The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-28
SULTAN ABDUL HAND
CHARACTER OF THE MAN WHO Is
PERsECUTING THE ARMENIAss.
His System of Doing Business and In
dOlent Habits Make the Most
FrightfuI Atrocities Possible.
Letter in Chicago Tribune.

living soul. though even his limited educa-
ton and. indeed. the unlimited number of
ministers, secretaries, counselors at his
beck and call would suggest his doing so.
He just sits down. mods or shakes his head
respectively. and trembles.
The Sultan is an early riser. He break
fasts in the harem and then proceeds at
once to the room in his own palace. which.
for the ensuing day, he may wish TO use as
a sort Of library. In Turkey, you know,
rooms have no specific character. The Mus
sulman dimes in whatever part
of the house he may be when meal time
has come; I'm the same way he orders his
mattress placed on the floor Of the apart
ment occupied by him in the latter part of
the evening. And the Sultan holds to this
national custom as far as etiquette will
permit. If it pleases him to receive his min
listers in the bath. a few dozen slaves will
carry his collections of stuffed birds and
impaled beetles thither: if he desires to
hold his morning session in the hall of the
ambassadors his feathered and multilegged
friends, without which Hands existence
would be a blank, are deposited on the
priceless carpets and consoles that furnish
the grand salon. No equipments of the typi-
cal modern study are necessary, neither
books, nor maps, nor writing materials.
The Sultan, as already mentioned, never
writes a word aside from his signature,
and his secretary, like the wandering min
strel of old. carries his quilts and ink pot
around with him. using his knees for a
desk.
HIS FAvORITE COCKATOO.
"Ofice hours are opened the moment
when the First Secretary of the Palace.
Sureya Pasha, is admitted to his Majesty's
presence. He finds the Grand Mogul Of the
Faithful seated, or more often lounging, on
an ottoman or sofa at the side of his favor
lite cockatoo, whose pranks amuse the EN-
peror for hours at a time. If polly chooses
to be ugly the secretary may at once
proceed with the business; if the bird is
sportfully inclined-why, 'let the slave
wait" The secretary bows low three times
before his master, then sits down on a
cushion placed at a respectful distance
from the Sultan on the floor and lights a
s s1c;ngt r,r Il Is o not many stiSref years syspor sanes
In "a smoke ali around" and ordinary
mortals were permitted to address the
cling in the dust on their belly. Abdul
Hamid introduced the new fashion, and is
very proud of It,.
The secretary brings with him a volumi-
nous report, containing a synopsis of all
the questions of the day and the work be-
fore the different Ministers of state, with
propositions and Information regarding the
tached. The Sultan listens passively to the
f fsins st Mhils RRimy favo %sia p IN the Il line anS Of
a proposal Abdul Hamid mods and the
recording secretary. who has been watch
moment to allow him to. make a note of
the imperial assent, which Is equivalent
to the PRONUNCIATION of an trade.
IAN Trade is the Turkish for 'ukase'-
ukase such as Catherine III, of Russia,
understood it, not the modern Muscovite
proclamation, which is generally the out
come of conferences between the ruler and
his ministers. An trade allows of no dis
custom, IL is never recalled, to c~riticise Ii
would be lese majestic of the rankest sort.
EXPLAINS ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.
Mind said the attache, 1.-The secretary
reader submits but a brief outline of the
proposals., and the Sultan, when indorsing
it, often knows nothing about the details
of execution, and probably cares less. For
that reason. and for no other, are such off,
cial atrocities as the Armenian massacre
possible of execution with the half consent
of the High Porte. The governor of some
distant province, foI instance, telegraphs
that his territory is in a state Of insurrec-
ton. The Minister of the Interior thinks
the rebels should be suppressed at short
notice. His opinion is repeated to the Sui
tan, who concurs with it by a simple nod,
as we have seen. Result: The afore-men-
toned governor receives permission, In the
form of an imperial trade, to re-establish
order as best he sees fit Notions of the
fitness of things vary as individuals and
ClIldleS Z. n litAildlJ RiCAlBO-
Tertiary in Europe will use the power in
vested in him by the trade with discretion
to his and the Sultan's honor and advan-
tage; an Asiatic pasha In nine cases out of
ten. will regard the trade as a permit to
rape and carnage.
IF instead of nodding the Sultan shakes
his head the proposal, or executive report,
is doomed to oblivion; the recording sec
rotary notes this, too, as well as he in
that his Majesty. when a certain matter
was mentioned, held up his hand. which
means that the case should be resubmitted
to the Ministerial Council and newly in
vestigated.
Thus the Sultan spends an hour or two
with his Polly and the secretary of the
palace in pleasant and unexciting inter-
course. Sureya is followed by another OFF,
cial, who reads to his Majesty extracts
during the night, and that being over Abb
dul Hamid thinks himself qualified TO wres-
tie with his Ministers. he doing the wrest-
ling, of course, and the later submitting
Ter, the Ouias. the Beys and Muchirs file
emn step and sedate faces. After many
I bows they seat themselves on cushions,
light their cigarettes and prepare to an
swer the questions with which the Sultan
will forthwith bombard them. Their re-
| plies must be short and to the point. and
fear or favor The Turks not being a
| laxative race, the first part OF the COM
mand is readily followed. but as to the
latter opinions are at great variance"
IN THE HAREM
The harem under the Abdul Hamid is not
the festive institution of old, that ate up
the revenues Of all the Asiatic provinces
| of the empire and sent Mourad the Fifth,
| the present Sultan's brother. to an insane
asylum. Quantity has given way 10 quail
ity in the matter of odalisques as well as
of display, for Abdul saves his money
wherever 1t can be done comfortably and
with dignity. He has only one real wife
(Sultana), the mother of seven children,
four boys and three girls. whom he keeps
in right royal style. The number of slave
girls varies between $50 and 200, all ex-
tremely young. When they reach their six
teenth summer Abdul has no further use
for them and either sells them or presents
them to one of his friends or officials AS
long as a giri remains in the imperial
harem she lives on the fat of the land. Of
course, has the most enticing t~oilettes,
diamonds. and even a little money Abdul
Hamid is a kind master and IL is said
of him that he treats his favorites in true
fatherly fashion, looking after their wei
fare even after he has tired OF them. lie
vnxcf have "A gnrd mom0ry foo for the