Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-05-04
RICHEST MAN IN TURKEY.
He is Naturalized American Citizen
Whose Wealth is Bloodstained.

blO0dSfa1ne0.
The richest man in Turkey is al
Armenian, who is naturalized Ameri
can citizen, and lived in this countr,
for several years, writes w. E. Curtil
in the Chicago Record. If the storiel
told in the diplomatic circle of Con
stantinople are true he came by hi
money in peculiar manner. 1t will
be remembered that the Sultan Ait
was assassinated in 1876. For severa
years prior to his death he accumulated
all the money and bonds he could OBJ
tain, which he stored away in his
palace as q reserve fund in case of q
war with Russia, which had been i'm.
pending for some time. The amount
of his accumulations has been variously
estimated from 100000, 900 to $40,.
600, 900, and was undoubtedly con.
siderably in excess of the latter sum.
Most of it was in English, French and
German securities, that drew interest,
and were easily convertible al any
bank in any city of Europe.
Although the assassination was
mystery, it is believed to have been
inspired, if it was not actually accom-.
plished, by Midad Pasha, the Minister
of Finance, from avaricious motives.
He alone was aware of the magnitude
of the Sultan's heard and the place OF
its concealment, and after his
Soyereigils deata, by virtue of his
position, he tool charge of the fund
and pretended 10 deposit 1t in the
public treasury. But it is believed
by those most familiar with Turkish
affairs that he retained for his own
benefit large part-perhaps one-half
of (which, for motives of self-pro-
lection, he Entrusted to the Armenian
banker I have named, and directed
him to take the bonds to London and
Paris and there deposit them in such
n manner that their ownership could
not be traced to Midad Pasha. 1t is
also believed to have been the latters
intentions to withdraw a portion of
this property from concealment as
soon as he felt safe in doing so.
But not long afterward Midad Pasha
was himself assassinated in the bold
est and most astounding manner. He
was attending meeting of the
when he was informed that !
a messenger was awaiting him in the |
lnte-room with confidential COM
nunication that must be delivered |
and to himself alone.
didad left his colleagues and entered
he ante-room, where an unknown
nan Immediately plunged a dagger
nto his heart. The palace guard,
tearing his death cry and the fall OF
lis body, Immediately rushed to the
DOM and shot the assassin before he
ould escape. Although the police
ontinued their Investigations for
lonths, they were never able to
lentify the assassin or associate any
ne else with the crime, but the know
lg ones believe he was ruffian i'm
orted from the mountains by the
rmenian banker referred to, and was
paid to commit the deed.
n the evening of Mldad's assassina-
on the Armenian merchant went to
dads palace and informed his
/
.rtain strong box certain papers that
ould connect her husband with a
against the crown and
ou.5 undoubtedly cause the arrest
ad Imprisonment of the entire family
nd the confscation of the property if
ley were discovered The frightened
-idow, already beside herself with
xcitement because of the assassina-
ion. begged him to search her hus-
and's papers and destroy all ques-
lonable or suspicious documents. He
pent the night at this work, and
mong the papers burned that night
re believed to have been the evidence
f Midad's ownership in the bonds
hat have made the Armenian the rich
st man in Turkey.