A SPECIMEN OF TURKISH JUSTICE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1478, 17 June 1879, Page 3

A SPECIMEN OF TURKISH JUSTICE.

Three years ago a young Christian Maronite m Turkey killed a Mussulman m a hot-headed quarrel. After lying ever Binco m prison, the mother of the victim came forward last February and insisted on his being sentenced to death. What followed, the Constantinople correspondent of the Philadelphia Press thus describes : — As the crime was proven according to local judicial forms, she obtained from Midhat Pasha, the Governor of Syria, a firman for the execution, and a day was fixed for his hanging. In vain the notables of all creeds and races, Mussulmans and Christians, appealed to the old woman to be merciful, for upon her word depended the life of the Maronite. They represented to her that if he did do the deed, it might have been m self-defence ; that at any rate hia guilt was not perfectly clear ; that he had already grievously suffered m body and mind by his imprisonment, and that the people of Beyrout did not want a capital execution m their midst. Neither the Turkish Uleraas, the Greek and Armenian Bishop, or the Turkish officials could soften the obdurate heart of this cruel megara. " I have the firman for his execution," she said, " and his fate is mmy hands. I will not spare him." In the night of February sth, three hours after midnight, he was taken from his cell and led to the place of execution. An immense crowd of people gathered around the scaffold. There took place a scene of the most extraordinary kind. The woman was told by the executioner that the man's relatives were ready to pay her any sum m their power if she would, as custom authorised, allow him to go free on the payment of blood money. For an hour and more she refused to be merciful, notwithstanding the entreaties of the mass of men, women, and children. In the meanwhile the young man stood on the gallows with the halter about his neck, trembling, for his life. Finally, worn out by the prayers of the people, and tempted by the high figure to which the friends of the Maronite had run up the bid for his life, she consented to accept 3000 francs as blood money. The hangman let go his hold of his expected victim, and handed him over to his relatives, who carried him off amid the acclamations of the spectators.