The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-19
Abdul Hamid Really I'm the Hands OF
Two Secretaries, Who Manage
Him at VIII.
THE RISKS RUN BY VISITORS
AUToCRATIC RULERS METHOD OF
CONDUCTING BUSINESS.
Secretaries Crawl I'm the Dust Before
Him, but May Easily Deceive
Him-UncIe SANS Money.

Correspondents Of the indianapolis Journal.
CONSTANTINOPLE. April 2.-"The Sui
TAM" said the pasha who has had him UNI
der observation for the last ten years. does
not know the meaning of Office hours. He
works or loafs as the spirit moves him;
current events, just demands upon his
time, the exigencies or dangers of the hour
have not the slightest influence. or even
bearing, upon his business methods
'You ask why the United States minister
cannot get any satisfaction from his Majes-
ty. 1 will introduce you to the palace OH
Gals and you shall see.
1.-The hour? 1t may be II a. m. or II p. M
one would be as likely TO be chosen for an
audience as the other. When you are in
vited for a certain date. make up your
mind that it will not be kept. A conspiracy.
or plot. might be arranged for the given
moment, and Abdul Hamid takes no
chances.
Neither the grand vizier, nor the am
bassadors of the powers. neither the latest
chief favorite, nor his Majesty's sons and
daughters ever know when the Shadow OF
God may be pleased to command them:
there is only one regular audience day.
Friday, after the Selamlik, and that is toe
general to be of much use to anybody in
particular. AS to dignitary of the crown
submitting that the necessities OF the mo-
ment make an audience imperative at GER
tain hour or day. Turks love officeholding
too well to even suggest such a thing. End
less business delays. broken promises and
engagements, all kinds of embarrassments,
increasing the general contempt for the OF
toman empire. result from this policy. or
lack Of policy.
1.-THE Turkish is government by fits
and starts; events are not taken up as they
come, or are expected to happen; they are
ignored, forestalled or precipitated accord
ing to the wavering moods of one man,
whose chief motive of action is fear and
whose domineering passion is thirst for
blood. / am not talking out Of school,"
added the pasta. "every diplomat in Con-
stantinople will tell you the same.
AT THE PALACE GATE -
"The person commanded to an audience
with the Sultan, or grand vizier, meets at
the palace gate an armed force of hun
dreds Of picked men, the various officers
of which pass upon his papers. his dress
and his general attitude before admission
is granted. Woe to the man whose pockets
seem to indicate the presence of a revolver
or knife. He will not only be turned back.
| imperial command notwithstanding. but at
the same time becomes the prey and quarry
of the secret police. and If ne escapes with
his life he may deem himself extraordi-
narily lucky.
IF nothing suspicious is found. one is al
lowed to enter, but only to be followed by
a dozen more 'shadowers.' who watch
every action and motion of their man.
Such internal guards are armed with long
bladed knives. carried naked up their right
sleeves. They also have a silken lasso handy
to drag away and strangle suspicious per-
sons. The cord is employed whenever more
strenuous methods do not seem imperative.
and the detective who arrests his man
without fatally injuring him is sure Of
promotion or considerable backsheesh.
Victims are conducted to the police pal
ace in a closed carriage. and without de-
lay placed into the hands of an examining
judge, aided by expert torturers. The rule
is that operations Immediately follow ar
rest. as to profit by the victims sur
prise indignation and fear.
1.-The preliminary hearing duplicating
others. their arrest follows IL at all posi-
BILE. Only then the Sultan is informed. and
in nine out of ten cases he orders a session
u the COQIt lOI tic lOlOWlu6 uiSul-
His Majesty makes it point to attend
this examination. which takes place In the
subterranean vaults of the palace. the dis
guised Abdul Hamid sitting behind screen
of iron-gilt lattice work. where he can
hear every word spoken and see everything
going on.
This imperial box overlooks white
marble rotunda. containing all sorts OF In
ctr of fror, fhnr nhsor
and Spanish boots to the rack and iron
monster-the latter a metal figure. repre-
senting the devil. The figure opens and
shuts by springs. A person placed In IL Is
pierced by a hundred needles on al parts
of the body. except the heart and bra.a-it
is not intended for him TO die In a hurry:
the Sultan wants TO enjoy his victims ago.
ny as long as possible. to which end the
head of the iron monster is OF glass in
front.
VERY few suspects that enter the police
palace leave 1t alive" continued the pasta.
Unless they have powerful friends in the
Sultans own household who Immediately
rush to their rescue and disprove the
charges made they are doomed 10 a hor-
rible and most agonizing DEATH
"And their bodies are thrown into the
Bosphorus, are they not?' asked the corre-
spondent
NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL.
''You refer to the corpses sewn in sacks
occasionally found In the harbor?" replied
the pasta. ITO put them to the Sultans
credit would be an injustice. The majority.
certainly belong TO victims OF high and
powerful officials or very rich men. who
can afford TO buy of justice and hire as
sassins.
LAS to his Majesty. the corpses OF all his
victims from the police palace and the
harem alike. are fed to the fish in the vari-
Gus lakes within Yildz walls. Nero already
knew that the fish called muraena improves
wonderfully by a diet OF human fiesh-and
Abdul Hamid likes muraena."
We were interrupted at this point. and on
resuming. the pasha refused 10 return 90
the topic just mentioned. Having merely
promised TO give an outline OF the Sultan's
business methods. he thought he had al
ready said too much
AFTER passing examination at the gate"
| he said. ''visitors must decide into whose
h.,as thav will Mace those ~