The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-20
TURKEYS RICHEST MAN.
The Enterprise He Showed in Gain
ing His wealth.

w. f. Curtis in Chicago Record.
The richest man in Turkey is am Ar
men1an. who Is a naturaliZed American
citizen and lived in this country for sew
eral years. If the stories told in the dip
lomatic circle of Constantinople are true
he came by his money in a peculiar man
ner. 1t will be remembered that the sui
tan AZiz was assassinated in 1876. For
several years prior to his death he accu-
mulated all the money and bonds he
could obtain, which he stored away In
his palace as a reserve fund in case of a
war with Russia, which had been inn
pending for some time. The amount OF
his accumulations has been variously es-
tin:ated from $40, ,000, 600 to- $40 200. .000 and
was Undoubtedly considerably in excess OF
the latter sum. Most of it was in Eng
lish, French and German securities that
drew interest and were easily conyerti-
BILE at any bank In any city in Europe
Although the assassination was a mys-
terry, it is believed to have been inspired
if 1t was not actually accomplished by
Midad Pacha, the minister of finance,
from avaricious motives. He alone was
aware of the magnitude of the sultan s
hoard and the place of its concealment,
and after his Sovereign'S death, by vir-
tue of his position, he took charge of the
fund and-pretended to deposit 1t in the
public treasury. But 1t is believed by
those most familiar with Turkish affairs
that he retained for his own benefit a
large part-perhaps one-half of (which
for motives of -protection,-he intrust-
ed TO the Armenian banker l have named
and directed him to take the bonds to
London and Paris and there deposit them
in such a manner that their ownership
could not be traced to Midad Pacha. 1t
Is also believed to have been the latter
intention to withdraw a portion of this
property from concealment as soon as he
felt safe in doing so.
But not long afterward Midad Pacha
was himself assassinated in the boldest
and most astounding manner. He was
attending: a meeting of the ministry,
when he was informed that a messenger
was awaiting him in the ante-room with
a confidential communication that must
be delivered Immediately I'D to him
self alone. Midad left his colleagues and
entered the anteroom. where an unknown
man Immediately plunged a dagger into
his heart The palace guard. hearing his
death cry and the fall of his body, i'm
mediately rushed to the room and shot
the assassin before he could escape. AL
though the police continued their inves-
legations for months, they were never
able to identify the assassin or associate
any one else with the crime, but the
knowing ones believe he was ruffian
imported from the mountains by the Ar
menian paid to commit the deed.
On the evening of Midad's assassination
the Armenian merchant went to Midad's
palace and informed his widow that there
were concealed in certain strong box
certain papers that would connect her
husband with a conspiracy against the
crown and would undoubtedly cause the
arrest and imprisonment of the, entire
family and the, confiscation of the prop
erty if they were discovered. The fright
ened widow already beside herself with
excitement because of the assassination,
begged him to search her husbands pa
pers and destroy all questionable or sus-
picious documents: He spent the night
at his work, and among the papers burn
ed that night are believed to have been
the evidence Of Midads ownership in the
bonds that have made the Armenian the
richest man in Turkey.