NEWS OF THE WEEK.
• ATERRIBLE tragedy in Greece has this week almost superseded politics. A party of residents and tourists, comprising Lord and Lady Muncaster, Mr. Herbert, Secretary to the British Legation, Mr. F. Vyner, Count de Boyl, Secretary to the Italian Legation,
Mr. Lloyd an engineer, his wife and child, on April 11th set out from Athens to visit Marathon. The Greek Government reported Attica safe, but granted them an escort of six soldiers, and they were joined en route by another party of twenty-five more. About 4.30 p.m., while traversing a bit of forest, they were attacked by brigands, who carried the party up Pentelicus, and ordered them to send one of their number to Athens to obtain a ransom. The brigands, who had been informed by politicians with whom they are in league of the rank of the travellers, at first fixed this ransom at £50,000, but subsequently reduced it to £25,000, and this amount the captives undertook to provide. The duty of pro- ceeding to Athena fell to Mr. Vyner, but he generously waived it in favour of Lord Muncaster, lest Lady Mun- caster should suffer from anxiety, and his lordship and the ladies were sent back to Athens. There no difficulty was made about the money, which was at once guaranteed by the rela- tives of the captives and the Italian Government ; but the bandits, instigated by Greek statesmen in Opposition, demanded an amnesty, their advisers' object being to compel the Government to do an unconstitutional act, and then oust it. The Government, aware of the design, refused the amnesty, though it was pressed on them by Lord Clarendon, who even agreed to carry off the brigands to Malta with their enormous prize, —an astounding instance of the weakness of mankind when moved by pity. The Government had previously pledged themselves not to move soldiers against the brigands until the prisoners were safe, but on 21st April, moved by some impulse still unexplained, they broke the pledge, and the troops attacked the brigands, who shot Mr. Lloyd, dragged away the remainder of the prisoners, and shot them one by one, Mr. Vyner being the last survivor. The troops during the pursuit appear to have killed seven of the band, and the hunt is still unremitting.
