Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-05
ABDUL AzIz.
The Condemned Hen at Constant
tinOPIe.


Cor. London Tines
The appeal OF the prisoners con-
demned for the assassination of Abdul
Aziz will shortly be considered by the
Court of Review, and it is almost GER
tain that in spite of the gross irregu-
larities and fragrant illegality of the
proceedings, the sentence will be con-
hrmed. Immediately after the close
Of the trial on Wednesday the judges
of the higher court we're summoned co
the palace and received their instruc-
tions, which will, of course, be fol-
lowed, irrespective of justice and
equity. The possibility, therefore,
that the judgment may be annulled
and a new trial ordered may be left
out of account, and tho only practical
question that remains is whether the
Sultan will have the sentence carried
out. For some days the general opin-
ion at the palace was that the nine who
had been condemned to death would
all be executed; but | have now very
good reason to believe, as | informed
you on Sunday, that those who did
not actually take part in the assassin
alton will have their sentence COM
muted to Imprisonment for life at
Taft, near Mecca. This unexpected
clemency is to be attributed, at least
in part, to the excitement and indig-
nation which the mode of conducting
the trial has produced both in Pera
and Stamboul The Sultan learned
that the embassy dragomans had
unanimously condemned the proceed
ings as irregular; that the ambassadors
had telegraphed in this sense to their
respective governments; that the news
paper correspondents had unsparingly
described and criticised the way in
which the proceedings had been con-
Quoted, and that even in Stamboul
among good Musselmans the trial had
produced an impression very different
from what was intended. In those
circumstances His Majesty perceived
that it would be dangerous to have
the sentence carried out and he de-
tsrmined to commute it. At the same
time, in order to counteract the grow
ing conviction that the whole story Of
the assassination was an invention,
rumors were prOpagated through
the local press and other
channels that nearly all the accused
had made partial confessions. The
Vpkyt, for example, has published
mutual denominations between Nah
mould and Nouri, and now those Of
Midhat and MANNED Rushdi. ALI
such stories must be accepted with
great reserve, for they are certainly
told aud possibly invented for the
purpose of prejudicing public opinion
against the prisoners. In spite of
these efforts to supplement defective
legal evidence many people, and
among them the mother Of Abdul
Aziz and some Of the doctors who ex-
amined the body, still hold to the
conviction that there was no assassi,
nation, and that Abdul Aziz COM
mitted suicide. Without indorsing
this opinion, | can confidently assert
that the trial has by no means cleared
up the mystery. The semi. official
announcements that the Waldo Sui
tana has thanked the Sultan for hay
ing brought the assassins to justice
are untrue, for she has all through
the inquiry obstiDately maintained
that her son persisted by his own
hand, and that she was partly to blame
for having given him the famous
scissors.
| am now in a position to explain
why the prosecution showed such
great anxiety to get Midhat CON
demned, and employed such unjusti.
able means for this purpose. 1t may
be remembered that some months
ago the Sultan was alarmed by revo-
lutionary propaganda, Of which the
chief insiigator was believed to be
the ex-Khedive. A judicial 1unc-
tionary, who has since taken promi-
neDt part in the trial, was ordered to
make an inquiry, and came to the con-
clusion that Midhat was implicated
in the propaganda. The conclusion
was probably erroneous, but it made
a strong impression on the Saltan'S
mind, and from that moment Midhats
fate was decided. AS no legal proofs
Of his completely in the seditious agi-
tation could be produced, other
means had to be employed for getting
rid Of him, and the regicide inquiry
was used for this purpose.