Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-11
ESSAD PASHA AIDS
SERBIAN INVADERS
Activity Of Rob Roy of Albania
Is Not to Liking of
Italy.
HE is UNDAUNTED CHIEFTAIN
Educated for Turkish Army, He
Has Had Turbulent
Career.

Especial Cable to The Times Dispatch
ROME. July lo.-The Rob Roy OF AL
bania. Essad Pasha, is now allied with
the Scrbians in their invasion of their
neiShbor TO the south, and the turn
affairs are. taking is not particularly
TO the relish OF the Italian authorities.
Essad has "a great following. and if the
Albaniana ever compose their differ
cnces. religious and political. he will
undouhtcdly be their choice for king
Essad Pasha is superior to the aver
age run Of Albanian chicftains He
comes of an Old Moslem family. the Top
TAM. whose seat is at Tirana. This is
probably the richest and most powerful
clan in the country. Essad could sum-
mon 800 faithful retainers in a day
from among his own personal followers.
Essad Pasha Was educated for the
Turkish army. and fought bravely in
the between Greece and Turkey
in 1897. His reputation as a tirst-class
fightinS man, reached the ears of Abdul
Hamid. who made his brother, Chant
Bey, his aide-dc- camp
There came dispute between the
Sultan and CHAM Beg. and the latter
was shot by the Sultan's order Essad
came to Constantinople blazing with
anger. and the man who shot CHAM
Bey was himself slashed to death in
broad daylight on the Cialata bridge.
And pinned on his body bore the words.
Don. by Essad Toptani."
In spite OF this fragrant defiance of
his authority. the Sultan was afraid to
chief. or perhaps he admired him Abdul
sent him back 10 Yanina to comman nd
tho local Eendarmerie. and gave him the
rank of brigadi.r-gcneral.
There he quarreled with Tatar Osman
Pasha. the commander of the Yarina
division. Essad. an austere Moslem,
raided certain houses OF ill fame. in one
OF which lie discovered his ;perior,
Tatar. Osman Pasha.
AS the Pasha refused to give his
name. Essad gave him a particularly
sound thrashine He withdrew after
this incident to his estates, and was
there in 1905. when the revolution took
place at Constantinople.
He turned Young Turk. was elected
as member OF Parliament for Durazzo
10y his faithful hriGands. and went to
Constantinople. where he became rather
an awkward supporter Of the Commit
tee of Union and Progress, owing TO
his Albanian sympathics.
In April 1909, the revolution broke
out. The troops marched from Salonika
TO depose the Sultan. and the Sheikh-
ul-Islam issued fetwa deposinE
Abdul Hamid. Then the question arose
who should take the message to the
Sultan.
Essad rose before the committee and
slowly and Erimly replied. 81 will GO"
Trembling from head TO foot, the Sui
tan met the brother of CHAM Bey. who
announced his deposition.
His warfare with the Young Turks
continued, in spite OF this incident and
OIL one occasion he appeared at Con-
siantinople NJ. +. for Durazo at the
head of 800 retainers. He figured in
such violent scenes in the last cham
Der that he had 10 be dragged away
from threatening the speaker
Then he returned to Albania, where
he declared his severance from the
Young Turks But on the outbreak OF,
the Balkan War in 1912 he was anxious
that Albania should not be cut up by
the powers. and FASTENED to Scutari
with "A relief column. He became Gov
ernor and CALAMITY defended it for
many weeks against the Montenegrins.
At last he made peace with Nicholas
under which lie was able to march out
with $4,000 men. his guns and all the
honOrs of war.
One Of the conditions was that King
Nicholas recognized Essad as an in
dependent Prince OF Albania. and Essad
was proclaimed at Tirana i'm April
1913 The great powers, however. re-
e. L.
William Of WED
For time Essad Pasha acted as
War Minister to the German Mpret.
but il was always hollow peace, and
last May Essad organized a revolt He
was for the time unsuccessful. but cs
caped on an Italian steamer to Brindisi.
After the flight of the unlucky Mpret,
Essad returned, and last November en-
tered DuraZzo with 10000 troops. There
the Albanian Senate elected him Presi-
dent of the Albanian republic and com
chief OF the military forces.
Amid shouts of Long live our Essad"'
the new ruler broke the seals OF the
palace and went to sleep in Prince viii
liam'S bedroom.
Sui as soon az Essad began to extend
his rule beyond Durazzo the old trou
bles began. His forces were surrounded
on all sides, and had to cut their way
back to Durazzo, where Essad has since
been holding out.