The Morning herald., 1876-07-21
The Turkish A.sassinaeisn.

Tho Turkish Assassfnasien.
A Therapia correspondent of the London
"Times', writes The council chamber
Midhat's best room, on the upper floor, q
large hall, with bay window and balcone
at one eud, enjoying an extensive view OF
the sea of Marmara, and ct the 0ppOsite;
end door leading in the inner apartments,
on both sides Of this door are two divisions
on v which thelministers sat, Hussein, Avnt,
and Raschid Pacha on the side facing the
lateral door leading to the staircase, and on
the other side the grand vizar and Halet
Pacha; Said Effendi, the mnstacher or
Under secretary of the grand vizar, and
Mahmoud Bey, grand referendaire Of the
council, sat apart on another divan. Mid
hat Pacha had then got up and stood before
them, debating telegram to them.
Hassan, as he entered the lateral door,
found himself face to face with Hussein
Asni and Raschid Pacha, and stepping up
to the former, revolver in hand, cried out,
"Davran ma, Seraskier." ("Do not stir,
war minister.") He fired, and Hussein
fell, badly wounded, but not dead, vainly
attempting to draw revolver he had In
his pocket. Terror seemed to seize the
other ministers. Midhat Pacha at once
made for the bottom door, rushed through
1t to the inner apartments, and was followed
by all his colleagues with the exception of
RaschidP Pacha, who remained as ifspellbound
In his seat, while the Minister Of Marine
Ahmed Kaisserli, who alone showed some
presence of mind, Immediately closed with
the assassin, seized him around the waist
and pinioned both his arms to his side.
Hassan, however, by strenuous exertiOn,
succeeded in disengaging his right arm, and
with his Circassian knife inflicted several
wounds on Kaisserli, who at last released
him and Joined the other ministers in their
flight. In the meantime Hussein Avni,
who was not dead, had risen and was
crawling with great difficulty to the en-
trance door. Therupon Hassan, leaving
the Prime Minister whom he would other
wise have killed, and rushing upon Hussein
Avni, overthrew him and hacked at him,
with his knife, cutting his throat, and never
leaving him until he lay motionless at his
feet. He turned then, and perceiving Ras-
child Pacha, who meyer stirred, and alone
remained alone in the room, seated on the
dvan--in the opinion of some persons, al
ready dead with fright-he pointed his re-
volver at him, exclaiming, "Do you stop
here to arrest me?" and shot him through
the head.
The assassin then went up to the bottom
door, which the fugitives had fastened and
barricaded from the inside, and shaking It
Justify, he cried, "Grand Vizier, open the
door, no harm to you is intended" and
called out that the Minister of Marine
should be delivered up to him. The old
Grand Vizier, greatly terrified, cried out, it
is said, from behind the closed door, "My
son, not now; you are to much excited to
listen to reason" Hassan batfied, In his
rage sent two pistol shots through the door,
fortunately without result. Unable to
force the door, the assassin upset the fur
niture, set fire to the curtains and broke the
luster or chandelier, SO that the large room
was lighted but by one single taper.
Several minutes elapsed during this hor-
rid butchery, the people in the ante-cham-
Der below stairs, though they heard the re-
port of The firearms, not daring to stir, as
they apprehended that the murderer was
only the instrument Of some conspiracy in
which some of the persons present might be
implicated, and for some time looked at
each other with blank amazement, every
man suspecting and fearing his neighbor-
At length Midhat Pacha, having armed him.
oSiA Vhu +" ACNVINSiS NShV hoNA SIohb
raised the spirits Of those persons, two of
whom, one his own servant, Ahmed Agha,
the other Hussein Avni's aide de camp,
Chukri Bey, ventured into the slaughter
room.
AS these two men entered the apartment
both fell dead, struck by Hassan's unerring
revolver. But by this time the police and
soldiery from the nearest post arrived on
the spot, and Hassan, after killing police
officer and wounding six zaptieps and SOL
diers, was overpowered and secured, being
himself seriously wounded. The soldiers
would have killed him on the spot had not
Midhat Tacha, through his son-in law,
Reffk Bev, bddcn them take him alive. The
whole affair lasted from twenty minutes to
half an hour, some say three-quarters of an
hour.
The assassin was taken to the seraskier. |
ate, or war Office, where on the following
Friday, he was examined, tried |
and sentenced to death. On Saturday, at
daybreak, A. NJ, he was hanged on tree
in the open space before the seraskierate. |
He would not allow the surgeons to bind up |
his wounds, and was greatly exhausted by \
loss of blood before he reached the place of
The body was left hanging for |
The whole of yesterday. OF his victims,
Hussein Avni was about sixty years old !: |
Raschid Pacha about forty-eight.