Thirteen

At Smyrna, once called "The Golden," now recovering slowly from a vile decay, 13 men wrote busily last week each his last will and testament.

Six of the 13 were members of the Turkish Parliament, among them General Ruchdi Pasha and former Minister of Interior Djambolet Bey. The remaining seven included men of lesser rank and two notorious assassins, Lazo Ismail and a man known simply as "Horsehide." He, bullnecked, nerveless, had snored through the preceding night. The others had not slept. All were to be executed in a few minutes for conspiracy to murder President Mustapha Kemal Pasha.

White, billowy garments were brought to the condemned. Placards setting forth their guilt were hung about their necks. Attended each by an executioner, they marched in silence to the Smyrna quay.

There were 13 white nooses dangled from 13 tripods. In deadly, rhythmic unison the executioners made ready all the nooses at once, slipped them over bent heads. : . .

As the 13 nooses tightened simultaneously, Deputy Torgoud Bey screamed a protest cut short by the rope: "Allah! Allah, save us! We are innoce. ..."

Twenty two more alleged plotters against the President's life were held in custody last week, may suffer a similar fate. The nature of their conspiracy is still concealed. Allegedly, there were several plans: 1) To hand the President a bouquet containing a bomb. 2) To attack his motor in some lonely place. 3) To poison him.