THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 8, Issue 13, 12 February 1907, Page 2

THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

There is no more terrible and no more obscure part of history than that which relates to the century and a half of murders secretly organized and daringly committed by order of the "Old Man of the Mountain.” •Just about 800 years ago there, was panic throughout Persia. Men were found dead in the highways, merchants in their houses, emirs in the palace chambers, generals in their tents. At a street corner a blind beggar would piteoudly, beseech a passerby to lead him home. Woe be to him whose generous heart led him to respond. for he never returned. Days afterwards his corpse would bo found in a cellar or some other dim place—the Old Man of the Mountain had satisfied his lust for blood. No one knew who the emissaries of the monster were. Friends would be walking together, and one would be suddenly stabbed by the other. A Sultan decided to extirpate the gang of vipers. That night, though his tent was encompassed with guards, two daggers were placed near his throat. He accepted the omen, and withdrew his mandate. But his Vizier urged him to proceed, and a few hours later the Vizier was dead. No one was safe ; every man feared his neighbour. The monarch was as much in danger as the peasant : and such was tho terror created that men dared not even say to which party they belonged—“whoso was their enemy feared their violence, and whoso befriended them was accused of being their associate.’ And this appalling state of affairs actually lasted 168 yea.s, during which time thousands and thousands died by the .secret assassins’ hands. But; every Old Man of the Mountain came to his end in peace except the last. What was the origin of this awful sect, and what was the object of its i crimes ? Strange as it may seem to | say so, the ghastly work of tho Man | of the Mountain represented a religious movement of fanatical fervour. It is a complex piece of history, but the leading points may lie easily explained. In the tenth century Islam was divided into two rival factions, the Sunnites and the Shi-ites the cause of their antagonism being as to the rightful succession to the Prophet Eventually the issue narrowed itself down between the claims of two brothers, Musa and Ismail, but the followers of the latter were being gradually defeated, when suddenly tho cause was revived by one Abdullah, a vulgar magician. It was his rwily brain which conceived the bold Man that power might be obtained Ly practising on men's feara. He therefore formed a secret society, hound together by mystery,, and compelled the members to curry out his ju'ders unflinchingly. It is said that bn one occasion to prove to a sceptic how completely these followers were under his control, he bade a number of them to cast themselves out of a window to certain death, and tho order was unhesitatingly obeyed, Another strange story to account >or his influence was that it was his fcustorn to give a luxurious repast to Hkely men. to intoxicate them, with j,he drug hashish, and then transport them to a fairy-like garden of wonder and beauty—a Paradise of 'Mohammedan fancy. When the deluded men had seen enough ' they were brought back, and on reviving were told that they had never loft the apartment, but had enjoyed a glimpse of heaven that awaited the Faithlul. )l’heir conversion was immediate, and they devoted themselves to the Old lit an of the Mountain, not only, however, did he wish them to murder put to proselytise. While they used the dagger to inspire horror, they Engaged in subtle missionary work on behalf of their infernal master. Their method was to ask questions, and to any (listener in a crowd whose curiosity was excited promised to make great revelations if the person would take a solemn oath of fidelity. Thus the cause spread, and the Old Man of (die Mountain became a Caliph—one who, when he rode forth, had criers m advance shouting. "Turn your faces from him who holds the death p( kings in his hand.” '>The most holed of these assassinpotentates was Hassan-i-Sabbah, at whose door is laid the charge of having murdered that most enlightened ef Grand Viziers, Nizam-ul-Mullk, the friend and patron of the philosopherpoot, Omar Khayyam, ilassan himself was a man of genius, in 1090, Iter he had travelled in Egypt and deeply studied the Ismaili creed, ho achieved a remarkable and momentI)us triumph by surprising and capturing the fortress of Alamoot, in Northern Persia, and on the Syrian frontier. It had been deemed to be impregnable and ho made tho mighty jostle his headquarters, reorganized ilie secret Order, of which he was •brand Master, and became a more terrible Old Man than any of his predecessors. For twenty-four years this lyrunt, whose slightest nod was obeyed, was able to remove every enemy from his path. Tho Emir of Mossul determined on a bold stroke to rid the region of the prime assassin, only to bo immediately murdered •in the mosque at Damascus for his termority. Nizam’s death is said to have been duo to his threat to attack Alamoot, and after these exhibitions of the ruthlessnoßS and resource of Hassan’s emissaries, no further attempt was made to molest him. it is true that occasionly the assassins wore tracked and captured, but even under the most fearfully prolonged and excruciating of tortures they refused to reveal their secrets. On the contrary, even in the agonies of death they would proclaim their triumphs and utter praises of the master they served. So powerful did Hassuu and his successors become that neighbouring rulers, and even, it is reported, the Sovereigns of Egypt, Hungary,, and Germany, were glad to placate them with handsome gifts and acknowledge their supremacy in the Persian dominions. The English Crusaders brought home wondrous tales, mingled perchance with myths, of the Old Man of the Mountain. And, strange to relate, it was only another secret body that the secret assassins feared —■the Templars and Hospitallers, who had a Grand Master of their own. who had their own mystic rites, and who, no matter how many were slain, had always successors ready. Vet, it was so ordained that it was not at tho hands of any such body tho Old Man of the Mountain should

meet his fate, but from an entirely unsuspected quarter. In 1771 great wars wore raging. The Crusaders were fighting Saladin in the hope of recovering „ Jerusalem from the Prophet's followers ; civil strile prevailed in Persia ; there was a general upheaval in the East. In the midst of it all a Tartar chief, lloolagoo, seized his opportunity of raid and plunder. The groat castle of Alamoot, with its treasures, proved an irresistible attraction. No superstitious fears stopped him, no thought of hidden peril appalled him; he simply rushed headlong towards so promising a prize. The castle fell before the savage assault, the accumulated treasures were divided between the conquering force, and the last Old Man of the Mountain was butchered in cold blood. It was a fittingly dramatic, conclusion to the story of outrage and iniquity which had filled men’s minds for generations, and the mere mention of which so many centuries later still inspires a feeling of awe.—“ Weekly Budget.”-