The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-09-24

Wy W k--s--ss--.------.--~--.~~----,Iy
entails, with the OLD MAN or
wild eyes of fan TIE MOUNTAIN
atics, Before him stood the ambassa-
dor OF the Sultan. The ambassador
had been sent TO demand tribute and
submission on the part Of the white
haired potentate In reply the aged
man turned to one of the soldiers at
his side.
stab yourself to the heart he said
quietly,
The soldier obeyed without mo-
ment Of hesitation Turning at ram
dom to ON attendant, the white-haired
man said;
Throw yourself from that window"
In an instant the attendant had
hurled himself to death on the rocks
FAR below Then the white-bearded
man said to the Mortified ambassa-
DOR
Return TO your master, the Sultan
Tell him what you have Just seen.
Tell him also that | have 10000 fol-
lowers who are ready to obey me to
the death ASK him If he thinks he
can make mo pay tribute or own any
sultan as my lord"
This is but one of a hundred dra
matte tales told Of Hassan-ben-Satah,
known and dreaded all over the world
M "The Old Man Of the Mountains"
His title was sheikalJebal. "Shelk"
meaning "chief" fboss," or "old man"
Gwen In those DAYS the boss was
apparently called -the old man")
Hassan WAS the founder of a strange,
fanaticai sect. whom he formed into
sort Of mock religious order, and
whom he controlled with seemingly
supernatural tricks, by hopes Of a
eaudy paradise and by confusing their
minds with false theology. In this
way he made them his obedient
slaves, eager to do his bidding and to
die at his command
As lad. in a Persian school, Has
san formed a partnership with two Of
his classmates. Omar and Nizam.
They agreed that whichever Of them
might in later years rise to power
| should befriend the other two. Nizam
became Grand Vizier Of Persia. He
gave a court pension to Omar twho is
! best known to posterlty MS Omar
Khavyam, author of THE Rubaiyat0
and TO Hassan he offered high Office
Hassan used Nizam as stepping
stone to his own success, then muir
dered him and his son.
Next he captured a series of noun
tain fortresses in Syria Egypt and
Persia and began his terrible rule
He induced young men to join him b.
inviting them to his castle. druggine
! them with hashish and letting them
come to their senses in wonderfully
beautiful garden. There after Q
! glimpse of The places delights they
were again drugged and carried back
| 10 the castle On coming to their
senses they were told they had really
| visited Paradise in a vision and that
MI its Joys should one day be theirs
II they would serve Hassan faithfully
| These fanatics were sent forth tc
| slay all Hasssn's foes or any other
persons whom he thought 1t best tC
get rid Of The Old Mans name be
! came a horror, everywhere
The Sultan strove TO crush Hassar
and was mysteriously killed Other
potentates sought the assassiu's de
strnctlon, Each met with like fate
Armed forces Of the government were
driven back from the strong mountain
| castles Individual foes died. leaving
no clue to their slayers. No precau
ton could save a victim. From his
cyrie on the hilltops the grim old mar
Of the mountains sent forth his mur
derous emissaries on their fearful mis-
| sions. For man marked by then
for death there was no hope Once
| the Sultan Saniar. who had vowed
the asssssin's ruin, awoke in tht
morning TO find dagger sticking II
the floor beside his bed On the
weapon was q scroll to the effect that
next time, the blow would be STRUCK
cloeer. The Sultan promptly made
peace with Hsssan
| Had the old man of the mountains
confined his atrocities to the whole
sale killing of his own enemies, he
would have passed into history as s
fanatical monster: not as mere
blackguard But he ia said to have
reaped a very tidy profit from hif
crimes. Rulers and men Of note pai(
him huge sums to buy their owl
safety Others paid him equally
large amounts to murder their private
or political enemies.
Hassan's two sons dlapleased bin
and he killed them with as little re
greet az though they had been stran
Egers. To afro wrought havoc IN the
ranks Of the Crusaders At last. n
| 1124. at the age Of 90, he died The
horrible Order that he had formed
was later destroyed and its chiefs
we're put to death,
|