The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-09-30
DEPOSED SULTANS
FABULOUS WEALTH
Hidden Treasures Uncovered
From Strange Nooks in the
Yildiz Kiosk
SAFES CONCEALED IN WALLS
Two Chests Filled with Five Pound
Notes Found-ore String Of Pearls
Worth $3.50 ooo-There Were 500 Re.
volvers in Adults Dressing Rooms.

volVerS IN RpoulS OTeSs'HS hON''''
The announcement a few days ago
that Abdul Hamid had transferred $4,-
500 900 to the new government OF Tur-
key merely strengthens the common
belief that the deposed monarch Is
the possessor Of enormous wealth. In
that belief a parliamentary commits
sion is making a searching inyesiga-
ton of the Yildiz Kiosk TO uncover
the treasures hidden there, and the
results already accomplished are
amazing
There have been discovered many
safes hidden in the walls at various
kiosks. The treasures found so far
are money in gold and in notes. bonds,
jewelry and other articles OF value.
Abdul Hamid's wealth is estimated at
$3.50. 900 600. A safe contained state
ments of the amounts deposited by
him in several financial establish
ments abroad.
Two chests were found filled with
fye.pound notes, and eight travelling
bags containing most valuable jewels.
It is claimed that Abdul Hamid had
prepared these with the idea OF escape
! before he surrendered to the young
Turks. The five-pound notes are sup
posed to have been to bribe the peo-
pie. as he believed that everything
! was possible through bribes.
Up TO date the government has con-
fiscated cash belonging to Abdul Ham
i'd, 100000; and jewelry worth 3d.
| 100000. and Abdul signed check in
Salonica giving up s400 900. thus max
ing s7.400,0 900 in all, and there re-
mains yet an enormous sum in his
possession. among the Jewels, says
Mr.. H. Hagopian, in Constantinople
letter to the Boston Transcript" was
found a string of pearls worth $780,
900. gift from the Persian shah
when he visited Constantinople. Each
bead is larger than doves head.
| There are three statues OF the fallen
sultan in different poses. A lamp OF
ivory resembling tree, an Ivy wound
around it. is a magnificent object OF
art valued at $4,000. This was do
mated to Ratib Pasha. the former gov.
ernor Of Hidjaz.
In the ex.sultan's dressing rooms
the commission found one thousand
shirts, almost all Of silk; forty fezes,
all specially made at the imperial
shops in Hereke; two hundred cos
tunes and uniforms, hundreds OF silk
en- handkerchiefs, shoes and other
articles. Most astonishing it was
when 500 revolvers were found there
alone, almost pistol for each pocket.
A notebook found in pocket contain
ed the numbers of 5000 shares of the
Bagdad railway, thus confirming the
assertion made that the ex-sultan was
bribed to grant the concession of the
line.
The fallen sultan was proprietor
of farms. forests, lands, mines, houses
khans and salt works. After the pro-
clamation of the constitution the
mines were transferred 10 the state
These numbered twenty and brought
an annual income of $1,500000. The
farms are many, it is estimated more
than 1900 pieces of land. The crown
forests are in the valleyets of Casta
moni, Civas and Salonica. They Gov
er an area of 25O 900 hectares. There
are vast lands in Bagdad, Bassora and
in Syria, estimated approximately al
value of $9,500,000 All these do
mains, houses, apartments. khans and
salt works brought an annual rent t
Abdul Hamid of exactly S5.000,000.
Search for the Yildiz treasures will
be continued for a long time to come
In a box the investigating commission
found 5000 keys and this made i
think that there are many unlocked
closets of hidden wealth.