Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-07

fire at the slightest action that might
seem to him suspicious. There is
story that one day a gardener working
In the park of Yildiz, on seeing the
sultan approach, rose quickly from
STOPPING posture TO assume respect
full attitude Abdul Hamid, startled
by his sudden appearance and suspect
ing some evil motive. at once fired at
him. The man fell dead. Later. as no
weapon was found on his body. 1t had
to be acknowledged that blunder
had been committed. Such is the tale
told by the son of the late Prince OF
Samos. who was one Of the sultan's
ministers.
Yildiz, scene of innumerable horrors,
had been built by Abdul Hamid him
self, aud he had made it more ike
labyrinth than q palace. 1t was the
production and the abode Of fear unut-
terable. Surely no sane mind planned
it To guard against conspirators get
ting a plan of his residence its master
was continually changing it's internal
arrangements. walling up doors, open
ing new ones, narrowing passages, dt-
viding rooms by partitions, making
ana LAcA4 oS0AA' IL
was a constantly changing maze.
To spare himself the danger Of cross
ing the graveled path that separated
his apartments from his harem he had
linked his residence by flying bridges
to the harem on the one side and to
the imperial theater on the other. This
theater was a gloomy little place,
where the monarch would sit entirely
hidden from view in his box while &C
tresses and singers from Paris and
other European cities entertained him.
He never came into view, never ap-
pIauded, and the visible audience con-
sisted of a few members of his family.
The building used by Abdul Eamid
as his private residence looked more
like a prison, for all the lower win
dows were securely barred and the
heavy iron doors were Of great
strength and capable Of being firmly
bOlted inside.
Every room in the palace was pro-
vided with a couch on which the sui
tan could sleep If he felt inclined. No
body ever knew in what room he
would sleep on any given night. Be
fore retiring to rest he would some
times call his attendants and say to
them: Keep a good lookout. 1 am
going TO sleep tonight in this room"
But he would Invariably sleep some
where else.
On the roof Of the imperial apart
meuts was an astronomical observa-
tory which had been fitted up with an
exceedingly good telescope by Pa
risi2n firm. This observatory was
favorite place with the sultan, yet he
took not the slightest interest in as
tronomy. Tie telescope was there 10
serve his own purpose of espionage,
for he used it almost exclusively for
the purpose Of watching the residence
of Prince Yusuf Izzedin, eldest son of
Abdul Aziz and heir presumptive to
the throne. It's glass was never turn
ed upon the heavens.
But sometimes from his lonely look
out the monarch saw stranger things
than the residence of Prince Yusuf.
things chat no other human being had
ever dreamed q. There were times
when his morbid ina ginatiOn played
curious FRANKS with him.
1t was on the day following On at
tempt upon his life by one Ali Souavi
and a revolt at Tcheragan, both OF
which incidents greatly upset him,
that Abdul Hamid hurried down from
his observatory with a wild look in his
eyes and called his first secretary, who
at that time was Ali Fuad Bey. he
led the secretary TO a window, and,
pointing TO the sublime porte some
miles away, he said, trembling with
fear:
"Did you see them? They have met
yonder to proclaim my DOWNFALL"
Who" asked the startled secretary.
my ministers" exclaimed the sui
tan. My own ministers are now in
the act of dethroning me. Can't you
gee them?"
This statement was quite unfOunded,
and it was Il long time before the sec
rotary could calm his frightened mas
ter.-PhiladeIphia Ledg0E.