The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-22
CALM ON THE GALLONS.
ortitude of Moslem About to Be
Hung for Murder.

Fortltude of Moslem About to Be
Hung for Murder.
q few months ago all Egypt rang
with the execution of Bekk1t Sulei-
man at Alexandria.
Suleiman had been convicted Of
numbering a Greek merchant named
Limperopulo. Being Mohammedan
he was tried in the Moham medan
tribunals and sentenced to death.
lhe execution took place at sunrise
on> the military parade ground of
Kom-el-dik. Hopes OF a reprieve had
been entertained from the fact that
the great fasting month of Islam
the Ramadan-had just ended, and
the feast of Bairam or Joy begun.
The late khedive invariably signal
lied the return of Bairam by releas-
ing all prisoners whose terms of pun
lshment had nearly expired, and often
by communications. says correspond
ent OF the Richmond Dispatch.
IN But Suleiman did not profit by the
great festival, and just as the gray
dawn was streaking the east he was
awakened in his prison with the news
that his appeal for grace had been
refused and that he must immediately
prepare for death.
Bound and handcuffed. but as i'm
perturbable as the least concerned Of
MS escort he was taken to the place of
execution, and at the foot of the GAL
lows he maintained the same fatalis.
'lo IonAposufe: ~@ee.g
Il am innocent and Allah knows it.
Inc guilty are Abou Zeit and Ahmed
Sathin."
Then you wish nothing?"
es' want to pray and pros
traoe myself before Allah"
You may"
But can one pray who has not
washed?"
"A stone vessel of water was offered
hlm-the gullah in which DRINKING
water Is always kept in Egypt They
unbound his hands and he walked
under the scaffold and performed the
additions that every Moslem observes
before prayer He washed first his
1eet then his hands and face, and
then rlnsed his mouth, refusing to
; let any one help him or wait on him.
he then unwound from his waist
the shawl used as band, and spread
ing II on the ground under the scat.
lold whose floor was higher than his
head he stood on it and offered up
MS prayer prostrating himself four
tlmes with his forehead to the earth,
praying to Allah for mercy. and in
Voklng the aid and interce ssion of his
prophet
He drank from the gullah and said
Il am ready
He was then pinioned. and be
walked up the steps to the scaffold
and lifting his voice. called out:
'''Salaam aleikum va Islam" -peace
De to you' Moslem-and he added in
Arabic:
Peace be TO all men. and the order
of Allah. Peace be to the children of
Islam. We belong to Allah and to
him we return, I testify that there
is no God but he alone" He turned
his face to the east and bowed =
1t would be impossible to exagger
ate in description the majesty and
dignity of this scene, notwithstanding
ones assurance of the prisoners guilt
and the justice of his fate.
Alone and helpless of aid, he turned
his face toward the glowing east and
the holy cities and his last act a
prayer. his last word a declaration of
his answering belief he looked out
upon the thousands assembled to wit
ness his end with the untroubled as
surance of his fatalistic creed.
J. And so. as the scanty rays of the
morning iliumined the rude machin-
cry of DEATH he was swung into eter-
nifty. solemnly pronouncing as the
cord frightened around his neck. his
creed's defiance to the unbeliever:
la illaha illalah" there is no God
but Allah-and died.