The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-19
ISMAEL PACHA'S CRIMES.
The Bloody and Shameless Career of
the Late Viceroy of Egypt.
A Reign of Outrage, Murder and Lust-The
Sins He Tried to Hide by Murder
ing Cabinet Officer.
Constantinople Letter.

Constantinople Letter.
Ism.ael Pacha the late Viceroy of Egypt,
who is now living in retirement at Naples,
became notorious during his short reign of
that unfortunate country for the many afro
clous and wicked crimes he committed.
Whenever he wanted to rid himself of an OBJ
noxious minister, an influential officer or
of man whose wife he coveted, he found
means of either poisoning him or having
him stabbed in the streets, or sometimes in
his very bed. OF all the crimes of which he
is guilty the murder of the Muffetish is the
most horrible, surprising that of his prede-
cessor, Said Pacha. The Muffetish or Min
lister of Finances, was at one time common
laborer on one of the Khedives estates, and
was named Ismail Sadyk, but by his indus
try and Intelligence rose to manage the
great Daira estate, which he gave such
proofs of his financial qualities that the
Viceroy appointed him minister of finances
The Mutfetish, at the time of his appoint
ment, was about forty years old, exceedingly
ugly, with little eyes. fat short and exceed
ingly dirty.
Whenever the Khedive required money for
his insane extravaganza, as the treasury was
empty, the Muffetish, by simply visiting a
few villages and having the Scheiks bastina-
ters requirements. The minister, however,
in extorting illegal taxes from the farmers
filled his own pockets as well as his masters
He bought and built palaces right and left,
kept the best Arab horses, filled his harem
with Circasian women of extraordinary
beauty, the prices of whom would have
frightened The Sultan, and in every other re-
spect actually We'd with the Khedive himself
in extravaganza. The Viceroy did not COM
plain, nor did he care how much his minis
ter robbed as long as his own requirements
were amply met.
Two years after the Muffetish's appoint
ment to the ministry, El-Hairy Pacha, the
wealthiest nobleman from the east, and I'M
Gle of the Khedive, was siezed with disease
which the local medical men failed to under
stand, and European physicians of high re-
pute, being summoned to Cairo, were bound
to acknowledge their inability to discover
what allied his Excellency. The Khedive, in
order to be near his dear uncle, had him re-
moved to his own palace at Shoubra and
while there the only daughter of El-Hairy
Pacha, girl of twelve years of age, was mar
ried to one of the khedive's sons. A few
days after the wedding El-Hairy Pacha MED,
and his estate went to the Khedive. The
plot was concocted between the Khedive and
his minister From this time the Muffetish,
having the Khedive in his power, managed
affairs as he liked, and instead of extracting
taxes from the Fellaheen for his masters
account, he openly collected them for
himself, pointing out to the Viceroy that if
he wanted money, English and French capt.
talsts were willing to advance him any
amount he requred,i and as he. as Minister of
Finances, had to negotiate the loans, it is pre-
sumed that he made good commission out
of them, the certainty being that for ESQ.,
100000 worth of bonds which were issued,
not half that amount ever reached the Khe-
dives Golfers, although the country is now
paying interest and sinking fund on the full
amount.
The relations between the Khedive and his
minister by degrees became so Strengthened
that they looked upon each other as deadly
enemies, and what was worse still, neither of
them took any pains to hide it from the pub
lie. thus causing the weakness of the Viceroy
to be strongly commented upon. The Muf-
fetiSh knowing how INSCRIPTIONS his mas
ter was, never went out without being eS-
corted by strong guard of Albanians, and
he kept regular garrison ct the Ministry of
Finances, on the Ezbekeh road where he
had taken up his quarters. In visiting the
palace on official business, he took particular
care never to go there unless the other min
listers were present at the same time, and,
above all things, never accepted cup of
coffee glass of sherbet, or even water, nor
would he smoke the regulation tzbeek, or
cigarette, while there. The Khedive was
looking for chance to rid himself of the
Mutfetish, and kept spies who reported all
his movements, while the ministers spies
kept watch over the Viceroy. Many at
tempts were made on the life of the Muffet-
ish, but they all failed. Fearing, however,
that sooner or later Ismail Pacha, who
stopped at nothing, would find means to dis
patch him, he resolved upon sending his
wealth out of the country and then follow
ing it to Paris, where he could live in great
style on the proceeds of his many crimes.
The majority of plots and resolutions are
formed in the harefn, and it is generally
through that channel that they ooze out
The Muffetish was passionately fond of a
young Circassian slave, or wife, there being
little or no difference between the two
named Aizeh, and to her he confided his
plan, telling her of the honors and grandness
which she would share with him in the
French capital. That evening it was known
in the Khedive's harem, and within twenty
four hours the Viceroy put an end to his
minister career by numbering him in the
palace.
Some weeks previous to this (Nov. Is, 1870
Messrs. Joubert and Cave, the commissioners
appointed by the French and English hold
ers Of Egyptian bonds, proposed their cele-
brated scheme for the settlement of the ma
tional debt, and as this did not just then suit
the Muffetish, he wrote a letter to his master
telling him that if he accepted the proposed
terms he would publish certain things very
detrimental to his credit. The Khedive kept
TINS letter. ana upon nearing from one OF his
own harem favorltes what his minister had
told the Circassan girl. Aizeh, he determined
to use the letter against hi4n, and thus pre-
vent his projected escape An order was is
sued for cabinet council, to be held at
the palace early on the following morn
ing, to consider the proposed financial
scheme, and all the ministers, including the
Muffetish, responded to the call. His high
ness met the privy council, and there and
then accused Ismail Sadyk, the Muffetish, of
high treason in daring to threaten him, and
thus prevent him from doing his duty to his
country. The minister, who had certainly
moderated the Khedive's courage, was con-
victed of high treason, and condemned to
dismissal from the state service in disgrace,
exile and imprisonment at Dougela, and the
loss of all his property to the sovereign. He
was Immediately arrested by his colleagues