Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-31
DENIES CHARGES
Consul BedlOe Did Not Aid
the FjlipinoS
AND WASNOT SUSPENDED
Why He Granted Registry to Steamer
Which Was Later Captured BY the
McCullOch--COnplaint From the
Chinese Government Filed.

Chicago Aug. 31.-Too i'll TO continue
his journey tn Washington without
days rest. DR.. Edward Bedloe United
States consul at Canton, China, halted
in Chicago, and while here took occasion
to deny the report that he is under sus-
pension and discuss the charges that
have been filed against him with the
state department. DR.. Bedloe arrived in
Chicago on the overland limited from
San Francisco. He took a carriage and
was driven at once to the office of Il ply
sician. who, after diagnosing his case,
told him he was suffering from malaral
fever. and that it will be imprudent for
him to attempt to finish his long TRIP
without the intervention of a day of rest.
At the Auditorium annex it was said that
Dr. Bedloe was worse, his temperature
at one time being 1o2 degrees.
Charges were filed several months ago
at the state department against DR.. Bed
loe. They alege that an American regis
try had been furnished by Consul Bedloe
for the filibuster steamer Abbey short
time before it was captured by vessel
of Admiral Dewey's fleet near Luzon
The report that Consul Bedloe had been
placed under suspicion appeared but a
few days ago in Washington dispatches.
in which it was said suspension had re-
suited from charges made in behalf of
the Chinese government and filed at the
state department by Minister WI. pro-
testing against the alleged actions of
, Chung, Chinese interpreter for the Unit
, ed States consulate at Canton. and al
leging that Consul Bedloe had violated
the treaty stipulations.
II am not under suspension said
Consul Bedloc, in speaking of these
! charges. II am away from my post on
so days leave Of absence. for which l
made application some four months ago,
] and which is in no way dissimllar to
other leaves of absence that have been
granted me since I entered the consular
service. Whatever charges have been
preferred against me at the state depart
/ ment l must decline to discuss, at least
until l know their source and contents.
i Thus far l have not been informed Off
cially that any charges have been laid
| against me. The first intimation | had
| to that effect was when, on arriving in
! this country, | saw the reports in the
newspapers. An American registry was
! granted to the steamer Abbey, it is true,
/ but this was done more than year ago.
! and at a time when the Filipnos We're
regarded as allies of the United States.
| The charge that | am in sympathy With
the Filpinos is rank nonsense. The Alb
hey is Il vessel so small as to be of no inn
portance, and when the American regis
try was granted the boat was under
bond to the Chinese government to make
a trip to Singapore. The bonds were for
feited."
action complaint is said to have been
! made Dr. Bedloe said: Chung is no
longer connected with the consulate at
Canton
Travelling with Mr.. Hed!o. was c. T..
Lewis of Hong Kong, and he discussed
the Abbey affair more fully than the
consul felt himself ait liberty 10 do.
1T appears" said MIR. Lewis, that the
Abbey incident has been magnifed.
When Consul Wildman was negotiating
| with the insurgent leaders in July and
! August of last year, he believed them to
be allies of the United States. 1t has
been learned since that the Filipin0s
even then We're planning in secret to
fight the American troops "A mere chance
threw in their way an opportunity 10
purchase arms. A rebellion had broken
out in the Canton district, and its vice
ROY sent to Hong Kong for $4,000 stands
of Mauser rifles with which TO put down
! the uprising. The rifles were purchased
from German firm and the steamer
Pasip nying the lush flag, was char
tered to take them up the Canton river.
| When the arms when arriving at their
destination. were condemned and thrown
back on the hands of their owners, Capt.
Charles Ellis. an American. bought the
steamer. changed its name to the Abbey
and transferred it to the American regis
ter. Singa pore was named as the destin-
alton of the boat, which is of $50 tons
burden and barely seawOrthy, and it was
stated that the arms were to be sold to
the rajah there.
commissioner Drew. a former Bos-
tonian, in charge of Chinese customs,
would not allow the boat to depart until
a bond in the sum of $4,000 had been
given binding the captain to deliver the
/ cargo at Singapore and nowhere else.
] After the Abbey had put to sea storm
nearly wrecked it. and it put in at Wam-
pou in the Canton district. That was
the last heard from it till the report
came that II had been seized by the Nc
| Culloch in the Philippines. and also,
am informed. the question whether 1t
was a rightful prize is still the subject
of controversy. The boat was without
papers when taken. and had ON board
only - rifles. 1t is believed the Filipinos
had landed the arms before the boat was
overhauled. Stories to the effect that
. Chinese interpreters of cOnsulates sold
American registration papers without
i even the knowledge or approval of con-
su,s, regard as unfounded. consul
unless he understands the language
often requires an interpreter"