The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-28
ABDI EFFENDPs WIFE.
A Family Tragedy from the Banks Of the BOsphO'
rus-HOw FhIthless Turkish Woman Got Rid
OfHer Old Husband.

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A Family Tragedy from the Banks Of the BOspho-
rus-HOw a FaIthless Turkish Woman Got Rid
OfHer Old Husband.
That rarest of rare crimes in Turkey,
the murder of husband by his wife, is
the present chief topic Of conversation
in Constantinople. In its entirety the
story is most romantic one.
Abdi Effendi was an officer ofthe Gus
tom house, who lived in good style in
the quarter Cassim Agha, in Scutari. He
was married to only one wife, though his
means were ample for the furnishing OF
a harem.
Abdi Efendi's wife, Gubrengi, which
in the vulgate means "rose color, was
a very beautiful woman, whom her aged
husband had married only few months
before. The pair, to all appearances, liv>
ed in perfect unity and were universally
regarded as a typically happy couple OF
turtle doves.
All is not gold that gltters, however,
and Abdl Efendi eventually found it out.
HIS WEE WAS FALSE.
Her young desire outran his senile af-
fection. The fair rose color yearned for
younger passion, and in finding it, we
blush to say, hishonored her devoted
lords good name.
Blind as his doting affection made him,
Abdi Efendi's eyes were opened at last,
He did not fly into passion, however,
and consign the faithless Gubrengi to the
Bosphorus, with a sack for shroud, sf~
ter the most approved Turkish fashion.
Unhappily for him, he neglected to OBJ
serve this time honored practice of his
race. He temporized, and, to his cost,
discovered that the man, like the woman,
"who hesitates is lost."
In order to avoid the insidious and faN
tai affections of Ehdem Efendi (which
was the name of his wifes worshiper),
the injured husband removed his house
hold to Tchemedke, on the other side of
the Bosphorus, confning his correction
of his erring help-mate to simple re-
buke.
Now the guilty pair determined to
RID THEMSELVES OF THE OLD MAN.
For this purpose Gubrengi enlisted the
assistance of the owner of the house IN
which they lived, certain print seller
named Emin, whose reputation for avar-
ice was proverb. Her servants, lbich
and Mustapha, she also managed to
draw to her interests.
Finally, late in December last all
her plans were laid,
On a prearranged hight, Ehmin and
Ehdem Efendi were admitted into the
quarter of the house in which their pro,
posed victim slept. While the slaves
guarded the door, the two assassins crept
upon the wretched husband, who slum.
bered the sleep of an easy conscience.
To seize him and drag the bed>Cloth.
ing over his mouth, so as to smother his
cries, was the work of little time. The
old man was feeble and additionally
weak from indulgence in opium, so his
struggles were slight.
Once they had him secured, Gubrengi
took hand in their evil game, andwith a
silk cord torn from one of the curtains,
she
STRANGLED THE HELPLESS MAN TO
DEATH.
The body was then cut up and buried
in various parts of the courtyard, under
the flags. For the first few days the dis
appearance of the murdered man was
not noticed. Then his absence from his
duties caused comment, and inquiry was
made about him.
Gubrengi declared herself ignorant Of
his whereabouts, but told so contradicto-
ry story that suspicion was aroused.
Further investigation revealed the facts
of the guilty woman's connection with
her lover, and she was arrested
Under pressure, she, little by little,
admitted the crime and her accomplices,
too, were seized. AT last accounts they
were in prison in Constanuople,