Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-30
BENJAMIN SEES THE HA1sEM.
An American Minister Attacked fer
Looking at the shAh's .Wtves


From the Neso York World.
WASHINGTON, Dec 27.--The folio wing
official report nv Mr. s. G. w. Benjamin,
late Minister to Persia, which has recently
been communicated by the President to
| Congress, describes an International cpl
sode of even more thrilling interest than
that brought on by the Pittsburg Chief OF
! Police, VINO ordered he Imperial Royal
AustrO-HunParian Consul SchambeTg" to
/ take in his flag.
! 81 have the honor to report that on the
J 18th OF June was riding out 70 the coun-
| Try from Teher9n in a carriage, on the
way to the summer quarters of the Lega-
! ton. | was accompanied by my daugh-
| ter. According to the custom Of the
country the carriage was preceded by two
/ odtrders. The other Legations on such
an occasion take four to eight Outriders,
amatter of necessity as well as of display
in Persia. As we approached a halfway
c0ffee-hOuse | observed a line Of car
riages waiting by tie roadside in the
| shade. AS it is very common for
several vehicles to be seen standing
there while the occupants are taking
| smoke, had no ideg that any precautiOn
! needed to he taken. ! was greatly sur
/ prisod, therefore, to see a troop Of mounted
cavalry rush out from the shade of the
/ trees and make a violent attack on
my outriders, who Immediately cried out
several times that the United States Min
lister was in the carriage and had the right
of wav. ] now recognized the soldiers to
belong to the royal guard, and immedi-
ately after perceived that the wives Of the
| Shah were in the carriages. Although
having officially the absolute right to pass,
allowed to none except Ministers and their
families, at risk OF immediate death to all
others, | ordered my driver to stop in
/ order to give an officer opportunity to
come to the carriage TO apologize for the
attack and escort us safely through the
/ guards stationed IN front and rear of the
royal harem. But as no attention seemed
! to be paid to this | ordered my men to
keep ON, thus throwing the responsibility
| OF any results on the guards, who, not
satisfied with beating the outriders with
/ the dat Of their swords, swarmed around
! the carr age itsel. with loud cries and
1 fOuFishing their weapons. The Lieu
| tenant Of the troops seized the car
riage horses, others struck and thrust
at the horses, and two even struck the
| driver himself. Fortunately the man was
alike skillful and Intrepid, and succeeded
both in controllinRthe horses and driving
us safely out of Cisagreeable melee that
| at one moment threatened serious results.
| The number OF men attacking was about
| twenty. 1t is proper to add that when
the chief lady of THE harem saw what was
| going on she dispatched a eunuch to
escort Us through the lines, but he did
not arrive until the attack was nearly
ended. All my men and horses were
more or less bruised. aud one of the men
had his arm nearH broken. They all be-
haved well.
"On the same eTening l sent a note to
the Minister of foreign Affairs demand
ing the prompt chastisement of the
offenders, leavingit to the Persian gov
eminent to suggest out OF it's friendship
such further redess as the occasion re-
quired.
"There being SINE delay in replying to
my note | sent or dragOman. Mr.. Keune,
to the Minister Foreign Affairs. After
quite an EXTENDED interview the Minister
replied: tell yoIr Minister he shall hear
from me tomorrow. | am anxious that
he should be convinced of our goodwill,
and give YOU ny word you shall be en-
tirely satisfied " sunset tomorrow that
| am sincere In hese expressions
cat ii A. NJ. tie following day, accord
ingly. the Saniel ed Dowleh, a prominent
member of the cabinet, was announced.
Coming at once to the point. he stated
that he had been personally deputed by
the Shah to exoress the royal regret, and
to say authOrtatively that our demands
should receive immediate attention.
''In the afternoon of the same day re-
ceiVed an ap0ogetic note from the Minis
ter Of Foreign Affairs. In accordance
with requeit at the end of the note our
MOonehee vent to the foreign Office next
morning. ami was there directed to take
my driver and outriders and proceed at
once to Sulhnalabad. the summer palace,
where the Sab is staying at present. On
arriving th,re the MOOuchee was con.
fronted will the Royal Guards, and the
men who had been most forward in the
attack on ny carriage, including their
lieutenants, were recognized bv my men
A grand chamberlain OF the palace then
ordered the punishment of the men, and
they were accordingly punished. think
we could rot ask further proof OF the
friendhneesof the Shah toward the Uni.
ted States tan the important fact that ne
ordered number of the Royal Guards tC
be punished at the instance of a foreign
legation.
''In the aternoon of the same dav tbs
Captain Oftbe company came to the lega
ton and s)Ologized in a graceful and
ughlysatisfactory manner for the
hasty and unwarranted action OF the
guards
'.Two days later called on the Minis
ter of Foreign Affairs and thanked him
for the satisfactory manner in which the
affair had terminated and later | &C
knOwledgm his note in note intended II
reach the I'VE Of the Shah, who, 1 have
reason TO lnow, as soon as he fully an
preciated he gravity OF the occasion, wal
willing itpossible TO anticipate our de
mauds.'
GIVEN