The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-02
AZIZ ASSASSINATED
-SI
The Confession of four
DOmestics.
Objects of the Murder said
to be Patriotism.
From the Cleveland Herald.

| From the Cleveland Herald
A cable dispatch from Constantinople
SAYS that four persons, formerly domes-
tic servants in the Imperial palace, have
been arrested on the charge of assas-
sinating the former Sultan, Abdul AziZ,
and they have confessed the crime, impli-
eating some important Officials.
Although
THE CIRCUMSTANCES
of the unfortunate Sultan's death were ''of-
ficially" investigated by the Turkish Gov
! ernment and the statement made ''offi-
cially' that a medical examination had
shown him to have committed suicide, not
even the diplomats who received the an
nouncement with profound regret, and ap
parently unquestioning faith were for a
moment deceived. 1t was not absolutely
impossible that the deposed sovereign, in a
fit of melancholy brooding over his prob
able fate in view of the experiences of
many of his predecessors, had
followed the example of the frogs
and committed suicide to save
himself from slaughter but the
circumstantial evidence was strongly
against that theory, and pointed directly
to the crime of murder and to its probable
instigators The fact that the men who
were most interested in his taking off were
those who had him in their power at the
time of his DEATH and who assured the
world that no one but himself hadshorten-
ed his life. was of itself suspicious cir
cumstance, but it has never been held
polite to inquire too curiously into the
manner of an ex-Sultan's demise.
THE DEPOSITION
of Sultan Abdul Aziz is May, 1876, was
effected by palace consiracy, assisted by
the fanatical "softas." The Constantine
pie Government was at the time involv-
ed in quarrels with its subjects and
dependencies, and on unsatisfactory terms
with the leading European powers. Bosnia
and Herzegovina were in state of insur-
rection, and Servia and Montenegro pre-
pairing for the war which was soon declar-
ed. The imperial war treasury was ex-
hausted, and the Sultan was asked to ad-
vance money from his privy purse. Here
fused absolutely, and insisted that the al
lowance for the maintenance of his harem
should not be curtailed. 1t was at once
determined to put the Sultan out of the
way.
THE PREMIER,
Medhat Pasha Grand Vizier Mehemet |
Rushdi Pasha and War Minister Hussein |
Avni Pasha waited on the Sheik ul-Islam !
of the laws of Islam, and put to him this |
question: "If the commander of the |
faithful becomes afflicted with disorder |
of his faculties so that he cannot take cog
nizance of political affairs; if he, by perso |
nal extravaganza, increases the burdens of
the nation beyond endurance; if he, by |
wrongs which he causes, threatens the /
ruin of the Empire and the Mussulman |
community; if his rule is destructive
must he be deposed?" As previously |
agreed, the Sheikh ul-Islam replied The |
law says yes!' The question and answer |
were then put by him into an official docu |
ment and signed, which made it law to
the faithful.
THE CONsPTRATORs
rapidly carried their scheme to its end |
Murad Effendi, the next in succession, was
brought to the palace and made Sultan. Alb
dul AZiz was next notified that he had been
deposed "by the will of the people" and a
residence assigned him in a secluded palace
He flew into q rage, but when the doors were
opened and the armed guards around the
palace shown him, he exclaimed 'FGreat is
AllahP' and became stolidly silent He was
Immediately taken with his mother, sons
and eleven of his wives to the palace as
signed him, but few days afterward was
again secretly removed to a more secluded
pavilion, where he was found dead on the
4th of June, the veins of his arm having
been opened with PAIR of scissors. 1t was
the general belief that the War Minister,
Hussein Avni Pasha, was leading member
of the conspiracy, and instrumental in the
death of the deposed Sultan. Acting on this
belief, relative of one of the wives of Alb
dul AZiZ made murderous assault on Hus-
sein Avni and came near killing him. The
official account stated that the assailant,
who was tried and executed had made the
attack on account of personal grievance
growing out of his discharge.
THE CONFESSION
of the arrested domestics will probably
clear up what mystery there was about the
death of the unfortunate Abdul Aziz. They
say he was suffocated by them according to
orders from high officials among them
Hussein Avni Pasha. After the murder had
been effected the veins were opened with
a pair of scissors for the double purpose of
the evidences of suffocation and
making it appear the prisoner had taken
his own life. The mistake of the chief
was in their not completing
their work according to the usual program
me of Sultan killing. That began with the
deposition of the intended victim and ended
with the secret slaughter of his assassins,
on the principle that dead men tell no
tales" The prime movers in the palace re-
of May, 1876, forget to have the
murderers of Abdul Aziz killed after obey
ing their orders The mistake is now
evident
CoNsTANTIAQPLE May 2.-It is pretty '
accepted that the reason of the
Sultan's zeal concerning the inquiry into
the death of Abdul AziZ, is that the serious
was organizing against him .
self, in view of which he positively thinks
The exemplary punishment of the assassins
will furnish salutary example The
5ultan's two brothers, Eulam Mahmond
Pasha, and Noury Pasha, who are under
arrest, are suspected of having been deeply
implicated in both cases.