No. 139.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, December 17, 1893. (Received Jan. 6, 1894.) SIR: I have the honor to inclose the memorandum of a conversation with his highness the grand vizier, yesterday, the 16th, regarding the progress of the investigation of the outrage on Miss Melton. I have attempted to keep you advised of the progress of this investigation on account of the great interest felt in it by religious people in the United States. I have, etc., A. W. TERRELL. [Inclosure in No. 139.] Memorandum of a conversation with Djevad Pasha, grand vizier, on the 16th December, 1893. * On the 16th instant I visited the grand vizier, and I said: "I came chiefly to tell you that I am delighted over a telegram just received from Mr. McDowell at Mosul. He says, 'Your new governor is doing well."" He answered, "I also have received a long telegram from the vali; he is a true man. He informs me that he has arrested two of the three men who assaulted that woman, and has the evidence that will convict them. The object was robbery. The third party is known, and he is being pursued and will be taken." To this I responded: "This evidence of your energy in securing the punishment of those miscreants will be greatly appreciated by my Government. No money indemnity could repair the wrong done to that defenseless woman; none is asked, none is wanted, if punishment is inflicted." He then signaled his secretary, and directed him to bring the telegram to Gargiulo, whose interpretation of the telegram fully sustained his statement. Mr. Uhl to Mr. Terrell. A. W. TERRELL. No. 110.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 29, 1893. SIR: I have received your No. 124, of the 6th instant, in regard to the case of Miss Melton. You say that so far no evidence sufficient to convict her assailants, who are under arrest, has been adduced. Your intimation that the new governor seems, upon information received by you, desirous of doing his duty gives the Department hope, coupled with your interest in securing due punishment for her assailants, that they may yet be convicted and punished. The Department realizes fully the difficulties under which the prosecution labors, but this Government has every just expectation that the Ottoman authorities will perform their whole duty in this matter. Until the results of the trial be made known, the question of au indemnity must be held in abeyance, You will put forth your best efforts in Miss Melton's behalf, and by keeping the Department amply advised of the progress of the case will enable it to determine what further steps should be taken, if any. I am, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. No. 182.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, February 8, 1894. (Received February 26.) SIR: I inclose copy of letter from Rev. Mr. McDowell at Mosul, dated January 29, 1894. I have about exhausted my resources in forwarding the prosecution of Miss Melton's assailants. Much telegraphing was necessary to let the Porte know that our Government expected the criminals to be punished. I send on the overleaf a copy of one just sent. I have, etc., A. W. TERRELL. [Inclosure 1 in No. 182-Telegram.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. McDowell. The vali admits the guilt of Abdulaziz Agha and of Mustafa Effendi has been established. If they are not punished in ten days telegraph me. Be prudent, and still have faith in the justice of the grand vizier. TERRELL. [Inclosure 2 in No. 182.]. Mr. McDowell to Mr. Terrell. MOSUL, January 19, 1894. DEAR SIR: On the 13th instant (Saturday evening) I received your telegram: "Has any one been punished for beating Miss Melton? Answer immediately." On Monday morning I sent the telegram to the vali, asking him what answer I should send you. He called the prosecuting attorney and asked him what was being done. His answer was, the two men, Abdulaziz Agha and Mustafa Effendi, were in prison, their guilt having been established; two others, Mustafa Effendi and Sadullah, were still under bail for further investigation; four others, three Kurds and a Syrian, had just been brought from Amadia and were being examined, but as these last were incriminating others (the two under bail and others in Amadia), they were waiting to secure these parties, also the two Havinka men, who had fled. The vali censured the prosecuting attorney for delaying the matter, and sent the above to me as his answer. As no one had yet been sentenced, I sent you a telegram Monday, the 15th: "No one has been punished yet." Abdullah Pasha, with other strong men, were sent to Amadia to sift the matter to the bottom and (by the vali's word to me) to bring all found guilty. He spent considerable time there, and brought back a report which both he and the vali said disclosed the whole matter. The names of the parties who went to the tent and those who planned the affair were given, most of whom were in prison. The only two at large were the men of Havinka, who were in Abdullah Pasha's hands while he was in Amadia. He was under orders to bring all parties implicated (so the vali told me), but these two men were left, who improved the opportunity and fled out of reach. As I wrote you, only two of the men reported by Abdullah Pasha were retained in prison; the others were released. Judgment on these two, whom the Government acknowledge are guilty, was stayed "until the two Havinka should be arrested." After several weeks' further delay three Kurds and a Syrian were brought in, but not the Havinka men. These last four may be guilty and may not be; I do not know. One of them is a servant of Abdulaziz, and was the one who seized the gate of the city after the arrest of the Amadians, with the purpose of securing their release. He has also been under arrest twice in Amadia on this business before the arrest of the chief men, and both times was released by the Government arbitrarily. You can judge for yourself what the Government intends to do. There is this encouragement-that those in prison are now beginning to implicate each other. Possibly positive testimony may thus be secured against the chief men in the affair. I am hoping daily now to hear that peremptory orders have come for the immediate punishment of the two whose guilt the vizier accepts and a limit set for the punishment of the others reported by Abdullah Pasha as guilty. Very respectfully, yours, Mr. Uhl to Mr. Terrell. E. MCDOWELL, No. 151.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have received your No. 182 of 8th instant, in further reference to the case of Miss Melton. It is inferred from the letter of Mr. McDowell, a copy of which you inclose, that while the authorities are moving slowly, they are pursuing this deliberate course with a design to secure such of the guilty parties as are still at large and in the hope of arriving at as complete a knowledge of the facts as practicable. The high reputation of the vali encourages the belief that punishment will eventually fall on those whose guilt is established by reliable evidence. I am, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. No. 221.