ODD RESULTS OF CENSORSHIP.
Sultan Abdul Hamid of Turkey insists that every ruler or political personage shall die a natural death. Other manners of death are not “recognized” officially by Nischan Effendi, the censor. When King Humbert was assassinated at Monza, the Turkish newspapers announced this sad event in the following form: “King Humbert left the hall amidst the frenetic cheers of the people. The king, much affected, bowed several times and to all appearances was immediately dead.” When the late shah of Persia was assassinated the Turkish papers said: “In the afternoon the shah drove to his summer palace and there complained of illness. His corpse was sent to Teheran.” One paper, however, excelled all the others in “simplifying” the piece of news by publishing this absurdity: “The shah felt a little ill, but finally his corpse returned to the palace.” This phrase was too much even for the Turks, who have retained it even to this day as one of their proverbs.—Selected.