The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-07-02 00:00:00

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THE ALLEGED MURDER OF ABDUL
AZIZ.

The Correspondent of The Times, writing from Constanti-
nople on the 27th, gives the following particulars respect-
ing the trial of the persons accused of the assassination of
Abdul Aziz :

The proceedings took place in a large tent imme-
diately outside the wall of the Yildiz-Kiosk Park.
The court was presided over by Sourouri Effendi,
a venerable Alim, in a white turban. It was com-
posed of five Judges, of whom two were Christians.
At the beginning there wera ten prisoners in
the dock—namely, the Sultan's two brothers-
in-law, Alahmond and Noun Pasha, three
officers of the guard, two palace officials, and three
obscure individuals. The eleventh prisoner, Midhat,
was present only during his own examination. The
audience consisted of about 320 persons, including
several members of the Diplomatic Body, civil
officials, officers of the Embassy, dragomans, and
representatives of the Press. The proceedings began
at half-past eleven by proving the identity of the pri-
soners and reading the indictment, which lasted till
two o'clock. The theory of the prosecution is briefly
this :

Immediately after the accession of Murad a Com-
mission, composed of Hussein Avni, Midhat, Rushdi,
the Sheikh-ul-Islam, Mahmoud Damad, and Nouni
Damad Pasha, was instituted with extraordinary powers
by an Imperial trade. This Commission decided that
Abdul Aziz should be assassinated, and that nearly all the
Princes of the Imperial Family should likewise be put to
death. Mahmoud and Noun i carried out the first part of
the decision by means of Mustafa, the wrestler, and his
two companions, but the second part of the infernal
design was happily frustrated. For Mustafa, his two
companions, and the Chamberlain, Fahri Bey, all of
whom are accused of having taken an active part in
the assassination, as well as All and Nedjib Beys, who
stood at the door of the room with drawn swords,
the Public Prosecutor demands capital punishment,
while for the others, including Midhat, he pro-
poses the application of the article of the
Code which entails 15 years' penal servitude. The
wrestler and his two companions, when ques-
tioned by the Judge, made full confessions, which were
supported by the evidence of three Eunuchs and one
of the ladies of the palace, but the others stoutly
denied all complicity, and Fahri Bey maintained the
theory of suicide. Midhat declared he knew nothing
of the death of Abdul Aziz until he heard about it
some hours afterwards.

Writing on the 28th, the Correspondent of Ths Times
continues
The great State trial which began yesterday, and of
which I have already forwarded you a summary of the
proceedings, presented an interesting and picturesque
spectacle. Around the Malta guard-house, situate in
a large open space immediately outside the Imperial
park of Yildiz Kiosk, a goodly number of soldiers were
posted at short distances from each other, and all
parsons not provided with a ticket of admission were
prevented from approaching the building. The few
who had been fortunate enough to obtain tickets
found on approaching the guard-house a large green
oval tent, and adjoining it a considerable space en-
closed by a canvas screen and covered with an awning.
One side of this tent was occupied by a bench on which
sat the Judges, three Mussulmans and two Christians
in black frockcoats d /a Turque and red fezzes, pre-
sided over by a gray-bearded ulema called Sourouri
Effendi, in a black robe and white turban. To the
right and left of the Judges sat the public prosecutor,
the secretaries, and the subordinate judicial func-
tionaries, and behind them stood several Imperial
aides-de-camp, and Palace servants. Below the
bench, in a trench cut for the purpose, sat on cane
chairs the ten prisoners—Mahmoud and Nouni
Pashas (both brothers-in law of the Sultan), two
ex-functionaries of the Palace, three officers of the
Guard, two professional wrestlers, and a Palace
watchman. Behind each of the prisoners stood a
common soldier. The side of the tent facing the
bench was left open, se that the spectators, seated
on rows of chairs under an awning, immediat:ly
behind the prisoners, could witness the proceed-
ings. Among the audience, comprising about 120
people, were the Persian Ambassador and other mem-
bers of the diplomatic body, several high officials in
and out of office, a score of Imperial aides-de-camp, a
few officers of the Palace, several uleina in flowing
robes and white or green turbans, and the representa-
tives of the Press to a limited number. The spectators
might have been considerably increased, for behind
them were more than a hundred chairs unoccupied.
The first formality was the proving of the prisoners'
identity, and immediately thereafter the indicment
was read by three of the prosecutors, which may be
briefly stated as follows :

