News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-21
A KING FOR AN HOUR.
One of the Most Extraordinary ReyOIutio; s
on Record.

On the 18th of December, 1854, al
eight o'clock in the morning the Dey oil
Algiers was distributing pay to his sol
diers in the courtyard of his palace
The Grand Treasurer was with him
| besides his secretaries and the usual
| divan, and the number of soldiers was
about 800.
1t was understood that these were all
unarmed, as it was their custom to be
on such occasions though there was nc
sus picion of disaffectIon among them
and when one of them, after receiving
his pay, and kissing the Dey's hand,
suddenly drew a dagger, it produced {
| great sensation in the court.
When, instead OF repenting him of this
1ndiscretion, and putting it back again
into his girdle, he proceeded to sheathe
it in the Deys breast, and then to shoot
him with a pistol, the excitement re-
doubled.
Yet. curiously enough, nobody stirred
except himself. He rose and walked
a few yards u we'll recollect the bald
description of the writer in that gazateer
- calling out to his attendants =
Among so many of YOU can you not
destroy such villain as this = and then
dropped.
Ii His Highness could not do more,
1t is scarcely imaginable to conceive
how he could have done much less. But
his assassin was as prompt in action as
the other was slow; he no sooner had
his victim on the round than he
snatched off the Dey's turban, clapped
it on his own head, and seated himself
on the throne.
In the meantime friend of this auda
cious character had lodged pistol ball
in the High Treasurer's collar bone,
given him two sabre cuts over the head
and cut his right hand off, while four
more conspirators-for they were only
SIX in all-were "hard at work with
their pistols and sabres' among the COM
pany generally.
In recent American description of a
free fight we read that crowbaGs and
other sedatlves" were used, and pistols
and sabres seemed IN this case also to
have had a narcotic influence, for the
company &C ually listened with patience,
during all these anarchical proceedings,
to speech from the throne. sort of
programme issued by the new Dey re-
speeding the system of government that
would be pursued in the future for the
man on the throne had an idea that the
virtue of sovereignty lies in what it sits
on and really imagined that he was
firmly seated in that supreme power
which he had himself shown to be SO
precarious even in a legitimate possessor
Of it).
He told them that he was henceforth
about to govern the country on good
principles, and especially that he would
declare war against good many people
who fancied that no danger was hang,
ing over their heads.
The country is at peace" said he,
with good deal too many" and he
especially babe them to take notice that
he was a sovereign "who would do JUS
tlce to ALL" at viii h observation he
brandished his sword about his head in
what was doubtless felt to be a signif
cant manner.
Then he ordered the drums to beat,
and the cannons to be fired, to give no
tice to the city of changed dynasty.
While this was being done, one of the
chiauses cor messengers) of the palace
took heart of grace and. suddenly
snatcnlnS up carOlne, shot the urSurper
dead, at which action everybody seemed
to recover from their stupor, and the
work of cutting his five accomplices 10
pieces, after the Eastern manner, at once
commenced.
Even All Bashaw, the new Dey ac-
know edged that if this audacious rebel
had kept his seat but a few minutes
longer, and until the cannon were fred,
the government would have been sub
verted. Never was treason on such a
humble scale so near a success. These
six men were the sole conspirators, but
the inaction of the surrounding soldiery,
to whom they themselves belonged, is
by their Ignorance of the ex-
tent of the plot and their fear of being
supposed to be mixed up in it. AS it
was, the chief rebel was the shortest
Dey on record-a king for an hour
London EqcIl1n0e