Omaha daily bee., 1889-12-19
COLONEL sHepARp's OFFER.
A Million Doll airs TO the Sultan of
urkey to Become n Christian.

A Million Dollars TO the Sultan of
Turkey to Become a Christian.
In course of time the world may re-
alize, says the New York Times, the
scope of that good man, Colonel Elliott
F. Shepard, editor. %mauipulator of
stage company stock, religious crusader
and politician.
The latest revelation concerning the
notorious moralist is to the effect that he
once had the idea of converting to the
Christian faith no less a person than
the Sultan of Turkey, and that not by
the sword, as the crusaders of old
sought to effect their purpose, but with
the jingle OF good American dollars,
some OF them having in time gone by
belonged to William HI. Vanderbilt.
One beauty about this incident in the
%colonel's career is it's absolute truthful
ness, which is more that car be said of
some things told of public and histori-
cal characters like Mr.. Shepard.
1t seems that when the colonel was
abroad some four or five years age he
visited Constantinople, and there he
was entertained by the wife of a pasha.
The official was a German holding high
rank in the Turkish army, mi of course
both he and his wife were christians.
The pious colonel studied the Turkish
character and the Moslem creed at
length, and his tender heart bled al the
thought that so many human beings
knew not the blessings OF his religion.
Consequently on his return to this coun-
try he put IN practice a plan that had
suggested Itself on the way over.
He wrote TO the pasha's wife request
dearly the colonel loves these words
that he, Colonel Shepard, would present
him, the sultan, with 81 200 900 in cash
IL he would embrace Christianity.
Embrace" was The word the colonel
used, and, considering his well adver-
tised reputation for morality and mod
esty, it would seem that he might have
employed Il term less susceptible OF Il
double significance. In his letter Mr..
Shepard gives as his reason for writing
TO the lady in question the fact thather
husband was close to the sultan, aud
consequently could easily tind an OPP
%portunity to make the proposition.
On his return to this country Colonel
Shepard conveyed the idea to his
riends that while his reception in all
Europe was enthusiastic, it was in Tur-
key alone that he made what theatrical
people term a shit" Had this beeu
the case, however, he would have
KNOWN" said q prominent Turkish tray
eler yesterday, that Il Christian, no
matter how high his rank, would never
be able to approach the sultan on any
thing like intimate terms. And the
pasha, to whose wife the colonel's letter
was written, never speaks to his i'm
perial master except in relation to the
stables, for his duties are connected
with the sultan's horses"
When the pasha's wife received the
letter her amusement was un bounded,
aud she told about it with great glee at
IA public reception. Not so her husband,
the general. He looked at the
matter in an entirely different
light. What. ask Mohammed's vice
gerent to forsake his creedY The very
idea caused II cold Precipitation to break
out on his forehead and sent floating
through his mind visions Of the bow
string, the sack and the cool waters OF
the BOsphorus.
Yesterday a reporter of the Times
asked the Turkish traveller already re-
ferred to what would have resulted had
the pasha transmitted the ~colOnel's mes
sage to the sultan. why" was the
reply, 1.-THE thing is absurd on the face
OF 1T, but for the sake OF argument sup
pose that the offer had been made TO the
sultan. The pasha would have been
dismissed instantly, and would have
been wonderfully fortunate had that
been the end of it,"
1t Is not known whether Colonel
Shepard had "A certified check for
81 900 900 made out in the event OF the
imDecunious sultan's Willingness to
embrace" christianity.
-