A few days after the dethronement of Abdul Aziz,
Mahmoud Damad and Noun i Damad engaged two
professional wrestlers and a Palace watchman to
assassinate their ex-Sovereign, promising them 100
pounds each and a monthly pension of three
pounds, as appears from the accounts of the Civil
List. The crime was committed with the assistance
of the Chamberlain Fahri Bey, while Ali and Nedjib
Beys, who had introduced the assassins into the
Palace, mounted guard with drawn swords at the door
of the room. As there was at that time a Supreme
Commission, composed of Mehmed Ituehdi, Midhat,
Hussein Avni, the Sheikh-ul-Islam, and Mahmoud
Damad, and as no important orders could be given
without the concurrence of this Commission, it may be
assumed that all its members must have been cognizant
of Mahinoud and Noun's criminal proceedings, and
it is for this reason that Midhat is among the accused.
When the indictment setting forth this theory had
been read, the President, in a quiet and dignified
manner began to question the prisoners. The first
called upon to state what he knew was Mustafa, the
wrestler, a man of ordinary size, and not presenting
any signs of abnormal muscular development. His
face was of a common type, and betrayed no symp-
toms of emotion as he related, in plain unvarnished
terms, how he had cut open the ez•Sultan's veins
with a knife given to him for the purpose by Mahmoud
Damad. His description, accompanied by slight
and significant gestures, was brutally graphic, and
made a strong impression on the spectators, more than
one of the older men in the audience giving vent to
their feelings of horror by audible exclamations.
Mustafa's account was fully confirmed by Hadji
Mehmed Pasha, who declared that together with the
Chamberlain Fahri Bey and Djezairli, he had hold of
Abdul-Aziz whilst the crime was being perpetrated.
Djezairli, who had made a full confession in his pre-
liminary examination, was then questioned, and re-
tracted what he had previously said.

Fahri Bey, a young man with long fair moustache,
delicately-cut effeminate features, and of tall and
slender build, was next examined and denied the state-
ments of the wrestler and his companion. In a
tremulous tone, which gathered firmness as he
proceeded, he described, from his personal observa-
tion, the mental condition of Abdul Aziz after
his dethronement, and obstinately insisted that the
deposed monarch had committed suicide. The other pri-
soners, without endeavouring to explain how the Sultan's
death occurred, successively maintained their own
innocence and found more or less plausible answers for
all the questions put to them by the Judges. Mahmoud
Damad Pasha, a tall stout man, with regular and hand-
some features, and large dark eyes, found most diffi-
culty in replying, and his deep gruff voice showed more
than once signs of great emotion; but he denied em-
phatically and indignantly the accusations brought
against him by the wrestlers and others. About two
o'clock Midhat was introduced, and took his seat by
Mahrnoud Damad's side. His hair and beard had
become much whiter since I last saw him, four years
ago, and his complexion was still as morbidly florid as
before, but he seemed well and sought to conceal his
emotion by stroking his beard, and arranging his
notes, from which he was prepared to speak Starting
up suddenly and leaning on the back of his chair, he
made a short speech, in which he declared himself
happy to have been cited before a public tribunal, and
he rendered justice to his Majesty's sentiments of
equity in causing the affair to be carefully exa-
mined. To all the questio.is about the Supreme
Commission, of which he was a member, and whh
must have had cognizance of the intended assassi:s-
tion, he replied emphatically that such a Commission
existed nowhere except in the imaginations of his
accu-.ers, ar:d that all matters of State were considered
by the regular Council of Ministers. When reproached
by the presiding Judge for not having immediately
ordered a searching inquiry, he admitted that he had
been guilty of this sin of omission; but at the same
time he maintained that all the other Ministers were
in this respect equally guilty. On the subject of his
having sought refuge in the French Consulate his
answers, though extremely ingenious, were not so
satisfactory. Unlike the other prisoners, Midhat
withdrew from the court as soon as he had
finished what he had to say, and after his depar-
ture a number of witnesses were called for the
prosecution. The chief of these were three young
men who had seen the crime perpetrated in the
way the wrestlers described, and the wife of a
certain Ali Bey, who, being at that time one of the
ladies of Abdul Aziz's harem, bad witnessed some
of the incidents connected with the assassination. One
of the most interesting witnesses was a frail, white.
bearded Mussulman, in an old-fashioned costume, who
related in a faltering voice that he had washed the
body of Abdul Aziz, and noticed a small wound in the
region of the heart. The Court rose about half-past
seven o'clock without the witnesses having been cross-
examined. The proceedings will be continued, and
possibly terminated, to-day,

