After the attack, between thirty and forty Bulgarians were killed by the Turks, either while resisting arrest or trying to escape. The involvement of a wealthy and well-known Bulgarian merchant in the attack shows that it is almost impossible for any Bulgarian, no matter their status, to avoid being caught by the Komitaji (Bulgarian revolutionary groups) Monastir A Divided and Violent Town.
Mourning and Retaliation
After the events in Salonika, all Bulgarian schoolteachers in the Dede Aghatch province wore mourning clothes for forty days to honor those who had died.
The Village of Banitsa
In the village of Banitsa, near Seres, two Bulgarian “bands” were surrounded by Turkish soldiers. After heavy fighting, most of the band members were killed, as well as many of the village men. Around thirty or forty women were assaulted, and most of the houses were burned down. Only 22 out of 170 houses remained. In the Seres region, 1,600 houses were burned. Of those, only 109 were Turkish; the rest were Bulgarian Istanbul Tour Guide.
Torture in Konski
In the village of Konski, three Bulgarian peasants were tortured by Turkish officers searching for weapons. They were stripped, tied up, and placed on hot embers. A woman was also burned on both her arms. This was done as punishment for the Bulgarian attacks on Salonika.
Provoked Violence and Retaliation
Mr. Consul-General Graves wrote to the British Foreign Office, explaining that most of the crimes committed by the Bulgarians were provoked by the Patriarchists (Greeks). The Greeks were trying to take back schools and churches that had been taken over by the Bulgarians during the conflict.
The Bulgarians fought back in retaliation. Later, Graves reported that a Bulgarian revolutionary had documents on his body, including petitions in both Bulgarian and Turkish. The petitions asked for the inhabitants of Greek-controlled villages to be placed under the authority of the Bulgarian Exarchate (Bulgarian Orthodox Church). The documents also included secret instructions on how to force people to sign these petitions.
