The Litchfield County post., 1827-10-18
"CoNsrANrINOPLE. Jan. s, 1897.

yo,, some further account Of the interesting
events connected with the Jews, which have
orcurred here. Under the date If Nov. 9TH,
] find the following entry made in my jour
nal:-
"a Jewish Rabbi and another Jew, both
believers in Christ, came to me, and believe
them sincere. was much pleased with the
Rabbi, who said, that for three years he had
read the new Testament, and believed that
his wife was Of the same sentiments with him
self: that he read the New Testament to her,
and instructed her; and that they conversed
much together on the subject. All he does
at present is in secret but think he is almost
ready to confess Christ before men, and to
suffer death for his name. On the following
day the search began for all those who had
been denounced to the Jewish Rabhs as hav
ing visited Mr.. Hartley and myself, and as
desiring to become Christians. Two of them
were seized, one of them hastinadOed, and
both thrown into the Bagnio, where they still
remain ia irons. Two or three mOre,S | am
told, were also taken up, but released after
short imprisonment. Three others, who were
afterwards baptized, found means to secrete
themselves; the first, bOokbinder; the sec
ond, the Rabbi aforementioned I; the third, a
youth about 16 years of age, of respectable
family and good expectations All my prep
arations having been made for my tour in
Romelia, / was obliged to leave Constantine
pie on the 10th, and to commit the superin-
tendence of this affair to Mr.. Hartley; having
previously visited the men in their place of
confinement; | found them stedfast in their
resolution, and anxious to receive the bap-
tism. ,m
Before proceed with their history, will
mention an incident connected with it, which
happened to myself After reaching Adrian
ople, and passing two days there, / left it for
TernOya;s and at a town called Iamboli, 10
hours, or So miles on my road, Twas overtaken
by Tartar of the Pasha of Adrianople, bear
ing letter from our Consul, which informed
me that, by the positive order of the Pasha,
was required to return to Adrianople with the
Tartar, to answer to serious charge brought
against me. The father,of the youth the day
after my departure, had presented petition
to the Grand Vesir, accusing me of having
seduced his son from his parents, caused him
to change his opinions, and having carried
him offwith me, in disguise, to Adrianople,
to.facilitate his escape from Turkey. The
Grand Vesir acting upon this document, made
his complaints to our Ambassador, who, to
give every reasonable satisfaction to the Tur-
kish Authorities, wrote to the Consul, desi-
ring him to see me on my arrival at Adriano-
pie, and to. examine into the truth of the af-
fair. The Vesr at the same time wrote to
tlies Pasha, commanding him to arrest me
whseeyer might be found, together with the
youth who was supposed to be in my compa-
ny.. These letters only reached Adrianople
n,the day on which had left it; and aItho'
the Consul, wishing to save me the trouble oil
oinHo nI Al.
Pasha that the accusation of my having Jew
with me, was wholly false, the latter said his
orders were positive, and that he must insist
upon seeing me. was therefore obliged to
retrace my steps, under the surveillance OF
my honorary guard; and on my arrival, in
stead being taken to the Consul's house, as
the Pasha had expressly promised him should
he the case, the Tartar conducted me TO the
residence of the Tartar Agha, where found
myself for about half an hour treated as a
prisoner. The Tartar Agha wished to con-
duct me Immediately to the Pasha, but pos
itively refused to accompany him until the ar
rival ofthe Consul, to whom / sent to inform
him of my situation. He soon came and
shortly after message arrived from the Pa
sha, that might 60 to the Consul's and beg
ged Mr. D. to call on him. A full explana-
ton of the affair then took place; the Pasha
was convinced of the gro,lndlessness of the
charge. and wondered how such mistake
could nave occurred; adding. that was at
full liberty either to pursue my tour, or to re-
turn to Constantinople, which had ann0un-
ced as my intention to do, to obtain satisfac-
ton for the insult offered to me. The next
morning, however, the father of the youth ar
rived in person at Adrianople, in search OF
me and his son. He appeared before the Pa
sha, with the Consul's Dragoman, when, be-
ing fully persuaded of the mistake he had
made, and frightened at its possible conse-
quences, he humbly begged pardon. The
Pasha also interceded in his favor with the
Consul, and myself, and told the Jew to go in
person to us, and ask our forgiveness. The
Pasha also expressed the hope that would
not go to Constantinople, as had announced
ishould, but prosecute my tour; which, on
seeing how circumstances had turned out
thought it was best not to do,and according
~ did not return here until the 9th of De-
cember.
In the mean time, the pursuit after the mis-
sing Jews being'hot, and the danger of their
discovery great, Mr.. Hartley resolved to COM
Ply with their earnest request for baptism
Ine bookbinder was baptized by the name of
John Baptist; the Rabbi, of Peter; the young
man ofJohn. They behaved with great de.
votion and, when their critical situation was
set before them by Mr.. Hartley, declared
themselves ready, if necessary, to meet every
suffering, even death ITSELF for the name of