A Reuter's telegram under date Constantinople,
June 28, says :
The trial of the persons charged with the assassina-
tion of the Sultan Abdul Aziz was resumed to-day.
After the counsels for the prisoners had concluded
their addresses, the judges decided that the two pri-
soners named Moestapha (one a gardener and the
other an athlete), Fahri Bey, and Hadi Mehmed were
guilty of the muraer, and that An Bey, Nedjib Bey,
Midhat Pasha, Noun i Pasha, and Mahmoud Damad
Pasha were accomplices, being privy to the crime.
Sentence will be passed to-morrow.

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MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE ON THE
BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

On Monday a man named Lefroy, giving his ad-
dress as 4, Cathcart-road, Wallington, reported an
extraordinary occurrence to the Brighton police. He
said that he travelled from London on Monday
by the afternoon express. Two men were in the
same carriage, one of whom seemed by his ap-
pearance to be a countryman. Just before entering
the tunnel at Merstham he heard a shot fired and
felt a blow on his head. He became insensible and
remained so until Preston-park Station, the next
place at which the train stopped, was reached.
Here he was found by the ticket collector. Blood was
scattered about the carriage, the cushions were cut,
and three bullets were found lodged in the sides of the
compartment. At seven o'clock in the evening the
body of a man, answering to the description of one of
the occupants of the carriage in question, was found
in Balcombe Tunnel with several stabs in it. It was
supposed to be the body of Mr. Gold, a retired corn
merchant of Preston, who left for London in the morn-
ing on business. A pecket-book containing cards was
found on the body. Lefroy was taken to the County
Hospital, where his head was dressed. He left for
London in the evening accompanied by a detective,

We take the followinu additional particulars from The
Times of Wednesday :

