The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-07
KINGS EMPLOY DOUBLES.
As Device to Cheat Anarchists and
 WouId-be Assassns.

From the Baltimore Sun.
 The Sultan of Turkey has lately sus- tained heavy blow by the death of hs
 "double," Ismet Bey.
 Although Ismet was Abdul Hamid's fos-
 ter brother only. and, therefore. in no sense a blood relation, the resemblance between the two men was so striking that l it was practically impossible at little distance to distinguish the one from the | other.
 l For the Sultan this was very convenient, since whenever he did not particularly wish from any cause to show himself in
 public he was able to call upon Ismet Boy | to take his place. This, as n matter of fact, he frequently did, espe ,ia,iy as re- gards the Friday Selamk, when custom decrees that the Turkish Sultan shall drive
 In state from palace to mosque through | the streets of Constantinople, for purposes of prayer, and in order that he may be
 seen of the populace.
 | This ancient ceremony has always been | a bore to Abdul Hamid, besides being Il
 source of no little danger, sncc. lotwith-
 standing all precautions. there E the ever present risk of some fanatic throwing bomb, or, in some other way. a,t"miting the life of His Majesty. As a result, no
 
 obclsance to the imperial cquirage on these occasions whether their salutations were being aeknow s5 ged py the Sultan in person or by his foster o"othe,-, Isnet Bey.
 Of course, this doubt exists no longer, although it Is whispered at Yildiz Kiosk that His Majesty is even now looking round for another understudy. Very like 1y the whisper voices the truth, for most ta bav double upon occasions. Even Queen Vic toria, unless rumor lied most uotrageously, made use of one now and again during the latter years of her reign, and the old German Emperor we know-thanks to the revelations of the late Prince Bismarck employed one to show himself regularly to the people at a certain window of the royal palace at Berlin precisely at the stroke of noon on each week day.
 This was a safe and easy job enough, but as a rule understudies run consider able risk. Thus, Sergius Komaroff, the double of Czar Nicholas father, after two very narrow escapes, was eventually assassinated at Moscow by a Nihillist who was under the impression that he was removing the Emperor himself One of the late King Humbert's two doubles, again, fell beneath an anarchists knife, long before Bresci succeeded In
  July 2s, 1900. and there and then foully staying him.
 King Alfonso has had a series of doubles since he was a baby, the intermnabIe and wearsome court ceremonies of Ma drd rendering this species of harmless deceit almost imperative, for Alfonso was up till recently a delicate not to say siclkly. youngster. Probably 1t was the knowledge that the Spanish King could orfa Inv, ttot prompted Moral to throw his bouquet bomb in the Calle Mayor while the we'd ding procession was passing. For similar reasons the Servian regicides elected to murder Kisg Alexander and Queen Draga in their bedchamber. knowing that they were not infrequently represented by un- derstudies on the few occasions when they were popularly supposed to show themselves in public in the streets of Belgrade Indeed. 1t would almost seem as if the conspirators were not ab7olutely convinced that these same understudies did not upon occasion occupy the royal sleeping apartments in the palace ltse [. seeing that they took with them Colonel Maschim the Queens brother-in-law, to identify their proposed victims.
 King Edward has never made use of q double. Neither has the Kaiser. although the contrary has been constantly stated. King Carlosf of Portugal. too, does with out this particular royal convenience; but he is obliged to his corpulence, com bined with his extraordinary facial ap- pearance for rendering abortive any at tempt by anybody to impersonate him. no matter how elaborately they may make up'' for the part.
 The Car on the other hand finds 1t easy enough to procure any number of understudies. his type of build and fea- ture being not only common in them- selves, but easy of imitation. As every body Is aware he and the Prince of Wales are as alike as two peas. so that the latter. when in St. Petersburg, is able to make use of one of the formers doubles