In 1874, the “Neuigkeits-Welt-Blatt” published an article about the bloody event of Podgorica where Montenegrins and local Albanians clashed. In the article, we can read that “Montenegrins usually go to the neighboring town of Podgoricza (Podgorica) in Albania to buy food and sell their own products”.
Cited:
“The Troubles in Podgoricza: Regarding the bloody events in Podgoricza, which have already been repeatedly discussed by Welt Blati, more is written. The Montenegrins usually go to the neighboring Turkish town of Podgoricza in Albania to buy food and sell their own products. On the 19th, there was a large market in Podgoricza, and about a hundred Montenegrins, including an archimandrite, appeared there.
Suddenly, a commotion arose in the marketplace. In the initial tumult, only shouts of “A Montenegrin has killed a Turk!” could be heard. In the second moment, all the Montenegrins were surrounded, and a bloody fight ensued, which was all the more unfortunate for the Montenegrins as they were in a large minority.
The escaped Montenegrins spread this grim news with lightning speed in the Black Mountains, where a terrible commotion arose. The people, armed as they always are, wanted to cross the border immediately to take bloody revenge on the Turks. Prince Nikita opposed this plan. To avoid further complications, the prince immediately ordered all Turks engaged in trade in Cettinje to be escorted across the border under heavy guard, as their safety could not otherwise be guaranteed due to the commotion in the city.
Meanwhile, the negotiator sent two adjutants to Scutari and Podgoricza (Podgorica) to jointly conduct the investigation. A telegram from Constantinople reported the same events. The governor of Scutari in Albania telegraphed the Porte that a Muslim named Yusuf was murdered by a Montenegrin in Podgoricza on the 19th. In their fury, the mob hacked the murderer to pieces and also killed six other Montenegrins in an ambush under the Vizire Bridge.
The Montenegrin version is that seventeen unarmed Montenegrins, including the archimandrite of the monastery of Piperi, attacked the market in Podgoricza and that all were murdered by the Turks without provocation. The Prince of Montenegro is reportedly taking every measure to prevent any further attempts on the part of the Montenegrins and has requested the Italian and Russian consuls in Scutari to participate in an investigation into the circumstances.
The Porte, which has appointed a commission of inquiry, protests against this, ordering the most thorough investigation and the immediate submission of a report.”
Source
Neuigkeits-Welt-Blatt. J. F. S. Hummel. 1874. Austrian National Library.
