Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-26
RICH MAN HEADS
ASSASSIN FAMILY
Group of Million or More
Bears Name Earned Gen.
turtles Ago.

- al fASSdSSln.
Not only is he an Assassin but the
leader of the AssaSsins-a million or
more of them.
But the ASsassins with q capital a.
have nothing to do with assassination,
at least, not now" says a bulletin of
the National Geographic Society that
gathers up the threads of one of the
strangest stories that geography has to
tell
THE story of the Assassins embraces
three continents, Asia, Africa and
Europe; it spreads over nearly 10
centuries; 1t is punctuated with such
names as Marco Polo, Edward I Of
England, Genghis Khan, Sultan Sanjar
of Khorasan, the King of Jerusalem,
Aga Khan, Mile Andree Carron
Edward VII of England, and the $85 900
colt Hurrie On.
Arabian Nights Romance.
ITO unravel this 30o,00l Arabian
Nights romance one can begin with a
bath tub in a French chateau near
Chambery or travel back nearly 1000
years to the unscalable fortress Of
Alamut high in the Elbruz Mountains
overlooking the plain Of Teheran.
'Twenty-three years after William
the ConQueror won the battle of
Hastings. one Hasan Sabbah, by clever
deceit, captured the fortress of Alamut
II he lived today Sabbah could earn the
name master mind or even anarchist;
as 1t was, he became famous as the
founder of the AsSaSsins. AS grand
master of a secret society he Schemed
to free Persia from Arab domination by
working through q Moslem sect called
Ismailis, who traced their line of faith
to Fatima, daughter Of Mohammed.
Minority Rule with n Dagger,
Lacking followers in large numbers
EaSan Sabbah turned for power to the
dagger He dedicated his sect to
murder. From impregnable Almut.
the Vultures Nest he ordered the kill
ing of sultans, caliphs, kings and
crusaders. 1t was always ruler into
which the dagger was plunged. For
two centuries HaSan Sabbah, the old
man of the mountains, and his sue
ceSSors spread terror through the world.
The grand master gave orders TO
grand priors serving IN different
districts: Herman in Persia, Syria, and
elsewhere. Each had a staff Of dsiS. or
initiates, who won converts that entered
the order as 'adherents.' A chosen few
became fidais, or devotees-a desperate
set Of Adventures and racketeers! The
fdais were a sort of foreign legion
drawn from many nations and peoples.
selected for endurance, for daring and
fantical exaltation.
Marco Polo learned the astonishing
secret of the old man of the mountains
power over his fdais. In Alamut. this
master criminal caused to be made a
beautiful, secret garden crowded with
roses and other flowers, trees bearing
peaches and plumS. and vines with
luscious grapes. Fountains tossed their
spray into mirror pools bordered by gay
pavilions, This exquisite garden he
peopled with lovely women. In the arid
mountains of Persia he created q
paradise to serve his evil designs.
Initiates Get Taste Of Paradise"
+, When trusted fidais candidates
reached Alnut they were drugged and
carried unconscious into the garden.
Awaking, they found themselves sur
rounded for a few hours by all the
beauty and joys imaginable; q paradise.
indeed. But once again they were
drugged by stealth and carried out.
When a fdais recovered his senses
he found himself in the chamber of the
grand master. 1T is true the master
told the candidate, you have been in
paradise. Go slay this prince and when
you return my angels viii bear you
again into paradise
filling his mind, every fidais welcomed
danger and courted the death that
would usher him into paradise forever
The drug that the grand master
used on his fidais was Indian hemp
cannabis indica, also known as hashish
md from the latter term has come
Sne name which Europe fastened on the
1Snatlis, 'AssaSsins'
Conrad of Montferrat, crusader, fell
nth al Assassin's dagger in his heart
Immediately after he was recognized
King Of Jerusalem; Raymond, Count of
1T1poh, also fall. Prince Edward later
Edward I Of England, was stabbed, but
recovered. Caliphs and viziers were
found murdered Sultan Sanjar or
Eantzed an army to wipe out Alamut
One morning when his army was half
way to the fortress ne awoke to find
dagger ptnning message to the sand
beside his head. Go no further, it
warned. Sultan Sanjar turned around
and went home.
But not even the ASsassins could
Withstand Genghis Khan's westward
drive. His Mongol legions captured
Alamut In 1885, burned HaSan Eabbah's
library and destroyed his garden. The
1snailiS dispersed to Africa, India, Syria,
and Persia. For six centuries the rem
uant colonies struggled without q central
leader.
Rewarded for Service 70 Britain.
Then about 1880 in Herman
Province, Persia, HaSan Ali Shah, q
descendant of Imam Ismail, rose TO
such prominence that he was exiIed
While fleeing TO India through
Afghanistan Hasan Ali Shah, or the Aga
Khan, did soonest service for the English
among the Wild mountaineers and, upon
reaching Bombay, was rewarded. He
was recognized as leader of the Indian
Ismailis, given the title his highneSs'
and granted pension.
Gradually his highness the Aga
Khan Of Aga Hall, Bombay, became the
recognized spiritual leader of the
Xsmailis tribes scattered throughout the
Moslem world.
New stories from Paris bring the
strange story of the Assassins down to
date, for Aga Khan, who recently
married Andree Carron, the French
dressmaker and daughter of a hotel
keeper. is none other than his high
ness the Aga Khan III, knight grand
commander of the Indian Empire
knight grand commander of the Star
of India; doctor of laws. Cambridge;
Brilliant Star of Zanzibar first class;
nominee for the Noble peace prize !:
racing stable owner extradinary and
hereditary leader of the Ismailis
The Aga Khan, descendant of the
flnn4hnrS his at