered in cold blood, and he was carried off. Negotiations were then started by his writing to the British consul at Salonica, stating that the brigands, under pain of putting him to death with horrible tortures, demanded ; £5,000 ransom. Agents from the consulate proceeded to parley with agents of the brigands during a period of two months, while all police or military supervision of the district was stopped at the demand of the villains. During this interval twenty-seven honest people are said to have been robbed or murdered by these and other villains, freed from all fear of punishment. The final result, as nearly as I can remember the facts, was as follows. Each brigand of the band of thirty received a gold watch and chain; the £15,000 was paid to them in gold by the English consul (to be recovered from the Turks out of the tribute which the English pay for Cyprus to the Sultan); furthermore, all Niko's friends then in jail under various charges of robbery and murder, which he alleged to be unjust, were liberated. Then Colonel Synge was restored to his friends. Niko retired from his lucrative profession, and was said to be living in one of the Greek islands when I heard the story. In consequence of this affair another Englishman was since seized in Macedonia, and the same ransom extracted ; and now no British citizen can pass through that province without fear of a similar fate.

It is common in such cases to talk of Greek brigands, and such no doubt these men were in race. But in justice it should be added that they were all subjects of the iniquitous government of Turkey in Macedonia, and that in no part of Greece has any such outrage happened for many years. As I have said, and as I have repeatedly proved by personal experience, any stranger can travel as he pleases all over Greece, and even up to the Turkish frontier, with perfect safety. This result is attained very easily in any province, Greek or Turkish, by arming the peasants, and putting a price on every brigand's head. To the peasants these people are a great and constant scourge, so that Greeks or Albanians will treat any vagrant as a brigand, and so make the business too dangerous to be a desirable profession in life. The mountaineer who lives in these highlands is very brave, and quite delighted to have a battue even for the most dangerous game. When the inducement of a reward in money is added, the sport becomes a passion with them..."

[J. P. MAHAFFY, Greek pictures; drawn with pen and pencil, London 1890, pg. 213-214]

West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 - 1930) , Tuesday 22 April 1902, page 5:

"In a country where poverty is the sole safeguard against plunder the brigand is the only hero, and he is the only dandy. He comes into the semi-weekly market where the women chaffer over their wares, or strides through a railroad car, known by everybody, with his snow white fustanella standing out about him like a ballet dancer's skirt his. I heaviiy tasseled cap, his embroidered tunic stiff with gleaming metal, tives thert methods are drastic. "The romantic young envy him; the elders at least recognise in him familiar burden. He is popular. The word hears nothing of the brigands unless they disturb Europeans. With natives their methods are drastic. The famous Nicko once took from Larissa two children of different families, whom he held to ransom at 300 and 400 liras respectively. The wealthier parents redeemed their child. The other pair were very poor. They sent 50 liras with humble apologies Nicko returned the tracted people scraped together 100 monry. By heroic efforts the disliras; again Nicko returned them, giving in a peremptory message three days to furnish the entire sum. When the three days had passed he sent back the child, cut into four pieces. Kismet! It was Fate! Nothing was done."

In previous article titled "The Macedonian Brigand", the noun 'Macedonian' is used as geographical and political term. The best examples of this are the articles of NY Times - "The noble Macedonian bandit" (8 December 1901), Brooklyn Daily Eagle - "Brigands of to-day" (1 December 1901), Clyde NY Democratic Herald - "Brigandage in Macedonia" (phototype on the right side):

"The bandit is the Macedonian hero. The admiration of him is inbred. Greek independence was won by bandits inured to fighting and marches, not by townsmen. The Greek national costume to-day-the-resplendent uniform worn by the King's crack regiments of "Euzones" - is that of the Albanian brigand. Macedonia spasmodically hopes to be redeemed from Islam as was Greece. In a country where poverty is the sole safeguard against plunder the brigand is the only hero, and he is the only dandy. He comes into the semi-weekly market where the women chatter over their wares, or strides through a railroad car, known by everybody, with his snow-white fustanella standing out about him like a ballet dancer's skirt, his heavily tasseled cap, his embroidered tunic stiff with gleaming metal, twirling his fierce mustachios. The romantic young envy him; their elders at least recognize in him a familiar burden. He is popular.

The world hears nothing of the brigands unless they disturb Europeans. With natives their methods are drastic. The famous Nicko once took from Larissa two children, of different families, whom he held for ransom at 300 and 400 liras, respectively. The wealthier parents redeemed their child. The other pair were very poor. They sent 50 liras with humble apologies; Nicko returned the money. By heroic efforts the distracted people scraped together 100 liras; again Nicko returned them, giving in a peremptory message three days to furnish the entire sum. When the three days passed he sent back the child, cut into four pieces. Kismet! It was fate! Nothing was done."

Daskalot, member and administrator of MTO Forum, has attempted to show Captain Niko as "ethnic Macedonian" bandit, instead of ethnic Greek bandit from Macedonia, or Macedonian only as geographical term, not ethnic. Also Boston Evening Transcript, another US newspaper, in published article with title "Force of no avail" (14 October 1901) recognized Greek ethnicity of Captain Nicko and his band. It's interesting that kidnappers of Miss Ellen Stone are mentioned as Bulgarian brigands (Photo down):

Because of his criminal background, Captain Niko isn't positive historical figure, but his gang activity contributed through printed media, Europe to hear about situation in Macedonia.

Author: Marsyas Periandrou