The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
With His Wife He Visited COnstan-
tinopIe and other Points of Great
Interest on the Continent.
INDIANAPOLIS IS THE BEST
MIR. GRIFFITHS EXPRESSES DE-
LIGHT AT BEING HOME AGAIN.
Turkeys Capital in an Uproar Dur
ing His Visit-Things Not Gem
orally Known or Seen.

Mr.. John i. Grlfhths, who has just re-
turned with his wife from a trip through
Russia and Turkey, said last evening that
Constantinople, in many ways, was the
most interesting place they had visited.
I'VE left Odessa said Mr.. Griffiths, 1.-The
day that the body of the Russian consul,
who was murdered at Monastir, was
brought back and arrived in Constantinople
the day before the bomb was exploded in
the train in Macedonia. 1t was a time of
great dramatic interest. Things were con-
stantly happening and other things were
expected to happen. We We're awakened
twice early in the morning with the an
nouncement that Bulgaria had declared
war against Turkey. 1t was said that the
Pera Palace Hotel, at which we stopped,
would be blown up by Bulgarians in Con-
stantinople with the hope Of fostering the
outrage upon the Turks and thereby
arousing the indignation of Europe and Sc
curing favorable Intervention. Each even
ing as the iron shutters back Of the read
ing room were closed with a crash we all
jumped, feeling that our time had come.
When We left Constantinople the passports
were examined two or three times and each
traveller was subjected TO the most rigid
scrutiny. While the Turk is wholly lack
shown most concIusively mis- unfitness to
govern. he was not the aggressor in the
present instance In Macedonia.
The BulgaI ians are Shrewd and I'M
Scrupulous. 1t was a band of Bulgarian
brigands which captured Miss Stone. The
seizure was made on Turkish soil so that
the Sultan would be compelled to pay the
indemnity demanded by the United States,
while the ransom received for the release
of Miss Stone was turned over to the Mace
DOMAIN committee to be used in the pur-
chase
insurgents. Awful brutalities COM
mtted by both sides, but those practiced
by Turkish troops have been usually in re-
taliatlon for outrageS perpetrated by the
Bulgarians. Anyone familiar with the care
fully prepared instructions issued by the
Macedonia committee to maurauding bands
viii at least admit that Bulgarian repre-
sentative would have been sadly out of
place at the peace conference at The
Hague. If prediction can be safely made
concerning the future of Europe, ii is that
Turkey will before many years pass be
dismembered or partitioned absorbed,
and that Constantinople will pass under the
dominion of Russia.
PICTURESQUE CEREMONY.
while in Constantinople we witnessed
the Selamik, perhaps the most rictur-
esque public ceremony in the world. The
sultan is required each Friday to repair to
a mosque and offer up prayers for the well
fare of his people. Permission to the
ceremony is obtained through your min
lister or ambassador and only few Amer
leans and Europeans gain admission to the
terrace from which the gorgeous spectacle
is viewed. Five thousand soldiers, repre-
senting many races, are grouped about the
morgue which is near the imperial palace
and a dozen bands play characteristic
Turkish airs. Priests pass bearing prayer
rugs and copies of the Koran bound in sill
yer. Some of the sons of the sultan appear.
followed by servants leading richly ca
mn ri mad fha r1anH Of
the garden entrance TO the morgue. lit
tie later a few of the sultan's wives-thirty
or more, the day We We're there-ride by
I'm beautiful carriages in which they re-
main while the services are held They are
attended by most ferocious looking colored
eunuchs. Finally the supreme moment ar
rives, heralded by the blast of trumpets
and the enforced shouts of the soldiers and
the cry is heard, the sultan is coming.
Everyone uncovers and all the troops pre-
sent arms.
years OF age but who appears to be at least
three score and ten. with many care grown
lines In his face and constantly darting
chances of suspicious inquiry in all direc-
tons as he hurries by in an open carriage
surrounded by his body-guard, and YOU
have fair picture of the ruler of the OF
toman empire 1t is said that he does not
sleep two successive nights in the same
apartment and selects different soldiers
each evening to guard his person. He eats
nothing which has not been officially
tasted and Is In constant fear of assassi-
nation. He has reigned in times of turmoil
and tumult for twenty-seven years and is
unpopular with his people. because during
his troublOus reign, Turkey has lost so
much of her territory.
RIDES IN A PHAETON.
II am depressing, however, from the
Selamik. The Sultan worships in the
mosque for twenty minutes and then re-
views his troops through a grated window.
ha rot rms IN tba he
alone in a phaeton. the horses being deco
rated with panther skins. Some of the
great generals of the Turkish army ride in
advance OF the phaeton. The Sultan's sons
also accompany him, and his special body
guard, running vigorously to keep up with
the pace OF the splendid horses, completely
surround it, so that the final picture is that
of a strangely tragic figure in a marvellous
Oriental setting. You rub your eyes and
wonder If such pageant is possible within
three days ride of London. You can never
corrupt a Turkish official" remarked Mr..
Griffith, because he is already sOrely cor
rupted The customhouse officials have a
double chance at the traveller because Tur-
key is the only European country which
has an export as we'll an import duty
We enjoyed our trip immensely. but we
agreed with the Swedish driver who said to
us that he wanted to return to the United
States, because he felt that there each man
could do his best unmolested. He even in
timated that he would like to see the
American flag wave over all the world"
Speaking of England. Mr.. Grifiths said
that he thought Mr.. Chamberlains prefer
entail tariff policy was daily making con-
verts. 1t will not probably triumph, he re-
marked. at the next general election but
the experiment will be tried in a compare
lively short time. After all has been seen
and all has been said. however, there Is no
sweeter and lovelier and more delightfully."-
hospitable place than INDIANAPOLIS We are
glad to have gone and equally glad to be
back.
Mr.. Griffiths has accepted an invitation
to deliver address at the banquet of the
Middlesex Club of Boston, on Lincoln
birthday next year.