The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-01
WIDOWS MONEY FURNISHED BASIS FOR AN empire

1
ness, proclaimed him as the chief mai
of the Seljukian Empire and wanted him
to take second place on the ticket Abou
this time the Ssltan died and Osmsn
being at the head OF the army. mad,
7 himself Sultan. 1t wasn't exactly fail
to the rightful heir. perhaps. but osmar
| wasn't trained In ethics. Besides, tn,
proletariat acclaimed him and the arm,
was at his service. II is hard to combat
an argument like that.
| Getting Down to Business.
Osman was succeeded by his son DIRK
| han, in the course of years. Orkhar
found his succession disputed by a dozer
or SO of sons of the old Sultan OF the
regular line. These set up principalities
promulgated platforms. and called them
| selves the regular nominees. They had
considerable followings.- being the Sui
tan's sons. 1t was always difficult &c
keep track of q Sultan's children, how
| ever. and just which of the contenders
was the rightful heir couldn't be deter.
mined. This was agreeable to Orkhan
and while the pretenders were quarreling
he turned his attention to the Greeks
and thrashed them some more. This sc
pleased the public he was emphatically
called to the throne after which he at
tended to the other claimants one by
one and did a-plenty to each. He
now had the Seljukian Empire reunited
and on a war footing. He had added
several Greek provinces along the coast
and his reputation had crossed the
Bosphorus into Europe. He organized
the body Of fighting men called In history
Sanissaries. The Janissaries were des-
tined to play an important part in the
wars of the Moslems. They were profess
sional warriors trained to victory and
were never so happy as when disembow-
cling somebody.
At this era the Greeks and their Byzan-
tine empire were in a very low state OF
prosperity. Byzantium. or Constantine
pie was their capital and had been for
nearly ten centuries 1t had dry rot.
hookworm. and pellagra one after an
other, and then all together. Graft was
the watchword and everybody was doing
it. Corruption reigned from the imperial
palace 10 the city hall and from the city
hall to the trash cans. The Greeks had
sadly degenerated since the Athenian
days. Art had entirely played out among
them, and the chief men Of their city
wouldn't have known the difference be-
tween polite literature and a load Of tin
cans. The Emperor Andronicus died and
his son. John PaIeoiogus. succeeded him.
This Johp Paleologus was minor and
Cantacuezenus, a regular Tammany poll
Cantacuezenus sent word over the water
that he would make II to the advantage
OF the Sultan Orkhan to come into Eu-
rope with an army and help him take
the Emperorship from Paleologus. Ork
han, already looking for an excuse to
invade Europe, sent an army under his
son, Suleiman, named for the old chief
who was drowned in the Euphrates. to
help Cantacuezenus count Paleologus out.
1af, No. 81
and was getting ready TO put
on a show in front of Constantinople
when he fell OF his horse and was killed.
The death of his son so affected old Ork-
han that he died Of grief. 1t was this
Suleiman who planted, In 1859. the cres
cent in Europe. II has been there ever
since and is there today. although re-
Gently it has been shot full OF holes by
the Balkan allies and the Greeks. The
Greeks are still in the neighborhood of
and still after the goat of
the Turks-haedus Turkibus.
Murad. younger brother of Suleiman,
succeeded Orkhan on the throne Of the
Sultans, and Murad was a lively person.
He went at once into the European en-
set on foot by his late father
and brother, declaring war on the En-
peror Paleologus, whom Cantacuezenus,
the Tammany politician. had failed to
ByZantium, was the seat of the Eastern
or Byzantine Empire of the Greeks. Old
Greece. with Athens at its base, was hav-
ing troubles of its own. The world at
that time was cut up into many little
dependencies, principalities. kingdoms.
and empires none of them amounting to
a great deal. Murad was a warrior of
great daring and capacity, and his army
was cemented by religious fanaticism
and encouraged by a prestige which it
mad earned through victories on a hun
ired red fields. Laying siege to Adria-
ople, the Turks soon captured that
stronghold. the second capital of the
Byzantine Greeks. 1t was the same
4 drianople you have been reading about |
lately. The Turkish menace now con- |
Ironted all Europe, and an army of
Z. 900 men from the countries of the Bal |
Sans was sent to meet the invaders. |
They met all right, and the result was |
| rout for the Europeans. 1t was about |
his time that the name of Turk became |
attached firmly to these Asiatics. The |
derivation came from their supposed, or
certain identity with the Turks or |
rurkomen. a vast family of Fasteners |
whose forebears had endured since man |
n the valley of the Euphrates came out |
II the mists Of antiquity. Murad estab- |
ished his European capital at Adrianople |
n 1855 and greatly bettered and beau
flied the town. He put In what he con-
idered modern improvements. although |
leither telephones nor electric lights
we're included. Having some leisure at
bout this time, Murad began cultivating
literature and the arts. Also, being
of a society man. he mar
led a score or so Of charming European
iris, he being considered quite a catch.
Busy Was Bnyezid.
Murad maintained a show Of amity
With Paleologus, the Christian monarch
t Constantinople. but kept his best eye
pen for the main chance. In metropoli- /
an importance Constantinople was the
Dallas of those years and Murad natur-
lily craved it. Lazarus, King of Servia,
aised an army of 100000 and went South
ooking for Murad about that time.
iurad was enjoying hts vacation, So he
ent his young son Bayezid to meet
furnishing the youngster with
1000 soldiers. Bayezid was his papa's
wn boy and he killed Lazarus and broke
is army into fragments. Murad was so
7ell pleased with his child he died and /,
eft the latter his throne. Bayezid. also L
marrying man, had taken to wife one /,