The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-18
SOME uUssErN FANATICS.
How the celebration went ON THIS
Year at STEAMBOAT.

the world Is the celebration INDUCED In by
n sect OF Persians on the anniversary OF
the death of Hussein. He was the grand
son OF Mobammed, who aspired to the Ca
lir,bate In opposition to another branch OF
the same family. His following being most
IL I'm Persia, he was invited to cross from
Mecca TO the eastern side OF Arabia, there
10 be established i'm his Office. The lnVita-
tion was accepted, and he, with seventy-two
followers. arrived at Kerbella to fnd those
who had called him disa1ected, ana, at
last, drawn up across his path TO the Eu-
phrates, thus forcing conflict when Is
described rs a most heartless massacre at
tended by many instances OF unsurpassed
devotion, In one case follower carried
an infant toward the enemy's lines win
netltiop for water for this Hn0iiendlng
human being, toward whom they can reel
no malice" As reply he received hight
of arrows. and both he and the child were
killed. The death Of Hussein IS described
a. having been most affecting. Scarcely
any action i'm Eastern history has eX-
cited such a growing interest and sympa'
thy. OF late wears tue Governments under
whose authority the anniversaries are held
have been obliged to restrain the partlcl'
pants, guard them, and protect the multi
| tude. For several DAYS the approaching
exhibition this year was marked by the
| usual preparations. which eliminated last
evening in a procession OF Hussein and his
followers, attended by n numerous band Of
mourners. During last years celebration
| s13j, 900 was expended, and the enthusi-
asm was beyond control. Toward the last
body OF fanatical worshippers appear
ed before the Persian Ambassador and
demanded the release OF some men who
were imprisoned ten days before for a re-
| ligIous murder, threatening suicide IL re-
fused. He hesitated till they had cut them
selves terribly, and then yielded. Each OF
these men, it was said. would be rObed in
white. and with bare arms flourish a cut
lass, scimeter, or sword OF some sort again
| this year. They would join the hundreds
OF like dread mourners to follow the pro-
cesSiOn round and round the great court OF
the old hotel I'm Stlmboul.
But must give you Il description some
what i'm detail OF course the place would
be crowded. 81. full regiment Of soldiers
would be on guard, and any number Of
police. To avoid sitting crush. pro-
cured an introduction to the Persian Con-
sul-GeneraI. who provided us chairs in an
|
there Just after sunset. As we approached
the thronged doorway two Of the barehead-
ed Persians rushed past Us into the Han,
| drawing as they went two such ugly,
sharp-ground, sand-papered swords rs
never saw before. We three Americans
looked ut each other TO see ii our time
had come. We were armed with flask
and revoyers. but there was no blood IN
sight vet. A moment later a crowd
came pouring along, driven by thu
police. II consisted OF lot OF opposing
fanatics, who We're pointed ont by the man
ayers a. likely to create disturbances not
on the programme. We ilattened ourseye,
against the wall, and they went by. n few
lstepS more brought us within the court o.
"a great tWo-stOry stone building. formerly
used rs Il hotel. There was room in it fol
10000 people. In the middle was a large
wooden house. All around was a row OF
trees. and there were two rows OF torch
fires above our heads. There was much
lesser illumination and decoration else
where. 4 half-mOon shone through fleecy
clouds and the thick smoke Of the torches
IN order TO carry the weird effect almost to
the supernatural point.
| Our Interpreter was sent TO find the Con-
|
throng was complete and confusion SUI
preme. He returned. saying he could 90
nowhere without our support. We pushed
him alOng TO policeman, who told him the
location OF the Consul. Passing the crowd
rs il receded before body Of soldiers, we
met some two hundred Of the furious and
excited mourners. dressed and armed n,
described, barcheadcd. each holding by hi,
| io9f d.. no sir1l Ia nf IA ioh N.
ing their swords, stamping in unison
moving slowly sidewise in two facing lines
shouting or wqimg in concert with re-
frain OF " Iius-sein, HuS sein Shah
Hus-sein. ali, Hus-sein." Trey present
ed spectacle we'll calculated t.
create excitement. Soon after we were
seated and had partaken Of refresh
ments portion Of the attendants o
Hussein passed among them child OF
horseback. All about were wailing, some
throwing chafi some scOurging themselye'
with bundles OF chains thrown over on,
shoulder, then the other, upon the bare
, back: Others beating their bare breasts II
, a most agoniZing manner. Al intervals
they would cease their slow march, Will
one mounted chair and read some portion
; OF the story they were enacting, or Will,
|
such tones and with such language a
caused many about us who understood t
, weep. At one time the Consul sen
a messenger TO stop 4 man, say
inc. at is too much; his Language
is too strong" This procession passed
six times i'm the course OF in hour
being varied occasionally by addition
in attendants, banners, and horses, moyn!
; faster each time, and the men giving NOR
force to all expressions. The last tim
they we've followed by the swOrdsmen
whom they met on entering in the sam
order rs we first saw them, only they wer
= throwing themselves about wildly ant
cutting themselves about their heads witt
: wicked-looking blades. Each time the,
appeared their number was increased
, their pace was quicker, and the gashinl
more terrible, Till neglected to make not
OF what TRANSFERRED Toward the last the,
were assisted by many attendants VIII
moved with them. AS they seemed wild
: There were some who were particularly ia
natical. They seemed bent on self-destruc
ton, sIashing at their heads so fiercel
!, that they must have killed themselves hat
= their attendants failed to ward of tn
: blows with the sticks they carried for tina
purpose. Some were faint with loss o
blood. Some OF the wounds were danger
Gus. At the last there appeared the rider
less horses OF the Hussein family, mos
gorgeously caparisoned in gold-cloth ant
embroidered velvet. Two saddles wer
decorated with swords. ON the points o
those carried by one horse were apples; OIL
= another saddle sat pair OF blood staine
white doves. Another horse wore trap
pings filed with darts. Then following
' came seven hundred or nine hundre
I swordsmen, whose white garments, hands
. and faces were smeared with blood, ant