The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-16
QUEEN CITY OF GRIMES.
COnstantinople a Place of Mystery
md Horrors.

(From the Chicago News.)
Constantinople might rightly be called
the home of mystery Everything there is
done in a mysterious and secret manner
so much so that 20 one knows what Is
happening or dsres to enquire.
The police and detective forces in Con-
stsntinople are perhaps the best in the
world. Nothing, / believe, escapes them.
if they want to know il or bring it 10
light. and l am firmly convinced they can
lay their hands on anyone at q moments
notice if the palace requires. In spite OF
this, all manner of things GO on unheeded
by the police, while, on the other hand,
at every tarn one is interfered with By
them.
You cannot enter or leave Il boat in the
harbor without satisfying the police as 10
your intentions. Spies are on all sides,
who report anything suspicious to the
palace, with the result that everyone Is
afraid of his neighbor and there is no con-
fdence at all.
Among Turks it is worse. as they Rave
no one to appeal to. Many disappear an
nually, and it is only occasionally their
fate is known. In the middle of the night
a summons comes for them TO attend at
the palace. On arrival there they may be
imprisoned for some days or called up
Immediately to be examined. If the object
of the examination is to discover confed-
crates they are tortured till they confess.
After the examination they are either re-
leased with a caution mot to do II again
they are generally accused OF plotting
reforms-or they are condemned to DEATH
In which case they are never heardt OF
again. or exiled to Yemen or some I'M
healthy climate. and are shipped off with
in twenty-four hours, generally dying be-
fore reaching their destination. All this
hair a q
whereabouts and only in the event of
their release know what has happened.
Daily one hears of men being dragged
away from their families, and after long
silence one cen only suppose they nave
found their death in the palace OF Yiidiz.
About nine years ago a pasta was IN
fortunate enough to attract the attention
of one of the Sultan's daughters and was
married to her. Anyone who marries one
of the royal Processes is much to be
pitied. as she treats him as being OF an
inferior class altogether and as slave.
The princess was very jealous of her hus-
band and before long discovered he was
in the habit of visiting lady named
Camelia One night Camelia, an old
woman who was her companion, and her
pet dog were found with their threats
cut.
The police never discovered any trace of
the murderer. and the affair might have
passed without much comment had not an
other murder of most brutal character
occurred. The victim of the second crime
was an Italian girl. the daughter of the
Sultan's bandmaster. aged eighteen, to
whom the husband Of the princess had
shown considerable attention. One even
ing while they were at dinner a knock was
heard at the door. and on the girl going to
see the person who was enquiring Tor her
she was stabbed to the heart. A friend
who was dining there pursued the muir
derer, but only succeeded in seeing him
escape over wall into the park OF the
Yildiz Palace. A few nights after he also
was murdered in the streets, and. needless
to say. no trace has ever been discovered
by the police.
The greatest mystery, however, that has
never yet been solved is the attack by the
Armenians on the Ottoman Bank in 1896
Doubtless the facts are fresh in the MEM
cries of readers, how the twenty
seven Armenians seized the bank in bread
daylight and how at the same moment the
massacre broke out and did not stop I'M
til at least COCO Armenians had been
killed in the streets What has never been
explained is how such thing came about
without the knowledge of the police. Peo-'
pie who have carefully studied the whole
matter are convinced That the ponce were
at the bottom of the whole affair, and
carefully led Up to the climax to give the
Sultan good excuse TO massacre the Ar
menians.
7 In the first place. the Armenians came
from Russia, and ii is incredible that they
should have been able to ship along With
their bombs and dynamite without attract
ing the attention of the Russian police;
then their landing at Constantinople must
have been noticed by the police, who
watch everyone and search every parcel
most vigorously. There is not the slight
est doubt theat they We're followed and
their plans known. as the first bomb
thrown from the bank was the signal for
a massacre by the common Turks to begin
all over the town, which would have been
impossible unless they were prepared for
a signal.
It is supposed that the higher officials.
who wanted to show their zeal for the
Sultan, allowed the attack to come off in
order to show the Sultan what a fearful
danger they were averting by massacring
some thousands of his most innocent sub
jects. No other explanation can be found,
but the truth will never be known, and
the real authors and instigators will
always remain mystery.