The St. Mary banner., 1901-11-09
The SULTAN'S UNHAPPY LIFE.
ABDUL hAMlO IN CONSTANT FEAR
OF ASSASSINATION.
Shoots Any Ono Who Appears Without
Warning During His Morning Stroll
Has Thirty Pouches in Every Robe in
Which to Carry Arms,

winch 10 Garry Arms.
In the Paris Francois NJ. Ch. Saglo
gives an account Of the inner life of
Abdul Hamid, which forces one to the
conclusion that the Turkish Sultan's
life is by no means a bed of roses.
He is afraid to trust the care OF his
health to any DOCTOR and has, therefore,
studied medicine The drugs he uses are
prepared for him in his own presence
by his chemist Bekir Effendi, and tasted
BY the chemist first. They can, however,
10 nothing to assuage the disease which
las followed the cheeks and emaciated
he body of the Sultan, for this disease
S one over which no drugs can gain
he mastery-abject fear.
Month by month the Sultan reduces
he extent of his morning stroll, on
which he is always guarded by three
men at least. although it takes place in
he gardens of his palace. palace guard
ID by legions of police and a whole army
:orps. and fortified against artillery.
His restless eye peers into every bush
md thicket as he passes. and his hand is
lever out of the pocket in which he car
les loaded revolver. If anybody ap-
years too suddenly in front of him he
Tres, and Abdul Hamd never misses.
One day he killed an old gardener who
lad not seen the Sultan until he was
quite close to him, and who stood up
10 salute him as he passed.
Another day he killed twelveyear-
old slave, who was playing with wea-
aon which Abdul himself had forgotten
% take in from the garden the day be-
fore.
After his morning walk, which he
takes at a. m, the Sultan dyes his
oeard with henna and dresses for the
day. His dress is very simple. and is
dark in color. Its only peculiarity IS
he number of pockets, of which he has
It least thirty in every robe he wears.
These are of various shapes and are
made to contain revolvers, knives and
laggers of all kinds, and also for the
purpose of pocketing various secret pa
9ers which he fears to entrust to his
secretaries.
When he is dressed Abdul has his cof-
lee prepared and his cigarettes made for
nim. He watches their manufacture
fearfully for fear of poison. At 10 he
lunches on eggs. milk and varied as
sortment of cold dishes.
These are served to him upon a tray.
which is wrapped in large cloth and
sealed with a special seal by the super
intendent of the kitchens. The Sultan
breaks the seals himself, and before eat
ing has each dish tried by one of the
attendants, or tasted by the dogs and
cats which gather round him when he
! lakes his meals. His favorite dishes are
pilaff, and sleeps trotters with pep
perry sauce.
He works hard for several hours each
day, but troubles himself little with af-
fairs of State. His chief preoccupation
Is the investment Of his fortune, which
consists of about fr.5oo,ooo in lands,
and f4,ooo, 900 invested abroad. In spite
of his enormous wealth the Sultan pays
his debts as rarely as he can. and fights
over every penny of bill.
lie anluSeS nllISel1 WIN Carpenter ing.
clockmaking and ceramics, and is an ex-
pert in wood carving. The panels of one
room in the Giagtome Kiosk are entire
ly his own work.
At E o'clock he dimes with the same
precautions as are taken at his luncheon,
and soon afterward he retires to rest,
though rarely to sleep. He rests upon
sofa, never on a bed, and n1ulatto
servant, Hassan Agba, sleeps before his
door.
The Sultan is desperately afraid of
darkness and of silence. Throughout
the night special readers read to him,
whether he wakes or dozes, and the pal
ace is kept brilliantly lighted all night
long. His favorite books are books of
horrors, and tales of murder ("Monte-
pin" and "Pouson du Terrail'), and he
fears his own sons and brothers with a
deadly fear.