A MANIAC WHO RULED TURKEY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 199, 11 January 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

A MANIAC WHO RULED TURKEY

THE AMAZIiVd LOVE ROMANCE OF ABDUL HAMID. Behind the walls of a palatial villa at Salonika, the second city of Turkey, and guarded night and day by a double line of sentries, bides the man -for lie refuses to see anyone, regarding every stranger as an assassin whose madness and atrocities for many years steadily fanned the war llame in the Balkans, and practically led to the present outbreak. It is a palatial prison, this Villa Latiui, where ex-ruler Abdul llamid -'•Abdul the Damned," as the late ])r Joseph Parker once referred to him in a vigorous denunciation in the pulpit of the City Temple, when the world stood aghast at the Armenian atrocities —was incarcerated in 11)00. But it is none the less a prison, for all that; and here the man -who ruled Turkey for over 30 years amuses himself all day long with the childish pastimes of 'building miniature mosques and carving toy soldiers, living iu constant fear of death by poisoning'. The world like to forget that such a man as the "lied iMiltau" ever existed; but it is no exaggeration to say that centuries must pass ere the ill effects of his terrible rule will be consigned to oblivion.

••liLOOl) AM) IXTIMGI<,„.'.' Abdul llamid came to his throne through a. sea of blood and intrigue, and lie left ii. when, owing to his folly, extravagance, and insanity, Turkey was in ii tottering and parlous condition. Adbul Hamid. who was born on Sepleniber ii, 1842, war, the second son of .Sultan .Yledjid, who reigned from 18119 to 18(11. When his fattier died in the latter vear, his uncle, Abdul Aziz, succeeded "to the throne, and the latter, owing to misgnvcnmient. was compelled to abdicate on the 30th May, 187(3. Five days later followed the iirst tragedy which helped Abdul llamid to the throne for oh June 4 Abdul Aziz was found dead, having, it is said, committed fiuicide.

His nephew, Murad, was placed upon the throne, with Abdul llamid, his brother, as the heir presumptive; but .Vlurail on August 111 of the same year was suddenly deposed on. the ground of insanity. Uany historians are of opinion that Vlunul was not insane, but that bv intrigue Abdul llamid hail him removed from the throne, anil for iS years Murfid wa* immured in a kiosk deep in, the park at Yildiz. and no stranger allowed to approach him.

THE FAVORITE OF THE HAREM. U was thus (hat Abdul llamid tame to the: throne, with the strong suspicion that hi; had not only boon the moans of Hit' death of his undo, but had also caused the banishment of his brother Murad.

Hue of the most striking pictures of Abdul llamid of that period is given bj the author of "The Sultan" (Casselj. This hook praeticallv consists of revela tious made by the' favbrite of Abdul Humid, Mnrghi. a Circassian, who was not only extremely beautiful, but who possessed a mind of an exceptionally intelligent and far-reachin? character, Unrghi I rem was presented to Abdul Humid before he came to the throne by lus uncle Abdul Aziz. That she had idea's lar beyond (be harem is evident from this passage in the book.

"01 what use." she would repeat tn herselt. -is this beauty, this culture, and education, if one must be captive, like ine--eaptive lirst under the veil, and captive also in ||„. | l; ,,('di! I am no more free than a bird in its cage! I and tlK'eo thousand live hundred of my kind are here but: to satisfy (he caprices of our master."

She really hated the man whose slave she was, for she know him to lie a man of ungovernable passions. Furthermore, he was physically repulsive. "TTis nose, resembling an eagle's beak, his la.nk hody. his hypocritical pose-all added to his repulsiveness." lie surrounded himsi'lf with hundreds of spies. ilm | | IV ;, thousand ruses would endeavor to (liscover what not only his enemies, but his friends were doing and thinking about him.

He was steeped in superstition. Sheiks, sorcerers, star-gazers, and dervishes of all descriptions met at Constantinople, and tile. Sultan honored thani and showered Jkvjors upon llieni. ThcV'readers of

others, and the one who excelled in the art of inventing dreams was a great favorite with Abdul Hamid. APPALIXG FRIGHT, lie constantly feared assassination. One day, as she was seated beside her master, Murghi Irem, wishing to cut olf ii stray thread from his nightcap, raised her hand to draw a knife from her belt. The terror-stricken Sultan jumped up, pushed her away 'from him with such violence that she fell to the ground. "Then, realising that her sole intention had been to cut the thread, and not to stab him, he became calmer, and crossed the room in search of some small object to idler her by way of compensation.'

