The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-30
Historic: b
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BY #
Albert P1yson Terlksne Is
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Copyright, BIZ
Ths Press Publishing Co. <Ths New Y orb Worads
The Old Man Of the Mountains

were swarthy ORR VIZ ) WW
entails, with the OLD MAN OF
wild eyes of fam HE 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.
ment Of hesitation. Turning at ram
dom to an 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 l have 10000 fol-
lowers who are ready to obey me to
the death Ask him if he thinks he
can make me pay tribute or own any
sultan as my lord"
This is but one of a hundred dra-
matte tales told of Hassan-ben-Sabah.
known and dreaded all over the world
as 1.-THE Old Man of the Mountains"
His title was SheikalJebal, 'Sheik"
meaning "chief," BOSS" or "old man"
Gwen in those days the boss" was
apparently called "the old man.~
Hassan was the founder of strange
fanatical sect whom he formed into
a sort of mock religious order, and
whom he controlled with seemingly
supernatural tricks, by hopes Of
gaudy 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
/ de at his command.
+ As lad, in Persian school. Has
san fermed 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 60 Omar (who IL
best known to posterity as Omar
Khayyam, author Of The Rubaiyat'l,
and to Hassan he offered high Office
Hassan used Nizam as a stepping
stone to his own success, then muir
dered him and HE son.
Next he captured a series of noun
tain foFtresses in Syria, Egypt and
Persia and began his terrible rule.
He induced young men to join him by
inviting them to his castle. drugging
them with hashish and letting them
come to their senses in a wonderfully
beautiful garden. There, after a
glimpse of the places delights, they
were again drugged and carried back
to the castle. On coming to their
senses they were told they had really
visited Paradise in a vision and that
all its joys should one day be theirs
If they would serve Hassan faithfully.
These fanatics were sent forth to
STAY all Hassans foes or any other
+ persons whom he thought it best to
get rid Of, The Old Mans name be
came a horror, everywhere
The Sultan stroye 10 crush Hassan
and was mysteriously killed. Other
pOtentates sought the assassin's de
struction. Each met with a 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
/ eyrie on the hilltops the grim old man
/ Of the mountains sent forth his muir.
/ derous emissaries on their fearful mis-
sions. For a man marked by them
for death there was no hope. Once.
the Sultan, Sanjar, who had vowed
/ the assassin's ruin, awoke in the
morning to find dagger sticking in
the floor beside his bed On the
weapon was a scroll to the effect that.
next time. the blow would be struck
closer. The Sultan promptly made
/ peace with Hassan.
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 a
. fanatical monster; not as a mere
( olackguard. But he Is said to have
reaped very tidy profit from his
crimes. Rulers and men Of note paid
him huge sums to buy their own
safety. Others paid him equally
large amounts to murder their private
or political enemies.
Hassan's two sons displeased him
and he killed them with as little re.
greet as though they had been stran.
gers He also wrought havoc IN the
ranks Of the Crusaders. At last, In
1924, at the age of 80, he died. The
horrible Order" that he had formed
was later destroyed and its chiefs