The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-07-02

THE Dali
for on the outskirts of the town is tn
beautiful villa that confines and at TIL
same time protects Abdul Hamid, for
mer sultan of Turkey.
Abdul the Damned '-Abdul the IN
famous as he was variously charac
terized during the height of his reigI
l at the Golden Horn-Abdul Hamid
whom the civilized world at various
times held responsible for the massa-
ere of thousands of Christian Armen-
ians, is immured for the remainder Of
his life in sleepy villa here, unless
the guns of the Italian fleet drive him
and his guards out Every time that the
italians ships are reported within a
couple hundred miles of Salonika there
is a stir of activity in the vicinity of
Abdul Hamid's villa-prison. 1t is no
secret that at the first approach of
the Italian ships the former Padishah
will be quickly hustled from Salonika.
Still Name to COnjure With.
That Abdul Hamid is still a name to
be conjured with in certain Turkish
| circles is evident from the extreme
| care with which he is guarded by the
government of the new regime. So
closely is he kept and such care has
been exercised to prevent any one from
communicating with him, that at va
rious times doubt has been eXpresser
as to whether he is still alive. CONT
mental newspapers refer to it as the
Mystery of Abdul Hamid."
The new government of Turkey
seems to fear him as much as he was
feared when he was still on his throne
in Constantinople. Requests to be al
lowed to see him were received first
with utter amazement by the authori-
ties, then with suspicion, and finally
courteously but emphaticaly denied
when it was seen that the applicant
was an American newspaper man who,
of course, didn't know any better"
than to make such an impossible re-
quest Even the commander-in-chie
of the troops in Salonika is not allow
ed to enter the villa Only the former
sutan's physician, the officer in COM
mand of the guard, who is responsible
for the safety of his charge with his
own life, and two or three other offic-
ers especially picked for the post by
the powers that be in Constantinople.
'SOund as the Devil"
High walls surround the villa AL
latini.' 1t is best to gaze at it from a |
respectful distance for new approach |
is likely to meet with the butt end of
rifle. Sound as the devil" replied
the military surgeon assigned TO the
former sultan when asked how Abdul
Hamid was. But not syllable could
be elected from him as to the life led
by the man at one time feared as per-
haps no other ruler on earth. Aside
from the above remark not word
could be had from the physician that
would indicate whether Abdul Hamid
is dead or still alive. Cali Pascha,
commander of the guard, was about
equally as voluble. Still he was not
averse to saying that the ex-sutan
receives the best of care and the atten-
ton to which his former high state and
rank and birth entities him.
If a careful sitting of the various re
ports that one hears here, and the little
said confidentially by those who it
would seem ought to know can be de-
pended upon, Abdul Hamid spends mis-
days sleeping in the bath tub in q
little cabinet shop and daubing with
brush and palette, utterly unconscious
Of what is going on in the world out
side. He is happy and contented. so 1t
was said. The former sultan, whom
he civilized world has charged at va
rious times with being the cause of
much shedding of Christian blool, is
'ond of bright colors when he paints.
oTlSnt feu Is uecldreu " NC hio law
tie tone.
To sit or lie in his bath of lulSewarm /:
water, while he smokes his bubble
1ipe," so begin his long days. Rest
ess and sleepless when first placed i'll
captivity, he is said to now have grown
luiet and spends hours sleeping and