On another occasion, in an attack of fright, he shot dead a little girl with whom he was in the habit of playing in his room because, in her childish innocence, she picked up a revolver from a table and asked what it was. Of the thousands of inmates of the harem, however, the one Abdul Hamid liked best was .Murghi Irem. He loved her "in his own way," says the author of "The Sultan"—"a ■ superficial ' way, however, which would not have prevented him from kil'dug her in one of his outbursts of insane cruelty.' Rut Murghi hated the Sultan, while obliged to play the part of loving mistress. At first, although puzzled, Abdul Hamid was deceived, and he sought her help in his intrigues and atrocious acts. He promised to make her his legitimate, wife.

ABDUL TN LOVE. "The love of you. my Murghi Irem," he said on one occasion, as he took her into his arms and kisseil her passionately, "makes State affairs of no importance. Is there in the world a sensation so sweet as seeing you smile? If I were told to choose between a victorious entry into Moscow, and one minute of jour sweet caresses, I swear on my honor that I would prefer the latter." Hut at last her hesitancy and apparent coldness seem to have aroused the Sultan's suspicions, and within a few hours he had banished her to Mecca. In a fit of remorse, however, he agreed that she should marry a lover of her former days. Emir Atech, and for several years the beautiful Circassian enjoyed matrimonial happiness, far away from the troubles and intrigues of the Sultan's palace.

lint such was the Sultan's passion for his former slave that even years afterwards he bewailed the fact that he had sent her away. "Why." he asked, "did I allow myself to lose this woman, this Murglii '[rem, and the charms of her incomparable beauty!?" lint bis amazing cruelty was further illustrated by the fact that, suspecting her and her husband to he the centre of a conspiracy, lie dictated a telegram in code to a confidential spy who was Matching the movements of the com-mander-in-chief during the Grneoo-Tur-kish War, in which Murkhi ireni's hushand was taking part, and on the following day, during the buttle of Valestino. a stray shot was fired in the direction of the Emir Atech by one of the many ses-et agents disguised as soldiers. The bullet entered the gallant officer's brain. And when Abdul Ham id learnt it he sent his condolences to his widow. As the years went by Abdul Hamul could not eradicate the memory of Afurghi Ireni from his mind, and 'when her son had reached the age of 25. and she was about 40 years of age, he made enquiries as to whether she was as beautiful as ever, and endeavored to get her to return to him. Bill she refused to return, although he tempted her with wealth and honors for her son.

:Uurghi [rem never saw Abdul llamid again until he became a living corpse in the Villa Lntini. One day she decided to penetrate into her former master's retreat ami learn what he was doini!. At first A'bdul llamid refused to see her; but ultimnte'.y she was shown into his room, and found him profuse in hi., compliments and words of welcome. But -Vlughi Jrem would have none of them.

FACE TO FACE. "Abdul llamid," she said, -you are flic most miserable creature in existence, if only you could understand your baseness and yam- shame! With your intelligence you could have .become a Sultan adored by his people. But you have lost, by your own faults alone, 'many of our provinces. . . . For your fau'.U

we have paid, and will continue to'pay, millions of pounds to Russia as indemnity. Our linanccs are. ruined! "And our moral losses. They are even greater. You have destroyed public instruction, killed our youth,'and persecuted with your own hands our men of intellect and our patriots." Abdul llamid collapsed into a chair, then fell forward to the ground, unconscious; and as she saw her Sovereign .and 'utte master writhing' in agonv on the floor Murghi Ireui ran to his* aid, murmuring, in the accents of mingled pity and horror, which overwhelmed her, " p >»* man! Is he truly responsible? Is he not rather a degenerate, a maniac? Or was it education which turned his heart and mind? Are not his detestable advisers, too, with their criminal complicity, largely responsible, before posterity, for the crimes of the Red .Sultan?"