The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-09
TURK THAT THREW BOMB
CHETJEAN, WHO ATTEMPTED TO
KILL SULTAN, STUDIED IN THIS CITY.
DIR. Gels Taught Him to Make Explo-
sives-Sent Hero by Armen-
ian JuntO.

The surprising statement was MADE yes
terday that an Indianapolis physician was
almost directly responsible for an incident
in Turkish history, which filled the news
papers of the world for day and was then
forgotten, except for the riots and massa-
cres which followed II. The incident was
the attempt to take the life of the sultan
about a year ago. while he was out driving
surrounded by his staff. A young Armenian
threw two sticks of dynamite at the sultan.
but failed to reach him, although several
of his guards were killed and manned. Yes
terday the story came out which connected
indianapolis with the attempt and the
bloodshed that followed it.
About a year and half ago young man
visited Dr. John f. Gels. analytical expert
of the Board of Health. and presented a let
ter from the Armenian revolutionary COM
mittee located at No. 1s Temple place. Bos-
ton, Mass. 1t introduced aim as A. r.
Chetjean. of Armenia. and said he had been
selected by the committee TO make an ex-
haustive study of explosives and the meth
DDS of manufacturing them. with view to
the ultimate freedom of Armenia. The
young man was we'll supplied with money
and set to work enthusiastically. He ex-
planned to DR.. Gels. when he first arrived
that the reason for his studying explosives
was that the Turkish laws made 1T impos-
sibe for an Armenian to buy either explo-
sives or any chemical which would make
explosives. 1t was, therefore, deemed neces-
sary by the committee that some Armenian
should come to this country and learn to
extract chemicals from their natural ele-
ments so that dynamite. illuminate OF mer-
curry and nitroglycerin might be manufac-
tured In secluded portions Of their native
hills He explained that there were immense
deposits of iron and sulphur In Armenia,
but that there was way of extracting 1t
without attracting attention. DR.. Gels then
taught him to take iron and bake" 1t until
the sulphur. always found in 1t, was eA-
tracted. He then taught him to extract
glycerin from vegetable fats and to make
nitric acid and compound them so tnat the
nitroglycern would be easily ,by preSi aht bim
the refining process, by which the glycerin
was neutralized, and by the time his study ~
nitroglycerin In DR.. Cess house. on Madi-
son avenue.
They then directed their attention to full
inmate of mercury and dynamite, ana Or.
Gels showed him how he could take saw,
dust and saturate it with nitroglycerin ana
make dynamite. He also demonstrated that
where sawdust was not available. porous
be used. After this they gave their atten-
S to d the T @ Of hm naw ahe
works of a clock could be utilized so that,
at a given hour, hammer would strike
plode either a larger dose of the mercury
or quantity of dynamite. Like many more
people who know really nothing or the
relative forces of the two explosives, the
Armenian pinned his faith to the dynamite
and there is no doubt but that this Is what
saved the life of the Sultan as, at the dis-
lance at which the Sultan was when the
explosion occurred, illuminate OF mercury
certainly would have killed him. The dyna-
mite, having less force. did not reach him.
EXPERIMENTED AT KNIGHTSToWN.
After spending several weeks at DR..
Geis's house. it was decided to take him
into the country to try his hand at hand
ling explosives by throwing them at tree
stumps. They went to Knightstown. where
there is nitroglycern factory, and Sc
cured some glycerin, which they made into
dynamite. Chetjean was satisfied with his
performance, as, according to DR.. Gels,
every time he saw a stump fly up after a
shot, he would cry out in glee. as though
he could already see the Sultan flying piece
meal through the air.
When his education was considered fin
ished. he took his departure and notified
DR.. Gels soon after that he was about to
sail for Turkey under an assumed name.
taught him 10 make were thrown in Con-
stantinople, but in the excitement and in
veStgation following the attempt ana the
massacres. no one thought of Indianapolis
and DR.. Gels.
The latter, reading of the massacres,
thought his pupil among those killed and
considered the matter at an end. What was
his surprise the other day to receive a let
ter from Chetjean, who told the story Of
the affair and his miraculous escape. De-
tails were lacking. however. but he stated
that he was in this country to pursue his
studies further and wanted to come back
to Indianapolis.
While here, he told DR.. Gels of the
wrongs which made him seek the Sultan's
life. His father. who was a prominent Ar
menian, was suspected of treason and as
always in such cases, was executed with lit.
tie delay. His mother was thrown in prison
and subjected to all sorts of indignities.
His brother and himself were banished on
pain of death. So inveterate is his hate for
the Turkish ruler that he now proposes to
try his luck with illuminate of mercury,
which is many times more powerful than
dynamite.
The young mans story so impressed DR..
Gels that he remarked, in telling the story,
that while he was not generally very much
interested in revolutions rebellions. he
never regretted the work he did for Chef
jean.
n n n