It appears, from a statement made by the ticket.
collector that when the train stopped at Preston-park
station, where the tickets are collected, Lefroy was
observed to step out on the platform and then return.
The ticket-collector, on approaching him, observed
that he was covered with blood. He then made the
statement already reported. He had started, he
said, from London-bridge, two other passengers being
in the same compartment. One of them was an
eldeily gentleman, the other had the appearance
of a countryman about fifty years of age. The old
gentleman was sitting opposite to him. The only
other description Lefroy could give cf the other
passenger was that he wore whiskers. Just before
the train entered the tunnel near Merstham a shot
was fired; he felt a blow on the head, and remembered
nothing until the arrival of the train at Preston-park.
The train did not stop between Croydon and that
place, and Lefroy said he did not believe the passenger
whom he described as a countryman fired the shot.
Having made this statement Lefroy again stepped on to
the platform. The ticket-collector noticed a portion of a
watch-chain hanging out from his boot—a circumstance
which led him to remark that he had placed his
watch there for safety. It being found that the com-
partment was splashed with blood, the stationmaster
sent a collector to -the Brighton Station, and the
platform inspector went with Lefroy to the Town-hall
and reported the occurrence to the police. Lefroy,
after repeating his statement, was then taken in a cab
to the County Hospital, where his wounds were
dressed. The surgeon wished him to remain in the
institution, but he declined to do so, on the ground that
he had to attend his club in London that night. He was
determined, he added, to offer a reward for the detec-
tion of his assailant. The party then returned to
the Town-hall, Lefroy on the way purchasing a
necktie and a collar in St. James's-street (he was withli
out such articles on leaving the train). He was
questioned at the hall by several detectives, and
then went back to the terminus with a view to re-
turning to London. By this time, however, the
authorities appear to have become somewhat sus-
picious, and .Lefroy was taken into the superinten-
dent's office and searched. Two Hanoverian coins, a
few coppers, some silver, and several coloured
cards were found upon him. The railway autho-
rities did not feel justified in detaining him,
but took the precaution to send with him a detec-
tive, named Holmes, to Croydon. When Lefroy and
his companion left the train, the former expressed a
wish to go to his residence to change his clothes, as
those he was wearing were disordered and stained with
blood. The request appearing to be a reasonable one
the officer raised no objection, and about half-past
nine o'clock they reached No. 4, Cathcart-road, Walling-
ton, which is stated to be a young ladies' boarding
school, kept by a man and his wife, the latter being
related to Lefroy. The detective allcwed his com-
panion to enter the house alone, and after waiting
some time found that he had changed his clothes and
had left by the back way "to see a doctor." Since
then he has not been seen.
In compliance with a telegram received from
Brighton, a party of railway officials at Balcombe on
Monday night searched the tunnel, and in the centre
found the body of an elderly gentleman since recognized
as Mr. J. F. Gold, a retired corn merchant, resid-
ing at Claremont-terrace, Preston, a suburb of
Brighton. The body was lying in the six-foot way.
A knife besmeAred with blood was found a few
yards away, and a collar in a similar state about half
a mile further down the line. The arms were partially
raised over the head, and from the general appearance
of the body it is believed that the unfortunate gentle-
man was not dead when thrown out of the carriage.
The body was conveyed to Balcomba Station, where it
was found that the deceased had received several stabs.
The whole of the neck and head was completely
blackened, the left cheek from the mouth was gashed
in a shocking manner, and there were serious wounds
on the throat and neck.

Mr. Gold had left home in the morning for London
to collect his own and his wife's dividends, and it is
believed that he had a sum of about £4O in his posses-
sion, but upon the body being searched no money was
found, and his watch was missing.

The carriage in which the tragedy occurred was
shunted on to a siding at Brighton, and a thorough ex-
amination of the compartment—that used by smokers
—was made. Three bullet marks were found—one
near the electric communicator, towards the window
on the off-side of the carriage, another in the seat
within six inches of the other side, and a third in
the corner of the centre seat opposite. There are
also marks, apparently caused by kicking, on the knee
pads on both sides. Splashes of blood were all over
the compartment, but principally near the off-side
door. The footboard, the mat, the door-handle, and
a newspaper and a handkerchief left in the carriage
were all smeared with blood. Mr. Gold, considering
his advanced age, was a powerful man, and from the
appearance of the carriage there is little doubt that he
made a desperate resistance.
All the servants of the Brighton Railway Company
likely to throw any light upon the subject have been
submitted to a close examination, in the course of
which it was elicited that, although the train was
fitted with an electric alarm apparatus, neither the
engine driver nor the guard received any intimation
that anything was wrong, and therefore the Westing-
house brake was not applied. In accordance with the
regulations of the company, the apparatus was tested
at Croydon by the guard, and found to be in working
order.

The body of Mr. Gold was not discovered until after
the detectives and Lefroy had left Brighton.
Mrs. Gold, accompanied by a friend, Mr. J. L.
Hollis, went to identify the body. The gentleman
recognised the remains, but Mrs. Gold was unable to
go through the trying ordeal.
It seems that Mr. Gold was in the habit of travel
ling regularly in the afternoon express, and his non-
arrival gave rise to uneasiness, and the widow at once
communicated with the railway authorities. Hence
the immediate steps taken leading to the identifica-
tion.

Throughout Tuesday and early on Wednesday
morning the platelayers and men on the line between
Three Bridges and Brighton were busy at work search-
ing alongside the line in the hopes of finding either the
revolver or something which would throw light upon
the occurrence. Nothing was discovered on Wednes-
day, although the Balcombe tunnel was examined
several times.