St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-22
He Escaped Assassination, but
Not So His Predecessors
in Egypt.
Quieklime, the Bowstring and
Bastinado Awful and
Handy Agents.
A Long and Choice List Of
MonStepsWho Once Flour
ished in His Realm.

the Philadelphia Press. Whether or
not DR.. Selim Pasha administered the
fatal potion through ignorance or de-
sign, the morphine route is infinitely
preferable to that which go many of
Tewfk's predecessors have been forced
to take. Since John Bull has taken the
heritage of the PharaohS under his pro-
tecting @gis old methods have fallen
more or less into disuSe, but assassina-
ton was formerly quite the thing there,
and the ornamental styles in which it
was practiced by the artists of the craft
would have done credit to the genius of
a Flaubert. For instance, the late
paSha, instead of slumbering out his
reign under the soothing influence of
the soporlfc drug, might have been
Strangled, as was Ahmad, or been con-
demned to slow death by quicklime, as
was Geysh Abu-P Asakir, the young son
of khumarayeh; bastinadoed by Turk
iSh muteS, like Haroon, persisted with
sand smarting in his wounds, as did Ell
Hakim, or been kneeded into a lifeless
mass to soft music as was El-Ashraf-
Kualed the son of El-Melik-El-Mano
the hero of the siege of Acre.
Up to the time of the Mohammedan
conquest assassination was regularly
practiced as a means of dlSposng of
political enemies, as witness the fate
which overlook the celebrated Boccho
riS, who, after having reformed the laws
of the country, was taken prisoner by
the Ethiopian SabacO, of the Twenty
fifth dynasty, and buried alive. After
that event for nearly two centuries
Egypt was governed by succession
of viceroys appointed by the caliphs of
nd Ram6a6 Tho
rebel against Turkish authority was
Ahmad. Turkish slave high in office
in the latter city. He was great diplo-
mat. While he turned in no revenue,
he offered prayers to the sultan in his
mosques and temples. Toward the
close of his life he lived in unbounded
luxury.
He Was Strangled to Death
by his son, Khumarayeh, who was anx
ious to enter into his inheritance.
Khumarayeh, in his time, was so fearful
of assassination that he trained lion
to keep watch over him while he slept
on bed of quicksilver, so that the
slightest motion might awaken him. He
was put to death by two women of his
harem.
Khumarayeh's eldest son, Geysh Abu-
PAsakir, lad of fourteen years, sue
ceeued him. This prince was killed in
less than eight months, and the circum-
stances of his death are peculiarly
atrocious. A deep hole was dug by
several of his enemies. members of his
household, in the garden of the palace
This was filled with quicklime, and the
unfortunate boy was forced into it, his
feet first, and the turf battened down
firmly all around him. Water was then
poured into the hole and the lime slowly
ate away his lower limbs. On the fourth
day death released him. Fourteen
women of the harem and twentyfour
eunuchs were slain the same day to ap-
pease the wrath of the gods.
Gevsh Abu-P Asakir was succeeded by
his brother Haroon. He reigned eight
years. but gave himself up to pleasure,
and, his grasp on those with whom he
was surrounded becoming weakened,
he was selected as victim. He was
bastinadoed to death by Turkish mutes
in a remote corner of the palace by
order of his uncles, Sheyban and Adee.
At the first blow of the bastinado the
boy cried out:
''Spare me, o brothers of my fatherp'
Whereupon Sheyban directed the
mutes to strike him in the mouth with
their heavy canes, which they did.
Then his mouth Swelled so he could no
longer articulate anything but groans.
Tekeren, another governor from Bag
dad, was the next to fall victim to the
Egyptian mania for assassination. He
was killed by order of Aboo-bekr-
Mahommed, who succeeded him. The
manner of his death is not recorded.
El-Hakim, who reigned about 925
A. D., was one of the cruelest monsters
who ever occupied throne, and his
cruelty was surpassed by his impiety.
Egypt continued
To Groan Under His tyranny
until he fell by domestic treachery. His
sister, Seyyiket-el-Muloo had. in COM
mon with the rest of his subjects, in
Cured his displeasure, and, being fear
full for her life. she secretly and by
night concerted measures with the
emeer, Seyf-ed-Dewleh, chief of the
guard, who very readily agreed to her
plans. Zen slaves. bribed by 500
deeniers each. having received their IN
structions, went forth on the appointed
day to the desert tract southwark of
Cairo, where Ei-Hakim, unattended,
was in the habit of riding. and waylaid
him near the village of Hulwan.
Dragged from his horse, he fought
desperately, and succeeded in killing
six of his aSsassins with his own sword.
The weapon then broke in his hand,
and the four others rushed up and cut
him to pieces. 1t is said that they were
so enraged they rubbed sand in the
dying mans wounds i'll order to increase
his torture.
The next man hieh in Office to fall by
the weapon of the assassin was the arch
rebel Nasir-el-Dowlen. who was killed
inthe year 465 of the Egyptian calendar.
He had arranged for the general massa-
ere of some emeers at grand banquet,
but on raising his wine cup to his lips,
the signal for the slaughter to begin,
fell dead across the table. One of the
emeerS had had notice of what was
going to happen and defeated it by DROP
ping poison into the cup of the tyrant.
El-Abbas, who comes little later.
would have made decent ruler. He
tried his best to govern the country
well, but could make no headway
against the intrigueS of his grand viziers
and other courtiers. Finding his power
waning, he gathered together the wealth
ne had amassed and fled to Syria, where
he fell into the hands of the crusaders,
who stripped him of all he had and de-
tanned him as prisoner. Eventually
he was surrendered to his grand vizier,
Tatae, who Immediately crncified him
over the gates of his own palace.
About 1859 Sala din, immortaiZed by
OCOtI, dSSuileu une ClJl6 OF Sultan or
Egypt. His first act was to put to death
the chief of the eunuchs, and he inau-
gurated his reign wit h series of brill
liant successes. His terrible
Encounters With the Crusaders
form one of the most interesting pages
of history. On his death his extensive
dOminions were divided, and Egypt fell
to the. lot of his son. El-Melike. He
reigned six years, and his early death
gives rise to the presumption that it was
not natural one.
Tooran-Shah was the next ruler to die
by violence. This monarch gave him
self over to debaucnery, offended his
mobiles. and was attacked by his own
Msmlook guards in a pleasure tower, to
which he had fed for refuge. Failing
to force an en- trance, the structure
was fired, and the debauchee persisted
mlSerablY. His corne Law for many