The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 44, September 9, 1897 A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

Excerpt

The Armenians in Turkey are becoming restless once more.

They say they have waited long enough for the promised reforms, and as the Sultan has made none of the proposed changes, they have once again shown their hatred for him and his rule by resorting to that most cowardly of weapons, a dynamite bomb.

One day last week all Constantinople was alarmed by the noise of several loud explosions.

It was soon found that dynamite bombs had been thrown into the windows of the Government Council House. The entire building was shaken to its foundations, the roof torn off, and the walls badly damaged.

A meeting of ministers in the Grand Vizier's office had been proposed for the hour at which the explosion took place, and it was supposed that the cowardly assassins had intended to murder the Turkish officials while they were attending to their duties. Happily the meeting had been postponed, and therefore but little harm was done beyond the damage to the building.

The people had hardly recovered from their horror over the wrecking of the Council House when word was brought that an attempt had been made to blow up the Ottoman Bank.

Just a year ago an attack was made on the Bank, and on that occasion its officers were so unprepared for an attack that the Armenians gained possession of the building, and held it against the soldiers for several hours.

The Ottoman Bank of Turkey has charge of the public funds, so it is to the interest of the Government to see that it is well protected. Since the Armenian attack, therefore, there has not only been a special guard on duty to protect the bank, but men stationed at the doors to inspect every person who entered, and prevent any suspicious-looking characters from gaining access to the main building.

These precautions probably saved many precious lives, for, on the same afternoon that the bomb was thrown a man was seen entering the bank who was so extraordinarily fat that the watchers became suspicious of him.

They refused to let him enter the main building, and taking him into a little side room set apart for the purpose, they searched him.

They found, as they had suspected, that his great size was due to a huge dynamite bomb, which he was trying to conceal under his robes. In Turkey many of the people have not adopted the European dress of coat and trousers, but still cling to their long loose robes.

As soon as the bomb was discovered it was carefully put into water, the man was arrested, and the bank closed its doors, an extra guard of soldiers being sent for to protect it.

The news of the attempt on the bank was followed by the calling out of the palace guard and the closing of all the entrances to the palace.

A rumor was then spread abroad that another bomb had been found within the palace grounds, and that yet another had been found that was intended to blow up the Police Headquarters.

When the news of these various outrages was noised abroad the people were panic-stricken.

Crowds of Turks rushed from their homes, anxious to defend their city and their Sultan, and, armed with sticks, they hurried through the streets, not knowing where to go, or what to do first....