Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-08
CRUEL ELMINEH,
The Brutal Fiend OF the Harem-Death
OF Her Husband and the Tragic End
OF the swiss Officer Coll.
DIR. CaneIIPs SojOurn in Her Palace as
Her ParamOur and His Thrilling
Combat and Escape.


dav on duiv at the palace, became enamored
of Kim, and next day asked the Khedive 10
transfer him TO her service, which he did
The main gate to her pal ace was then pulled
down, and over large archway beautiful
Swiss chalet was built. Lieut.. Coll took
possession Of it as the princsEs's master OF
ceremonies. From that time they seemed
inseparable; wherever the princess went
Young Coll accompanied her. and those who
called to pay their homage 10 the great FL
mineh were introduced by him. He had the
management of all her estates, became enor-
mously wealthy, and in short time aevel-
oped into public character. He went to
Switzerland one summer and returned, ac-
companied by his sister, who became the
princes.'s companion, unique position for
Christian to occupy. About four years after
this it as rumored that Coll had formed
an attachment for French actress named
| Ernestine Leduc, and those OF his friends
| who knew the Egyptians well advised him
| 10 becautious, as their vengeance was terrible.
| He, however, paid little or no attention to
| the warning. Coll suddenly disappeared,
leaving no traces after him, aud at the same
time Ernestine Leduc was found strangled in
her apartment. Inquiries were made about
| him in Cairo, and the princess offered $1,000
| for information that might lead TO his dis
| covery, although she caused the rumor to be
| spresd that he had murdered Erntstine and
| fled Ten days later the banks Of the Nile
! OVERLOOKED, and the mutilated body of young
| Coll was deposited by the waters in field
| near the palace. Tue h nds and feet were
lied together the eyes torn from their sock
| cts and the heart had been pierced through
| and through. Tue Swiss consul demanded
| an inquiry, which, like most proceedings OF
| this sort in he East was wholly formality
| Coils sister was never again seen in Egypt,
though she subsequently, appeared in Berne,
| her native town, where she lives, but when
| asked about her brother she is wont TO say
| that the subject is too painful for converse
| ton.
During the following seven years Cairo
was startled by frequent disappearance OF
| young gentlemen belonging 10 the best native
| aud European families, and these remsined
unexplained until the following incident
occurred: A goung Austrian doctor named
| Canelli had been in Cairo about a year. He
| had been a military surgeon in his own
| country, and, besides being thorough mas
ter of his profession, was handsome, gsy aud
| dsshing. One afternoon az he was driving
| on the Shoubra road, the fashionable prone
made and drive in Cairo, he saw a yelled
| Turk ish lady making signs TO him from her
| carriage. He mentioned this 10 a friend,
| who told him it must have been the Princess
Elmineh, and that he had better avoid her.
| Soon after that, and at short intervals, Dr.
| Csnelli received numerous gifts from an un-
| known benefactor. They took the shape of
| flowers, fruit, jewels, and even horses and
| carriages, and he wss at loss to know
| whence they came. AT about III O'Clock one
| night, as he was preparing to retire, he heard
| a carriage rattle into his yard at a breakneck
pace, and minute later his servant ap-
| peared before him, accompanied by an ele-
gantly attired eunuch, who said that his mas
| ter, Kiamil Pasha, had been suddenly taken
| ill, and that he had carriage waiting for
| the doctor down stairs, not a moment
was to be lost. DR.. Canelli dressed,
rushed down stairs, and jumped into the
carriage. After going some distance the
vehicle stopped, the door was opened, and
| the eunuch, who up to then had been sitting
| by the coachmsn, entered, and at the same
| time another, eunuch, who must have been
| waiting in the road, entered by the opposite
| door, holding a lantern in his left hand
| The carriage Immediately went off at a tre-
mendous pace. All this took place in far
| less time than it takes TO relate it. The doc
tor saw that his Gaze was hopeless; the looks
of his black companions convinced him that
resistance would be useless. The carriage
went on rapidly for ten minutes and stopped
under an archway. A gate was closed be-
hind them, and DIR. Capelli saw at a glance
that he was in the seraglio of The princess
prisoner, and resolved TO make the best he
could of the situation. He was taken TO the
OWES CIhLct, WHICH uccu bulil pISESly
for poor Coll, and as everything in it was
perfect, he made himself comfortable as
he could under the circumstances.