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, April 2, 1894. (Received April 21.) SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the court for the correction of errors at Bagdad has found that the evidence taken in the case pending lately at Mosul, for the assault on Miss Melton, was sufficient to justify the conviction of eight of the twelve men found guilty by the trial court, and not sufficient for the conviction of the other four. This information I derive from the grand vizier. The case goes back for final judgment by the trial court, and the result as to the punishment inflicted will soon be known. I have, etc., Mr. Gresham to Mr. Terrell. A. W. TERRELL. No. 209.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I inclose herewith copy of a letter from Mr. William Dulles, jr., treasurer of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, transmitting copies of statements prepared by Rev. E. W. McDowell referring to (1) prosecution of the case against the assailants of Miss Melton in Amadia and Mosul, (2) complicity of the Turkish Government with the assailants, (3) points in regard to building of residences in Mosul, Turkey. The Department, in the light of Mr. Dulles's letter and the memoranda of Mr. McDowell, is at a loss to understand the statement in your telegram received here on the 21st ultimo, "Final judgment delayed by absence of witnesses." It is represented that the conviction of Miss Melton's assailants by the trial court has been affirmed on review by the higher court at Bagdad, and that it only remains to fix the sentence. However this may be, your instructions warrant you in using all possible effort to avert a miscarriage of justice at this late day by any of the subterfuges which Mr. McDowell apprehends. With regard to the obstruction interposed by the authorities of Mosul to the building of residences there by the American agents of the board, the rights of our citizens under the existing real estate protocol could probably be better asserted and more practically defended were the land recorded in the name of the American owners and not in that of a native. This suggestion has been orally made to Mr. McDowell, who with Mr. Dulles has recently been in Washington. I am, etc., W. Q. GRESHAM. [Inclosure in No. 209.] Mr. Dulles to Mr. Gresham. NEW YORK, August 2, 1894. SIR: Referring to my brief interview with you this morning, I now hand you as suggested letter of introduction from Hon. John W. Foster, addressed to you, also copies of statements which have been prepared by Rev. E. W. McDowell referring to (1) prosecution of the case against the assailants of Miss Melton in Amadia and Mosul, (2) complicity of the Turkish Government with the assailants, (3) points in regard to building of residences in Mosul, Turkey. Some of the information in these papers may be already in the possession of the Department, but we have availed of the presence in this country of Mr. McDowell to secure these definite statements, bringing the matters referred to up to the present date. In seeking an interview, I have desired to put at the command of the Department any information which might be desired or obtained personally from Mr. McDowell. We are abundantly satisfied that the Department has done all that it could, and is ready to do whatever is necessary in the future to protect the rights of American citizens in Turkey. The fear that is constantly before us is that by some adroit delay the opposing influences in Turkey may let the impression go abroad that the rights of our Americans there are somewhat uncertain. In the present instance if, as we are informed, they intend to go again into the question of seeking evidence in reference to the assault of Miss Melton, they may seriously hurt our cause, because of the absence from Turkey of Miss Melton and Mr. McDowell. It appears that they delayed and were in Turkey until this case had been absolutely decided, the testimony taken at Mosul reviewed at Bagdad and returned to Mosul approved. Mr. McDowell was definitely told that the accused persons had been convicted and would be immediately sentenced.. We can not but feel that most vigorous action is needed through the legation at Constantinople to prevent any alteration of the verdict at this date. The action of Minister Terrell has repeatedly called for our special approval, as we have written to the Department, and we are equally confident that you will in any future communication let him know that he can depend upon the approval of the Department of State in maintaining the rights of American citizens. Minister Terrell has also before him at this time questions concerning the hindrances to our building certain residences in Mosul upon property already bought for this purpose. It is to be hoped that he will speedily secure from the Turkish Government the recognition of our seemingly unquestionable right to erect buildings for the purpose of residence. In all these questions that have arisen we take no issue with the general principle of sovereignty which entitles any nation to exclude from its dominions aliens who are not desired either as citizens or residents. The questions involved are: (1) As to securing proper punishment, and, if it seems best, indemnity, for a physical assault upon an American citizen. (2) The right to erect dwelling houses in accordance with estab lished custom and law in the Turkish Empire. It must be a regret to ask the Department to consider again this question, but if such an assault has been committed and by any chance goes unpunished, there can be little doubt that the very lives of Americans in that country will be in jeopardy. Yours, etc., WILLIAM DULLES, JR. [Subinclosure 1 in No. 209.-Statement of Rev. Mr. McDowell.] Prosecution of the case against the assailants of Miss Melton in Amadia and Mosul. IN AMADIA. Early in the morning after the assault upon Miss Melton I called upon the Government officials in Amadia, the kaimakum, and judge, and notified them of the occur rence. I had found some cartridge shells and unexploded cartridges on the ground where the guns had been fired. I showed these to the kaimakum and the judge. They both instantly exclaimed, "Why, it was Amadians." I acquiesced and they at once, seeing what such an admission involved, began to ascribe it to other parties who could not possibly have done it, and grew angry at any further intimation on our part that the assailants were Amadians. |