The Washington herald., 1907-08-28
ABDUL AZIZ SLAIN?
Sultan of Morocco Reported
to Have Been Killed.
AsSASSINATED IN HIS PALACE.
African Ruler Claimed 20 Have Been
Murdered at Fez-LOng Unpopular
with His Subjects-BrOthers of IN
fortunate Man in Open Rebellion
in Different Parts of Country.

London, Aug. 2S.-The Tangier eorre-
Epondent Of the Tribune telegraphs
fumor that Sultan Abdul Aziz has been
assassinated in the palace at Fez.
Abdul AziZ. an amateur photographer.
an amateur wheelman, rather diet
tante ruler. is the son Of "a Georgian
slave, who was brought back to Fez by
Sid Ghornet. a prominent Moor, as
pleasant souvenir of a pious pilgrimage
which he bad made TO Mecca and to
Constantinople. The slave was woman
of rare beauty, and this became nOised
about in Fez. where, however, beautiful
women are not rare. One day the Sui
tan frowned upon him. and Sid Ghornet
took the hint. He very cleverly made
his master a present of the eaIthly houri
rather than run the risk Of being dis
patched to join the colder company of
the Celestial ladies who people the Mo-
hammedan paradise danger TO which
he would undoubtedly have been exposed
had he elung to his prize.
She was chrlstened Ayeesha. and
queened it over the harem unto the day
of the Sultan's death. Under the spell of
her influence AIuIai Hassan committed
the folly Of practically disinheriting his
many sons by his legitimate wives or
shereefas, and on his deathbed appointed
the weak and rather fabby boy to be his
successor.
Caid MacIean IndIscreet.
Sid Ghornet, the importer of the clever
Georgian slave, and Caid Harry Mac
lean. a Scotch drill master in the Shee-
reehan army, were prominent in carrying
out their dead masters will, and they
have remained in power ever since.
Quite recently Caid Maclean allowed his
Zeal for his master and the cause Of peace
10 outrun his discretion and to carry him,
unbidden and unarmed. into the camp of
The brigand chief or popular leader OF
Northern Morocco, RaisOuli. with the re-
suit that he Is now retained a captive and
that his future fate is most uncertain.
Abdul Aziz's accession to the throne
was a most unpopular one, and this fact
probably accounts for the fact that early
IN his reign he surrounded himself with
foreigners who with some exceptions,
were not generally men of a high type
rope walkers. photographers, balloonists,
and sleight-Of-hand men were the repre-
Bentatives of Western civilization who for
a long time appealed most powerfully TO
the young Sultan's appreciation of cul-
ture. In view of the rising tide Of discon-
tent and the disaffectiOn even of the peO-
pie of the capital, and the growing
strength OF the various revolutions in
progress. in the last year the Sultan dis
missed his staff OF foreign adventurers
and went 10 the mosque as regularly as
his father did-but probably the harm had
been done. In Morocco, as we'll as in
other countries. a reputation for orthO-
doxy Is hard TO retrieve.
Brothers in Rebellion.
Within the last week one brother Of the
unlucky Sultan, Nulai Hafd by name,
OF whose character and leanings upon
the questions OF the day little is known,
has been formally proclaimed Sultan in
the great mosque at Morocco City. An
other brother, Hassan, IL is said. has been
exercising rights of sovereignty in the
Riff Highlands, west Of Yetman, and on
the Mediterranean coast for two years
past. In the Sus country another broth
er. who bears the name Of Morocco's
greatest sultan. Mulai Ismail, is threaten
ing rebellion with a force OF fanatical
hOrsemen estimated at 5000 at his back.
while in the western provinces still sium-
Der the never radically supposed rebel
liens Of the Rogul and Bou Hamara. the
benevolent Father of the Asses" who.
with his claim TO divine descent and rev.
elation and his wondrous gifts Of elo-
Quence, exercises a remarkable influence
upon the mule drivers and all the other
nomadic folk Of the empire.