The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-12-28
The Ways OF THE HI SULTAN
A nan Of Brains and Thoughts, But:
|: II Always in Fear of As
sassination. ...s.......... /.
In the rlidst Of Luxury He isl Con-S.
tinually in the neshes /.
of Misery. IN B ais5ss'

E, % VI sAjAAS$A ~ 5iat
An Interesting Sketch of His Num-
erous Wives and How They
Are Selected.
r saw the Sultan of Turkey in Constan-
tinople six years ago, says Frank G. Car
penter. Through our American legation
I was able to go through many of his
palaces. | visited the treasury, and saw
the pecks of precious stones which are
there stored away. I was present when
the sultan took his way to the mosque
across the city. where his majesty must
go once year to kiss the mantle of Mo-
hammed. stood with one of his private
secretaries within ten yards of him dur
ing his going to and from prayers at his
favorite mosque near Yildiz palace, and
had that day the honor of a sal lutte from
him in response to my bow as he rode
away. During my stay in Constantinople
I had a number of interviews with the
men closest to him, much Of which could
mot then be published, and secured, [ be-
lieve, as good an idea of Abdul Hamid's s
character as could be gotten. was told
that even then the great fear OF his lite
was assassination. 1t was Whispered to
me that he never went to sleep at night
for fear that a violent death might creep
upon him in the darkness. fIe had watch
men stationed about his palaces and on
the towers to warn him of any approach
ing crowd. He never Went out without
be was accompanied by soldiers. !. There
were 10000 troops present the day [ saw
him go to prayers, and when he took the
tour across the city to kiss Mohammed's s
mantle the cavalry galloped like mad
through the streets to clear the way for
him, and his road from the palace to the
mosque was walled with soldiers. With
a wealthy, Mohainmedan / sat in sec
ond floor room, the windows Of which oy-
erhung the street, and saw this man rid
ing along with has then most famous gen.
eral, Osman Pasha, and with perhaps a
hundred carriages containing the favor
lite ladies .of his harem following behind.
His saddle horse and anoaher carriage
were in the processions and until thesSlast
moment it was not known whether he
would come TO Stamboul by boat or
across the Golden Horn by bridge. The
sultan has never allowed anyone to know
of his movements beforehand. He has
only trusted those closest to him. l was
told that he ate no food but that cooked
in his own kitchens, and that every dish
was tasted before he partook of it.
He had NO confidence in any Of his pal
aces except that of Yildiz, which he
thought he had so fortified that revolu
:tion could not attack him. He was
frightened almost to death when the czar
Alexander IT, of Russia, was assassinated
some years ago, and his life has been one
of continuous unrest. He has, all told,
from thirty to forty palaces, a number Of
which are on the banks of the zBosphorus-
.Yildiz is situaGed on--a hill, and its
grounds contain acres OF ravines, of for
ests and lakes. of parks and gardens.
Not fargffom it is the great palace of Dol
ma Bagtche. where Abdul Aziz, the
brother of this sultan, committed suicide,
in niorder that another brother. named Mu-
rad, might be raised to the throne. MIL
rad was pulled down by other conspira-
tors. who charged that he was crazy, and
it is said that he is pining in the dun
geons of one of the palaces along the Bos-
phorus. Abdul Aziz furnished this Dol
ma Bagtche palace. He spent S3,OOO,00O
year OH his ilareun, and within twelve
months expended 100000 for pictures
alone. I went through the palace while
was in Constantinople, through special
permit from the sultan. It has scores OF
rooms walled with satin. 1t has crystal
posts as large around as the body Of
man, and more than six feet tail. 1t has
luxurious couches and magnificent fur
nitnre, but Abdul Hamid has feared it
because it was too near the water, and
he has only used it for public receptions.
1t is said that Abdul Aziz warned him to
keep out of it if he should ever become
sultan, and the result is that he has con-
fined himself to the palace of Yildiz. "
E But let me tell you how Abdul Hamid
looked as, l saw him on his way to the
mosque about six years ago. He sat in
an open carriage drawn by. magnificent
black horses and driven by a coaehman
whose body was resplendent in red vel
vet suit embroidered with gold. The sui
tan sat on the back seat and was more
900 soldiers about hin1.Sss There Ma a sIsd
fez on his head, the tasse1 OF which hung
almost to his shoulders. He wore suit
of black clothes, the coat cut high like
that of preacher, save that the coat was
edsed with red cord. He wore white
shirt and turnover collar, and there was
no sign OF sword or pistol about him. The
Turkish cap has no brinl, and got
good view of his features. They were al
most Jewish in cast, and they reminded
me much Of those of the late Jay Gould.
His complexion was salloW, and the low
er part of his face was covered with short
1n5uriant, glossy black Whiskers. his
eyes were large, black and lustrous, the
white about them having that yellow
tinge which indicates arrangement OF
the liver. The eyes shifted to and fro as
he rode to and from the mosque, and it
seemed to me that could see the fear in
them. He looked as though he had lost
sleep. and he was nervous and worn. As
he rose to get olpt of the carriage and go
into the mosque Z noted that he was
about Ave feet nine inches high and he
weighed then. Judge, about $50 pounds.
T could see his hands as they rested on.
his knees. They we're as lens and, as thin
a the hands Of a Chin = i1esl
that one of them was ds - - 4
dst. When he came out d a
took a different vehicle to sTfdS baek'5to
the palace. His favorite saddle horse
was present, but he passed this by and
stepped into a pony carriage, taking che.
lines Hines into his own hands and wal King the
ndsta until he got ont side Of the crowd
,ThEsroAd to coyered with