The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-20
SULTAN REPORTED DEAD
A Story That He Has Been Poisoned
Comes Via Berlin.
DETAILS OF HARPOOT AFFAIR
Were Protected by the Turkish Soldiers
Troops Wcrc More Active in Plum.
dcring Than the kurds.

Beriin, Nov. ia dispatch received
here to-day from Sofa, Bulgaria, says
that the Sultan of Turkey has been
poisoned. No details are given. Threats
against his life had been made for some
time. letters from the revolutionists
finding their way into his private apart
ments. The lives of the ministers have
also been repeatedly threatened.
Boston. Nov. ia telegram received
by the American board this afternoon
ny the way of Phillipopolis confirms the
United r-ess dispatch stating that the
mission loss at Harpoot is one hundred
thousand dollars; that the raiders We're
protected by soldiers, who fired on the
mission house and Joined in the plunder
that special malice was shown the mis-
sionaries; that shell burst in mission
ary Barnum's house; and that the mis-
sionaries are now protected. The dis
patch contains the additional informa-
tion that troubles are reported as be-
ginning in Marsovan and Van and Ain
tab.
London, Nov. 19--The correspondent
Of the United Press at Constantinople
sends under date of November 49, addi-
tional details Of the massacre which
took place at Khanput on November 16.
The Kurdish raiders, the report says,
were Joined by the soldiers, who assist
ed them throughout the massacre In
cases than the Kurds themselves. Be-
sides joining in the sacking of the
houses they did the greater part Of the
firing upon American buildings.
Rome, Nov. 19.--The American cruiser
San Francisco arrived at Naples yester-
day from Marseilles and sailed tonight
for Beirut.
The Sultan's Letter.
London, Nov. 19.-An incident that Is
unparalleled in the annals of English
diplomacy occurred this evening at the
conference of the colonial agents in
London. This was the reading of let
ter from the Sultan of Turkey to Lord
Salisbury begging him to make speech
that would offset the one he delivered
on the occasion of the banquet given by
the new lord mayor of London. Lord
Salisbury referred to the improperly of
reading the letter at the conference,
but he took advantage Of the occasion
simply to grant, so far as he could, the
request made by the Sultan.
In his letter the Sultan said that he
fully intends to carry out the reforms
that he has promised in Turkey.
When the prime minister had finished
the letter he was greeted with loud ap-
plause. When quiet had been restored
he again appealed to his hearers to ac-
quit him Of improprity for such an un-
precedented act as reading such q
message at q public meeting, but de-
clared that he could not abstain from
reading it without showing discourtesy
to the distinguished potentate who had
written It,. He then said:
"As you Know, we are part of the
concert of Europe. which has resolved.
so far as 1t acts, to act with unanimity.
Some persons seem to imagine that we
dispose of the decisions of the Euro
pean powers. This is crediting us with
more influence than we possess. Lord
Salisbury expressed deep regret for the
apparently irrecOverable illness of Rus
tenn Pasha, the Turkish ambassador to
Great Britain. and said he could not
help feeling that If men like Rustem
Pasha had had charge of the districts
In which the recent horrors had oc-
CURED. the conscience of Europe would
never have been tried nor its SYM
pathies racked by the details of suf-
fering and terror. / exhort you to con-
slider that the terrible Armenian prob
lem is quite as much the want of COM
petent men as it is the want of ade-
quate laws. The powers will doubt
less do their best, but do not imagine
that the deep seated diseases on the
empire can be cured by wave of q
maglcians wand The results of long
years of error must be paid for and the
cruel law is that those who will pay are
not those who were originally guilty Of
the offense.''
EngInnd's Eye on the Market.
Turning to other matters Lord Sails
bury said he believed tnat Great Brit
ain was now more friendly with the
world than she had been for some time
before, but the nations were living in a
period of transition affecting large
parts of the earth's surface. 1t seemed to
be decreed that bad government would
ultimately compel a change of political
arrangements. The mere fact that so
much territory was coming into the
market was n reason why every power,
especially Great Britain. should be pro-
tected against every emergency. This
statement, he said, must not be con-
strued to mean that he expected a
speedy dissolution of the Turkish en-
pire. Not only in Turkey, but else
where. there was a tendency in the di-
rection of change.
Rustcm pnshn Dead.
London, Nov. 20-Rustem Pasha, the
Turkish ambassador to Great Britain,