New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-04
MOUSSA BEY BUYS A BIBLE.
BUT TIE OLD ADAM GETS LOOSE AGAIN AMI
MAKES NO END OF TROUBLE.
rrpou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rrisnNE''
L. InlN i u.


Cox delighted his constituency. his return from
Turkey is n picture Of very much ideailzeo
scene A typical Turk of the old style Is sSeteh'u
in the act of shedding tears rs large as goose
berries over the pages Of copy OF the Scripture
while typical missionary or two look ON WIN
grave satisfaction The legend appended to 'niS
work of art is MOUSSE Bey Buys Bible
The point of the picture lies in the previous
history OF Moussa Bey lie had robbed two Amer
lean missionaries in the highlands of Arnen''
and. he having been left unpublished by the loc"i
authorities, the United States Government asMeu
the Porte TO have him brought TO trial inns
request was not attended to by the Porte, ana III
stead the robber chief was appointed Governor
Of n district adjoining the scene of the robbery
President Cleveland then instructed Mr.. CoN'
Minister to Turkey. to demonstrate and ask to nave
Monssa Bey tried and punished if guilty blt
the missionaries now appeared on the scene win
request that the man be allowed 10 remain III
his place as Governor They had learned by eA-
perence that Satan finds some mischief sun i"r
idle hands to do, and sympathzed with the peo-
pie who had serious complaint TO make against
him as Governor, but dreaded his return to tle
wder field Of usefulness which he would hhu
in case he should he turned loose again on the
world at large. This request amused Mr. CoN'
but led him to drop the prosecution OF the case'
By and By there came report that MOUSSE hey
had been seen 10 buy Bible, and the picture
above referred 10 came into being.
Unhappily. the Boy has not proited by his read
ing Of the Bible. if ne ever attempted It, me
tears represented in the picture must have been
tears Of regret over the money spent IN printing
the book The whole land is now talking OF hiin-
In due rlme Inc WAS removed from his tilice 10
make room for a huugricr man. ana he returned
to his old tricks. Some OF his victims on the
plain Of Aloush. i'm Armenia, signed a petition 10
the Government TO have him arrested and tired Tor
q series of robbcrcs. The Pacha Of Blts sum
n,oned him 10 that city TO answer the charges
made against him. and, the result of several
private interviews. in which MouSsa Bey declares
that he paid the Pacha 50, 900 or $1,000 the ROD
Der was allowed TO spend the cold weather rs thc
guest of a very holy Sheil,h in the city OF Btlls.
In April of this year an Armenian merchant oil the
District Of Moush went 10 Bills on business. IL
so happened that ne ha been a leader in get'lhg
mp the petition for the arrest Of Moussa Bey, ANA
when Moussa heard that he in the city ms soul
was stirred within him. When the merchant had
gone homewaId Moussa Bey followed him in the
night found him asleep in lodgings by the way
and seized him for revenge. First he filed tie
mans pocket which had carried the obnoxious peti-
ton with loose gunpowdcr, and then poured Il
quantity into the hand which had signed the
parer. and fired the whole, as a separate punish
mcnt. lie then stabbed the man and threw hm
into the fire and let him burn 10 death. This
WAS a sign Of returning 10 a mode Of life which
included the robbery Of caravans and the strip
ping of all rich villagers OF their property.
At last the list Of plundcrcd Villages grew ~
alarming proportions, and the people appealed
t. Constantnoplc for protection. The Governor
of Bills was ordered 10 seize MouSSa Bey, dead
or alive: and The result was most curious. III
obedience to this order the Governor went 50 lax
as 10 send ont dcpulaiion OF eminent citizens
to beg the Bcy TO come into the city ana be
quiet again Moussa declined the invitation, and
was only induced 10 60 into Bitlis when the holy
Sheikh who had been his host during the winter
went forth in person in invite HIM 10 make
him another visit. H. was a grand spectacle loi
the good people Of Biti> when the Old Sheikh
came back with Mous,a Boy riding M hS right
hand, escorted By numbers OF Muslin notabcS
of the city who lad eon' ou' 10 meet ana do
honor 10 50 great pair of dgaitari's. The hey
st,uttcd about the streets OF Bills for some
time. giving ont that the PacAa had paFdoned an
of his little peccadlocs. Bat being closely urged
TO 90 10 lIINliuuInIl'. SiH'' ti. t'"i'.'' WIZ
anxious TO make the acquaintance of 50 important
q subject, he AT last yielded lie hrs just arrived
here. not under arrest bat having made tie
Journey in his own time. having been treated
like a prince by all the officials on tin long route
TO the coast. and having spent his time at all the
chief cities in exchange of cvilitc, with tli
great men OF the land lie has no idea that his
robbory and murder of fcw miserable Giaours is
REGARDED by the AUTHORITIES as of more importance
than he himself is wont 10 a>cribc 10 TIM matter.
NIoussa Bcy is a young man OF about thirty.
and somewhat Of q dude in matters of dress. If
putting the mind upon the trousers IS the dis
tinguishing trait of the species. When saw hun
he wore "a costume Of wi,to flannel. and the
trousers were embroidered along IN" seams ana
around the ankles with co.orcd silk with an effect
which ! commend 10 the Judgment of the bcmi~
Of Ncw-Norll His wai>tcodt WIS Of the saae
material. entirely covered with gold embroidery.
\ silk shawl served as eirilc around his waist
and another wound loosely around his red m
can answered for a turban. Were il not for q
very cruel mouth he would be a fne-looliing
young man. admired Of all. as H. j, Of the
Kourdish tribe, Of which he is the chief.
Moussa Bey has now issued an address TO the
Sultan. in which hc declares himself TO be- guilt
less Of crime and anxious 10 confront his accuS rs
An order ha, therefore been issued for all VINO
have charges 10 make against him 10 come Oh
10 this city and prove their case, or failing 70
do this. 10 take the punishment OF calumnlatoS'
At the ssmc time the newspapers OF the CITY
publish kilograms from AunenianS OF IN" neiGh-
boring province Of Van declaring that the sinners
live in peace and brotherly relations with all tier
nciahbor, under the shadow OF the sultan ana
especially with the kourds This Is the nrA'
thing 10 having such certificates from bitiS
Since the men who have charges to make a-'iIi'l
Mous>a Beg are common peasants who work nav
all the year round 10 get bread and cheese %
eat. and since the distance TO he traVeis'd u
reach the capital with their complaints impila
a Journey Of about twenty days, and especially
since the impression is well defined in the mln'f
cl The people that the police Of Mou'h aud biilf
b,,.o instruction. 70 SCI that thtsr who p'csrn