Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-28
ABDUL HAMED III
is DETHRONED
Sultan of Turkey Formally DepOsed
by Order of Church, Army and
Assembly.
FETvA IN CAN0CIAL FORM
1t Was Read to Sultan by Shiek VI
Islam in Person.
Els BROTHER SUCCEEDS HIM
Prince Mehemmed Peschad Effendi
Formally Proclaimed Sultan.
OLD RULER is A PRISONER
Held Captive by Young Turks, who
Are said to Have Removed
Him from the Cap
itAi.
Prince Mehemmed Pesohsd Effendi
Formally Proclaimed Sultan.
OLD RULER is A PRISONER


! CONSTANTINOPLE, April T.--Abdul
Hamid H. sultan of Turkey. was today de-
posed from the throne Of the Ottoman en-
pire by his subjects for his interference
with the progress Of popular government
under the constitution granted by him last
July and his brother. Mehemmed Resched
| Effendi now occupies the throne.
This change was decided upon by the
| National assembly without dissenting
vote and It was carried out with the utmost
rapidlty. The sultan is now a prisoner in
the hands of the young Turks and carefully
guarded by his captors.
The sheik U7-Islam. supported by the
principal personages OF the higher church
administration, issued the fetva as the de-
cree of deposition is called. 1t informed
Mehemmeh Reschad Effendi that he was
chosen sultan by the will of the church.
the will of the Parliament, tho viii of the
army and the will OF tho people. 1t
admonished him to serve God and keep the
sacred law, communicated by the
prohet. This Reschad humbly promised to
do
The fetva was prepared last night. both
Abdul Hamid and his brother, Prince
| Reschad being informed at early hour
| this morning, The sheik- Ul-Islam II IL
! said personally visited the sultan and read
him the decree. He Informed his majesty
that the question having been put In
canonical form before the sheik and his
associates to whether Abdul Hsmid had
not forfeited the right to rule over the
faithful. they had decided "yes."
Abdul bowed his head, saying; "It Is the
will of Allah"
Al a secret sitting OF the national as
| semby in the morning the decree was
| rad hat
must abdicate or be dethroned. The as
semby unhesitatngy shouted "dethrons
him."
consisting of two senator's and two
deputies thereupon visited the palace at
Yildiz and communicated 10 the sultan. The
assembly's resolution.
Abdul Hamin repliedi II expected this.
| II is fate. Ny only wish Is that the lives
of myself and family be safeguarded and
that / may reside at the palace of Chera-
ghan as / wish to die where I was born"
New Sultan Notified.
| A similar deputation proceeded to the
! Dolmabagtsche palace in Galata, and In
formed Mehammed Reschad Effendi OF the
| nations wish. The newly proclaimed
sultan replied that he bowed TO the will OF
the people
Later the assembly debated the mo-
residence The suggestion that he be al
lowed to travel abroad was strongly op-
posed. on the ground that 1t might cause
complications. 1t was finally decided that
he must remain In Constantinople.
At $50 In the afternoon salute OF TWEEN
ty-one guns announced the departure of
Mehammed Reschad Effendi 10 the sara
skerat to swear fidelity to the constitution.
Had his successor followed the death OF
the sultan this ceremony would have oc-
! Cured at the Top-kapou palace, where the
relics OF the prophet are preserved. but
the succession ensued the result Of tile
dethronement of the ruler. the ceremony
was held al the War office.
City is Orderly.
The city of Constantinople is alive with
excitement and throngs fill the streets.
number of arrests have been made. but the
change of sovereigns has been effected
without disorder Of any kind.
salute OF iOl guns announcing the end
of the reign of Abdul Hamlj and the be-
ginning OF that Of Mohemmed Effendi was
fired at 23O this afternoon.
II is reported here that the sultan has
been removed from the imperial palace of
Yildz and conveyed across the Bosphorlis
to a point In AsiRtic Turkey.
Among those who have been arrested
under orders of the military Dictatorship
are Prince sabah Bddine. a nephew OF the
sultan. and all the members OF his family.
The prince has been a leader OF the Young
Turk party.
Fifty Turkish officers have bean arrested
at ErBeroum by their troops and dis
patched under escort 10 Trebzond.
The exact significance OF THE action II
not yet clear. bat IL is feared Il means the
beginning OF a revolt of the provincial
troops against the Young Turk officers
Last of Palace Guard.
Yesterday afternoon witnessed the final
act in the siege OF the Yildis General Schef-
ket, commander of the constitutionalists,
overawing the Albanians into surrender
This force, which composed OF zoo
men. was stationed In the Imperial palace.
The Albanians did not fight last satur-
day. but persistently refused to lay down
their arms General schefket sent up a
strong body of Macedonians and six field
pieces we're placed in a prominent position
above the palace. Other guns were dis
posed over the neighboring heights while
the troops commanded all the approaches
The red flag continued, however. TO fly
defiantly until o'clock, when the watch
ers saw It dropping slowly down the flag
pole making place for the white token OF
surrender. few minutes later q crowd
Of fugitives we're seeh rouring down the
dusty road. leading 10 Beshimtash. where
they were fastened together with ropes
and conducted under military escort to
the headquarters OF the commission OF
inquiry.
Ten thousand Prisoners.
The prisoners included domestics eunuchs
pages, secretaries and practically the en-
tire male staff OF the palace. as well as
the famous Fusilers, the spoiled proteses
! Of the sultan Their commander was ar
rested in disguise At Galata and severely
handled and subjected to lAAASnAtisA The