The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-15
HOW TURKEY sxUBBED THE UNITED
II

mer for a money indemnity, and which
ought to have been enforced at the can
mons mouth, but which has been al
lowed to pass into oblivion.
In the spring of 1888 two American
citizens, Mr.. Knapp and DIR. Reynolds,
while travelling in Turkey, were at
tackled by Kurds, robbed, beaten and
left to die. The affair occurred In h
vilayet or province of Bitlis. The two
Americans. acting on the assurance of
the Governor-general hat the ycads
were perfectly safe, set out on their
journey without a guard. They put up
for a night at a house where there was
present n Moussa Bey, son Of Meza
Bey, an influential Kurdish chief. The
next dey. after they had left the house,
this rufian, with four assistants, fol-
lowed. waylaid and robbed them. Mr..
Knapp was beaten with clubs until they
supposed him dead. Moussa Bey, with
his own hand, cut down DIR. Reynolds,
giving him ten cuts with a sword. Both
were then bound and dragged into the
bushes and there left to die, but they
survived and reported the matter to the
Governor-general, giving the names of
their assailants. and asked that they
might be arrested. The Governor-gen-
eral made a pretense of complying with
their request by sending a posse head
ed by Meza Bey, father Of the chief
bandit, to arrest them. Later the Gov
ernor-general informed the Minister
of Foreign Affairs that they had been
arrested n punished, and the stolen
property recovered and returned. This
was a lie.
AS the encouragement declined to do
anything more. Messrs. Knapp and Rey-
holds appealed to the American minis
ter to Turkey, Gen. Lew Wallace. June
Is. 1883. General Wallace sent a note
to the Turkish Minister of Foreign At
fairs. stating briefly the main facts and
adding hat the encouragement had
manifested the most singular indiffer-
ence about the affair, and might be fair
ly charged with responsibility for the
escape of the malefactors." He also
suggested that the Minister of Foreign
Affairs would serve the cause OF JUS
tice ard humanity by ordering the most
energetic measures to be taken for the
apprehension of the robbers" On the
same day the Minister replied that he
had information from the Governor
rested and delivered up to justice and
the stolen property returned. General
Wallace then addressed a second note
to the Minister, giving full particulars
Of the affair, stating that the robbers
had not been arrested nor the stolen
property returned, exposing the malad-
ministration Of the Governor-general
and suggesting, as the only means Of
accomplishing anything like redress,
that an impartial officer be sent to Bitlis
to investigate the conduct of the Gov
ernor and tai the affair into his own
hands. "Such a STEP" General Wallace
added, might serve to save the lives of
many Christians" and 1t was further
represented that, could the assassins be
brought to just sentence, it would un-
q~uestionably lessen the demand for in
demnity which otherwise it would be
the duty of the legation to present
against the temporal government in
this connection" Nov. z, 1888, General
Wallace informed the Minister OF For
eign Affairs. in writing, that Moussa
Bey had been identified as the leader of
the bandits, and asked that he be
brought to justice. Nov. II he wrote
again, stating hat Moussa Bey had OBJ
tanned from the Governor-general assur-
ances Of immunity in the event of a
trial and conviction, and asking that
he be brought to Co~nstantinople for
trial. To all these notes the Minister,
on Dec. s. replied. with an assurance
that the Governor-general would do
what was right. AS General Wallace
was convinced he would not, he adj
dressed a note to the Minister, dated
Jan. "A. 1884. reviewing the facts and
stating that 1.-The legation of the United
States finds itself compelled to change
it's form of application for redress. and
demand of the Sublime Porte indemnity
in behalf Of Messrs. Knapp and Rey-
nolds, for the former fl. 800 $7, 5000, and
for the latter. because of the more seri-
Gus nature Of his injuries. $4,000 ($10.-
OO0.)" General Wallace reported his ac-
ton to the State Department at Wash
lnStOn, anu II was dppIoNeu. Iue us
patch conveying the approval was dated
Feb. Is, 1884. After stating that the ac-
ton of the Turkish authorities was ev-
identity a denial of justice, it said:
while this government is always
averse to making mon demands for
indemnity in countries whose admins
tration Of justice may differ from our
o--, the I4.o~f.apt fooIc oorn,Na11c1 20
resort to this remedy under circum-
| stances which manifestly make the local
| officers and the government Of the Porte
| responsible for the failure to do justice
in this case OF the indemnity thus
demanded not a cent has ever been
paid. General Wallace never got any
satisfaction out of the Turki govern
| ment regarding the matter. In his fur
Their efforts to do SO he was four times
turned away from the door Of the Sub
| lime Porte by the refusal OF the Grand
| Vizier to see him. As the demand for
indemnity was not backed UP by a ma
val demonstration, it had nc force.
Moussa Bey, the leader OF the bandits
who attacked Messrs. Knapp and Rey-
nolds, was never punished. On the con-
trary, he was permitted by the Turkish
government to perpetrate outrages or
the Armenians until. under pressure