The eunuch administered to his wants, and
after a careful examination of his surround
ngs he ate dainty little supper which he
found ready for him on the table, and, with
out undressing, laid himself down on the
perlumed bed. He arose early the next
morning, bathed and breakfas;ed, and, find
ing that he was under no restraint, strolled
into the beautiful garden. He was, however,
closely followed by the eunuch, who said his
name was kerim Aga, and on approaching
the outer gate on his return was politely adj
vsed to take shelter from the sun in the
chalet He passed the day in looking over
the many welI-selected books that were at
his disposal, and in vain attempted TO draw
the .eunuch into conversation. The most
singular thing Of all was that, besides his at
tendant, he had not seen a single human be-
ing on the premises, and, considering that
there were 100 slaves IN the princess's EN-
ploy, he came TO the conclusion that this
man Kerim Aga was her only trusted slave
aud that the others were employed elsewhere,
so that they could not see him. As mat
ter of fact, during The whole OF the twenty
three days that he was 4 prisoner in the
palace, Kerim Aga and the princess were
the only persons he saw. At o'clock
that evening the eunuch told him that the
sick patient wanted to see him. They de-
scended into the cellar OF the chalet, and an
iron door being opened by the slave, they
entered a we'll illuminated underground
passage, and after going some 200 yards
mounted a small staircase, at the top of
which Kerim Aga, opening another iron
door, told the doctor 10 enter and disap-
peared DIR. C4nelli found himself in the
Princess private apartment, where he was
welcomed by her in person. The doctor has
since said that heaven itself could hardly
surpass the three rooms comprising this SUITE,
and that in beauty, grace and elegance he
doubts If any celestial being surpasses the
Princess Elmineh. For three weeks, which
to him appeared as go many days, did DIR.
Canelli remain in the apartments. The more
he saw of the princess the more he thought
the world had misjudged her, and he de-
termined to become her champion the day
she gave him his liberty, which he imagined
he could obtain whenever he might ask for it.
At 10 O'Clock OF the twenty second night
Kerim Aga rushed into the room and told
the princess in an excited manner that one
Of the grooms had just been dangerously
kicked by horse. She asked the doctor If
he would kindly attend to the slave, which
he willingly agreed to do. Kerim Aga
opened the door by which they had entered
the first time, and which had remained
locked ever since and asked the doctor TO
follow him. As be was leaving, the princess,
kissing her jeweled fingers to him, told him
10 return speedily. Even as he was descend
ing the marble stairs, although the door had
been locked behind them by the eunuch, he
could still her crying: "Rerlnes uite, mon
chez; re Patterlds duec inpatienee." Instead of
going by the passage leading 10 the chalet,
and in which direction Cauelli knew the
stables to be, Kerim Aga opened a door in
the opposite direction, and unlocking Ian
tern from the wall entered dark passage,
followed by the doctor, whose suspicious were
now fully aroused. He could hear the
waters of the Nile ominously splash
ing at the end of the passage. All the
tales he had heard about poor Coll
shot through his memory, and he determined
10 keep bis eye on tie eunu(h and to sell, his
life dearly if foul play was attempted. They
had advanced some distance when Kerim
Aga told the doctor TO go before him, which
he firmly refused to.do. The eunuch then
put down the lantern and in a second rushed |
upon his victim with drawn yataghar, or
heavy cutlass. that he had concealed under |
his flowing robes, but Canelli, being on the |
alert, slipped aside, and in doing SO upset the |
light. And now began a dreadful combat In |
the dark between the two strong men, one OF |
whom was armed with deadly weapon and |
bent on murder, and the other unarmed, but |
having his life to.deiend. The eunueh lasbed |
about with his yatsghau, following up and |
wounding the doctor, whose whereabouts he /
could tell by the noise of his footballs in the |
vault. The doctor then had the presence of |
mind 10 slip of his shoes, and this saved his
life, for, although he could tell where the
assassin was, his own movements were mys-
terry to his antagonist, who, after vainly
searching for him, went toward the door
in order to obtain assistance, or per-
haps a light. He was closely and
silently followed BY the doctor. No sooner
had he pu; the key into the lock than Canelli
rushed upon him from behind and pulling |