The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-25
SCANDAL IN THE HAREM.
A Daughter of the True Faith Elopes with
Infidel Dog.

A Daughter of the True Faith Elopes with
an Infidel Dog.
London Special.
The widest excitement prevails in Con-
stantinople, tonight and palace and diplo-
matte circles have sustained shock I'M
equaled since the tragic death of Sultan
Abdul Azz. The present monarch, who has
been pi ctured as an uncommonly mild-man-
nered Turk, is beside himself with rage, and
Stamboul trembles at the echoes OF his an
ger. The cause of all this commotion, which
has turned the Queen of the Bosphorus as
completely topsy-turvy as it could be if the
victorious Mahdi were at her gates, is sim
ply pretty widow. One year ago she was
the young bride of KAHN Bey, who had been
First Secretary of the Palace, but was then
ont of Office and living in palace opposite
Scutari, surrounded by every luxury that
wealth conld provide including harem of
which the heroine of the present escapade was
the acknowledged queen KAHN was gath
cred to his fathers some months past and
his widow has since made the most of the
com parative freedom which Mussulman
practice has lately accorded to her condition.
During the summer she was frequently
found at Buyuk-Dere-Bebek, the Sweet
Waters, and the other romantic resorts in
the, vicinity of the capital. Many foreign
ers who have seen her at these Watering
places have declared that she was the love-
lest woman in Europe. She had worship
ers by the score and she did not keep all of
them at the safe distance which Moslem law
enjoins. One handsome young attache of
the Belgian embassy, who is said to bear the
title OF an ancient baronetcy pressed his suit
with determination and success. The dash
i 81 ! j
but race and religion were apparently in
superable obstacles to their marriage.
Finally the Baron's ardor and the woman's
wit suggested an elopement, and so it has
come to pass that Stamboul is Mortified by
the unprecedented scandal of a wealthy and
lovely daughter of the true faith" ievant-
ing with dog of an infide" As nearly as
can be ascertaned the lady fled with her
lover to Paris, where she abjured the Moslem
creed embraced Catholicism, and was duly
married to her lover At all events they are
safely out of the reach of the scandalized
Sultan, and it is well, for her at least, that
she is away, or even her dainty neck might
feel the pressure of bowstring.
Abdul Hamid however, could not be
brought to believe that she had escaped from
ConstanUinople, ana police and palace guards
have secured the city in search of the fugi-
tives. During the hunt the police arrested
the handsome young wife of Dr. Henry,
sisted that she was the culprit for whom they
were seeking. DR.. Henry was in terrible
distress and appealed to the French Embas-
sador, but ii was not until strong diplomatic
pressure had been brought to bear upon the
Sultan that the unfortunate lady was
released. The Commander of the
Faithful is now venting his wrath
upon the remaining daughters OF Islam
by issuing strict edicts that the law as laid
down in the Koran regarding the seclusion
and yelling of women shall be vigorously en-
forced. and that all violations thereof shall
be punished with the barbarous penalties
enforced in the days of the Prophet. The
unhappy husbands of the derelict lights of
the harem, who have been sadly neglectful
of the Korans command in this respect, are
in despair. Every man of them knows that
he may be made shorter by head if he fails
to enforce the Sultans DEGREES, and he also
knows full we'll that he cannot enforce them
without harem rebellion, compared with
which peaceful death might be luxury.