ESSAD PASHA KILLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17497, 15 June 1920, Page 5

ESSAD PASHA KILLED.

ASSASSINATED' IN PARIS.

ALBANIAN.STUDENT'S CRIME.

*' ENEMY OF REPUBLIC.*' By Telegraph—Pross Associntion-Copyriirht. (Received 8.30 p.m.) A. and N.Z. PARIS, Juno 14. Essad Pasha, the Albanian leader, was assassinated in Paris , yesterday by an Albanian student, named Rustem. Essad had just left the Hotel Continental, • and was entering a motor-car in the Rue de Castiglione. Rustcm, who was hiding behind a pillar, fired two shots at him from a revolver. The second shot entered his hat and Essad fell dead. j The hotel porters seized Rustem,-who was in danger of being lynched by tho crowd 'that gathered. Rustem said that ho wished to avenge Albania's ' wrongs, and that Essad had been plotting against the new-formed Republican Government. . Essad came to Paris as 'head bf an Albanian delegation. He had stayed there since, because Italy refused to permit his return.

END OF ROMANTIC CAREER.

AN ALLY OF THE ENTENTE,

The career of Essad Pasha was one of (lie most romantic that the stormy history of tho Balkans has furnished in modem times. He was born at Tirana, in Central Albania, in 1865, a Turkish subject, for tho Sultan's rule then extended across the Balkans from the Black Sea to the Adriatic. He came of a family of fighters; its nickname, Toptani, signifying "those who fire the cannons," was earned by an ancestor who bombarded tho palace of Sultan Mahraond I. A later generation witnessed a youth of the same- race avenge his brother's' murder —with the coolest of effrontery— th« very teeth of tho Sultan, Abdul Hamid. The murdered brother was Gani Toptani, a handsome, talented, and impudent young adventurer, whoso daring had recommended him to the service of the Sultan. Bat one day even his impudence excelled itself. Ho "insulted his Royal master. Abdul's retribution was swift, secret, and terrible. His emissary shot the young Gani Toptani dead, i Eight days ijter the hired murderer was himself killed on the Galata Bridge—in broad daylight—and on the wound the discoverers of his body found a card bearing the bold legend:' "Done by Essad Toptani." Too powerful a servant to bo punished, but nevertheless too dangerous to remain near the Royal Court, Essad was promoted to the command of the gendarmerie at Janina. Here Essad found himself in sharp conflict with the Governor of the town, Tatar Osman Pasha. The hostility between them grew to such a pitch that one day Essad publicly administered to the* Governor a sound thrashing. Subsequently Essad withdrew for a time to his mountain fortress at Tirana, and here the Turkish, revolution of 1908 found him, and brought him back to active power and influence in Turkish politic* as deputy for Durazro. In 1909 he marched with 'the Young Turks in their historic attack on Constantinople. The city was taken, and the deposition of the Sultan proclaimed. The question then arose, who was to take the fateful message to Abdul? It was a dramatic moment for the Yoing Turks when Essad rose at the committee meeting and slowly and significantly announced, "I will go to Abdul Hamid" It was a still more dramatic moment for all involved when Essad presented himself 'before the trembling figure of the old Sultan and sternly informed him: "In accordance with the fetwa and by the decision of the National Assembly thou art deposed from the 1 throne, Abdul Hamid !" Essad's adherence to the Young Turk cause, did not last long. He was soon hammering as heavily and fiercely against the portals of their prestige as he had hammered against the power of the tyrant they had deposed. This assault, too, he managed to carry to its conclusion. With the downfall of the party, however, ended his connection with Turkish politics. Jlis last appearance in the Turkish Parliament was stormy and violent. Ho is said to have threatened Halil Bey, the Speaker., and he certainly had to be dragged away by the police. I In the first Balkan war cf 1912 he 'conducted the defence of Scutari during its siege by the Montenegrins, and after an heroic resistarce surrendered on condition that his 20,000 men should march out of the city free. His struggle with Prince William of-Wicd, the puppet-ruler'placed ! on the Albanian throne, when Albania's independence was declared by the ! London Conference of 1912, was short and sharp. It ended in the hurried departure of the discomfited Prince William shortly .after the outbreak of the Great War. A military government was then set up by Essad. When Austria invaded Montenegro Essad joined tie Montenegrins, and he gave the Serbian army refuge after the disasters in Serbia. He was acknowledged by the Entente Powers as President of the Albanian Republic, and be assisted in preserving communication between the Salonika army and Italy across Southern Albania. He exercised a powerful authority in Albania over Christians and Mabwnmedans alike. A Mahommedan himself, he belonged to tie Bektashi sect, an order which represents in Islam a tolerance which is almost scepticism.