The Portland daily press., 1897-02-16
IASIGI and THE Law.
Is the Turkish Consul AmenabIe
to Arrest :?
HON. FREDERICK r. COUDERT
HIS COUNSEL SAYS NOT.

Lawyers for the Complainant Beg to Diff
fer-NKagistrste Adjourns Court te
Look the Matter Up.-Turkish Minister
at Washington Complains.
New York, FEBRUARY 15.-Mr. Iasigi.
the Boston Turkish consul. was taken
to court this afternoon. He refused te
discuss the case. Until 4so'elock Gen.
Peabody and Clerk Crooheron were in
the magistrates private room engaged
in drawing up the complaint. Gen.
Peabody. before the complaint was pre-.
sented to the court said to a reporter
that Peter Charles Derieux and Charles
Armand de la Villardiere had been de-
frauded by Iasigi of their fortunes,
which aggregated s167, 1000. Gen. Pea,
body declared that to his mind a cleal
case was made of criminal action on the
part of lasiRi.
Gen. Peabody was shown despatch
from Washington which stated that the
Turkish embassy had taken up the mat
ter and was going to carry it to the fed
eral courts. The dispatch stated that
Iasigi as consul bad immunity from
arrest under the laws of the United
States, and the officials who had over
ruled this law esteIday, would be like
ly to get into trouble.
Gen. Peahoy read this despatch care
fully and smiled as he said: The law
of the state of New York specially states
that only ministers and ambassadors
are exempt from arrest and is absolute
ly silent regarding consuls. A magis-
trate ruled on this question yesterday
and he decided according to law.
Lawyer Coudert said: 1T is not
question of state law, but the United
States law. 1t has been decided In the
court of appeals that consul is exempt
from arrest A consul owed hoard bill
and did not pay. When arrested he did
not plead exemption because he did not
know his rights. Hs lost his case. In
the court of appeals the decision was re
verse d because Judgment was rendered
against a consul who was declared ex-
empt from arrest. We will renew oul
motion today to get it on record, and
it.it is denied by Magistrate Cornell
further steps may be taken"
1t was considerably after O'Clock
when Iasigi was arraigned. Magistrate
Cornell rend the complaint. 1t charged
that Iasigi had been repor ted to the mu-
nicipal criminal court of Boston as an
EN- bezzler of the proceeds of sale in
1898 OF 11U shares Of Chicago. Burlington
& Quincy railroad bonds, the property
/ Of Peter Charles Dereux, to the extent
of $4,000. The complaint states that Other
sums were embeZzled. No specific sum
was mentioned. Iasigi was accordingly
charged with being a fugitive from jns
tice. An affidavit signed by Gen. Pea
body was oorroborative OF the charge
When this was read by the magistrate,
lawyer Ceudert seemed surprised.
"Did Gen. Peabody sign that com
pIaint," asked he.
eyes, !" replied Magistrate Coraell.
"Then," replied Lawyer Coudert, ''at
ne is complainant as well as counsel,
! have the right to question him. Gen
Pea body, are not you acquainted with
Mr.. Iasigi?"
eyes" replied Gen. Peabody, 81 have
known him for a number of years.
"And lie is man of high standing
in your city,"
she has been.'
"And now pow. you charge him with en-
bezzle ment?''
Eyes, from Peter Charles Derieu and
from Charles Armand DE La Villar-
diera.''
"Did he not show you any authority
for his actions, or power of Attorney"
eyes, he showed me what purported
to be q power of attorney, replied Gen.
Peabody.
"why do you use the word 'purport-
edf' ="
"Because do not know that it is
valid" was the reply.
"Your honor, | will merely say that
Iasigi had power of attorney for over IL
years to sell and negotiate with the
money of these two estates. His father
had it before him. In the custody OF
my client and under his watchful care,
both estates have increased from i've to
ten fold, In the charge they do not say
he embezzled the principal, but simply
that he nlisappropriated the profits OF
his Investments. l would like to see
them attempt to prove some specific net
of larceny"
Gen. Peabody replied to the effect that,
in 1896 Iasioi in rendering a quarterly
statement to Derieux and De La Villar.
diere, represented that 110 shares of q.
B. & @. r. r. stock still remained in