New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-09
THE ABABs HELD NO MEETING.
NOR DID THEY ATTACK MICHEL KARAM-oTIiER
THINGS THEY DID NOT DO.

A story received from tho New'York City News
poor was pubIIshed In The Tribune OF April 4, which
sad that Michael Karam, O drummer for Turkish art
cies Of No 100 East One'hundPed and seycneth-st,"
had incurred the enmity OF the Arabsn this city, and
ON last Thursday in response TO notice calling for
naI0natlon meeting 900 angry Arabs gathered In the
turkish cafe, No. rs Westinghouse. The story said
,h, Josenh Ayoob presided, and that when Karam at
,empted 10 speak caught him by the leg
he cot upon a table and pulled him down. that
q Karam struggled with his assaants, and then fol-
lowed a scene OF wild confusion. Finally order was
restored and Karam, much bruised and with his gar
ments rent, dlved through the window" The meet
ing resolved that the accused man should In future DO
osracised" Tho story said that young Arabian boys
now pick up stones and clap them together when
Karam passes, which is great insult to an Arab
Investigation showed that the story contained little
truth and much falsehood. Mr. Karam says he Is not
a drummer and has never been one, having been
general commission merchant In this city on hs own
account for the last four years. during when me no
had his Office first at No. 1873 Broadway and afterward
at No. II Broadway. lie says he never lived at NO.
1870 East One hundred-and-sevegtieth-st
A careful inquiry among the syrians, not Arabs, :"
as the story had it, who attended the meeting
showed that there was no notice Of the meeting sen'
out and furthermore, that there was no meet
lng,o still less an Indignation meeting IL was 'ne
casual meeting Of ten or twenty OF inc irc9eh'e VI
the cafe As 10 the 400 angry Arabs no such mum
her could possibly have been wedged into the room OF
14x26 feet and Rushed Safy the proprietor OF tne
cafe assured the reporter that not more than oneteh
Of that number had visited his cafe during the whole
day and that at O'Clock, the time of the racas gwen
nv the story not more than ten or thirteen persons
we're present and those In friendly way DISCUSS
inc n newspaper article the syrian colony In Now
York the points OF which Karam had gwen 10 re-
norter The article however, had been misunderstood
NV the svrans who thought some OF the passages re-
elected on them and Karam was explaining that the
article was highly complimentary. The expaha
ton u said Mr. Earam, "was satisfactory except 10
few rivals of mine who had tried to make them oeheve
that was putting myself as the Grand Vizer Oh tne
colonyp The reporter four or five OF the peopio
present and they all agreed that there was ot ecn
angry conversation. The only rude tnilg Sau, ~
these Svans are extremely polite, was by the Egyptian
ASmad Unmmond not Mahmond EHendl, as lhe soory
nod n who remarked that II he were In Egypb NC
,vouId shoot the man who said MohammedanS pei
soc,ted CHRISTIANS and' said karam, =" tue 1cH.
morninp Ahmad Hammond came around ana dpoipsiHoa
To- me- for IT," The witnesses all declared 70 inc ~
,orer that the getting the table, catchIs ny
The iecn and dving out OF wlndo" "eie ao'oiu'''
false -, Ao,, .ovs nrasided soId 10
+bo renorer that he did not preside as ne was q! III
mooing Rusheld Safy, who was present al the uine,
and said Juseldm, who present. corrODoraleu IheSo
Statements ;,dren knocking stones when Karam passed
fbe Syrians assured the reporter tnat tSIO W. NV
moro than five or six syrian children III new" iorA'