The Washington herald., 1912-10-01

government official in the foreign
service who has just returned from a
mission to Turkey and Greece tells me
that from a friendly officer OF the for
mer Sultan Abdul Hamids guard at his
Saloniki prison villa. he has been for
tunate enough to learn some details or
the exiled rulers domestic menage. after
he had spent many an hour in vain de-
vising plans how best to get glimpse
of what was going on in the villa. which
not only is guarded by numerous armed
sentnels. but by many fierce dogs, that
surround it on all sides.
Getting admission into any wealthy
Turks home and harem almost is an
impossibility, and the American was in
clined to doubt the extraordinary tale Of
the Ottoman soldier until the latter.
touching his patriarchal beard. eNclaim-
ed: "Vallahi- BiIIahf' Cby Allah. This
settled all doubt. for your orthodox Mos
lem rather would perish than to swear
falsely on his beard. (The oath admin
istered in Turkish courts of justice is
by the beard OF the Prophet')
Thus the affable old gentleman told my
American friend that Abdul Hamid's
harem in his captivity consists OF eleven
women. who nurse him and care for him
with admirable self-devotion. Two In
mates of the harem died recently. The
youngest wife is but twenty-five years
old. She is of SURPRISING beauty, and en-
joys the ex-Sultan's passionate attach
ment. She is said to be a Circassian.
Abdul Hamid fell in love with her n
short time before his deposition. She did
not care to share his Imprisonment. but
was forced to do so, and ever since has
not stopped weeping and sobbing. 1t has
been averred by the other harem inmates
that she has become insane, and her re-
moval from the villa was repeatedly re-
quested. This the authorities declined to
grant, as none must, on any account,
leave the place.
The suffering Of the women is said to
be great. Abdul is getting more and
more whimsical in his moods. His un-
accountable fits of suspicion. OF rage. Of
jealousy, of cruelty, are increasing with
his age. He allows his wives to walk
in the garden only for short time,
and then never together. They go out
in turns at certain fixed hours. Abdul
himself never leaves the apartments.
At first he used to stroll in the broad
alleys of the beautiful garden, but here
every movement, every noise, every
whisper or subdued cough, every rustlng
of the leaves frightened him. and he
abandoned his strolls.
The narrator had a glimpse of Abduls
youngest son. What q terribly sad ex-
istence the latter lives in this gloomy
solitude. He must not see anybody: he
has no friends. Only rarely Is he al
lowed to promenade in the garden. He
seldom sees his father. for the latter
mistrusts even him, and receives only
those who attend to his immediate needs.
The son is pining away in desolation for
the sins of his father. The boy plays
the violin He Is quite a little virtuoso
and has mastered the symphonies of
Beethoven. He plays with feeling and
shows a prediction for sad. melancholy
compositions. He is very fond of the
.'Elegis" of Ernst. Frequently he plays
late at night. and the impression pro-
duced is exceedingly sad.
The person whom Abdul Hamid favcrs
mostly in his exile Is a eunuch, the only