Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-27
ABDUL HANDS, XMAS
.,uIY COMFORTABLE IN SPITE
OF HIS PECULIAR POSITION,
CRUSADE AGAINST GAMBLING DENIS.
g.. uriuas Into Prominence n Well
1.,ovn belgian Newspaper, Which
consequence.
consequence

r.r.II BIAS managed 10 pass falrly COM
t-.lle Christmas. despite the fact that
D., ., iu che position Of a criminal await
,. sentence. He has been told this week
his dear friend. NJ. NeNdoff. the Rus
,r Ambassador. that the time has ar
... f.r him to make up his mind to do
.r.t ,hc Powers tell him 10 90, or TO
make way for somebody more plant, but
Dir. .ncs tcnaciously TO the belief that
r. Ambassadors are no more in earnest
r.a cham usual previously when the situ-
,..r was 90 all appearance as serious
t- him as &c Is now. and II is becoming
s-v evident that coercion. with all its
r.s. VIII have 20 bo applied. II is al
,..l chat 80 Is the reality OF these perlls
f.- makes the Powers even now. at the
LIST moment. hesitate 10 take the ire
,..tfe STEP The fleets are ready. and the
Russian armies are ready IN Europe and
Asia. Euopes ultimatum has been de-
...,tl. and yet decisive action is de
il..
n was suggested to-day that the Powers
f.r chat Abdul Hamid has really resolved
tr tre desperate eNpeQlent or declaring
l. Vlr. and Of perishing. If need be.
r.r .re not prepared for such fearful
,-rr-tucy. France in particular, IL said
I. sr'ay.ug az this critical moment
r..Nr-.tal resolution and belatcd dis
t.st. not only Of England. but of her
ral and ally, Russia.
Another Nl-irformei reporter telegraphs
.--sv THAT Austria and Germany are
ru raising objections 10 coercion. and
..- they have notified the other Powers
H'.frr take share there
There IS no truth in any of these re-
POTTS. Russia continues 10 lead Europe
There is no single Power prepared 10 say
-.r may iu any course Of action which she
-.r consider necessary 10 make Europes
n respected in Constantinople
Abdul. Hamid's mind remains q confused
~-- off hope. fear. faratiCism. mcndacity.
and flfaI.sm. absolutely without the
rr- quality of manliness OF kind
ness Stl delay is uudeniable. The inn
rr sion seems 20 prevail. however. thai
r s an integ-al part Of Russia's plans
o. have Mohammedan rising IN Con
tartI1rie against Abdul Hamid. and
fHf- tle pause is deliberate. In order o.
permit The Turkish retOrmers 10 deposc
o.. sultan. and thus Obviate the Urmec
Intervention of the Powers. 1t may d.
tr.rs is something in this explanation.
l- is beyond doubt thar Professor An
Irony salmon and other refugees in Lon
lrr WHO are iu close touch with the
l- Turkish party. expect a revolution
O. occur at any moment. and az dinner
ot members OF the same organization in
Ir- the other night. everybody was
excited y expecting what 10 the few out
-rs present was described vaguely as
stirring news from ConstantinoDle.
REVEALING IL LIBEL SUITS.
some months ago " G. Harry. editor
@. Che Independence Beige. Of Brussels.
which one Of the best newspapers pub
.l CD the continent of Europe, en-
r rrOn o campaign against the
bling deus recently established H.
.ut.r Of towns Of Belgium, with the
lg result that he is already the de-
PENDANT iu several big libel actions. His
crusade has resulted in q number OF
euIl-icus being closed by the police.
and tho government is pledged 70 deal
with the evil. which was fast becoming
grave scandal a. Harrys campaign
almost establishes q journalistic record
f.r tle conspicuous vig0r. courage. ana
.ry with which 30 was conducted.
a.f tle rau.dity with which results were
achieved Within the last TWO or three
-r= thanks mainly 10 a very loose kind
.. legislation. gambling places. styling
t..us.l Ives private clubs. multiplied 10
alm There was little Of the club
about them save the name. Tor anybody
u.. cared 90 uatr0nize them could gam
admission with the utmost ease. Not only
such health and pleasure resorts as
C-.e1l and spa their "cercles prives,
where roulette and "trentet Quarante'
sven. PLAYED upon as large "a scale al
though Jess openly. as at Monte Carlo,
d.. -.Lahllsnfne OF the same kind have
been cropping up in much smaller places.
IT, one little village on the river Meuse
t.er- were two casinoes. and another VII
la-r lust across the frontier from France
Oil FL roaring trade in the same line or
business. thanks 20 its situation ana us
N-orous advertising in French news
I-ers.
l. was the unb.ushing manner Of touting
rr. establishment which first at
tr.ctei the attention OF II. Harry, and
t..re j. reason 20 believe that about the
Same time diplomatic representations
were made al Brussels by the French
Government. whose paternal heart was
torn al the almost daily sight OF train
loads of French gamblers en- route Tor
t.at stratcg.caly placed den. In truth,
sd these "ccrcles priNcs dld "e!I' anu
ON. Iroirlet0rs were in q talr way 10
d ke I'll snug fortune when the ludepehQ-
C..e Beige began IFS illustrated morn
II
u hand. The extent of their prosperity
may Dc gagged by the fact tnat the
great Monte Carlo Company saw its re-
cIU-s fall last season by 900 I'D or 0'oV'VJ
francs. through this Belgian COM
PETITION. Early in the movement an at
tempt was made 20 bring the club az
1nault 10 book but the judges ruiel
that The term "ln public Ola not lesaiiy
aru.y tO members OF club duly entered,
ana thereafter. each gambling den care
fully modelled itself upon the D.nault pat
tern. bat most OF them, while complying
with the Belgian law as 10 privacy, adj
Vertiscd largely in France. England. ana
GERMANY and even ga countries as re-
mote as Russia and Turkey, so that
Ie0r3ld's small kingdom woke one day
10 hnd itself labOring under an inter-
national reputation as handler ana
safer gambling centre than tine prlncl-
I1lty OF Monaco.
MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION.
But even worse than this was the
coyery that the gambling owners, IN
order 20 facilitate their nciarious opera
tons had engaged IN wholesale sys-
tenn of municipal corruption. Inc lnuc-
Iendcncc Beige has charged many muni-
c.fal officers and men Of high political
and social standing with being in the
pav Of the gamblers. a favorable method
a. corruption has been 10 buy the services
o. these public men. members Of Parma
mont. lawyers alder1nen, etc. as presi-
dents or chairmen OF committees OF the
social private clubs. In some places.
roulette and "trcnt et quarante' were
played In buildings belonging TO me NUM-
c.pautlas. At others, generals IN the
army have been presiding AT inaugural
banQuets al such establishments, with
the insignia OF the Order Of Leopold
ALLnLun On lhAIr hrnagfa.