The times., 1899-08-25


United States Consul at Canton. China,
has been suspended from the exercise of
his consular duties. and now on his
way home to answer serious charges. One
of the allegations against DR.. Bedloe is
that he granted an American register to
a steamer engaged in carrying arms to
the Philippine insurgents, and it is said
that it had been represented to the State
Department that in taking this action the
Consul was aware of the suspicious char
acter of the steamer. Involved in the case
are other matters which, it is reported,
Will operate against the return of DR..
Bedloe to Canton in official capacity if
he is cleared of the charges in connection
with granting the register to the filibuster.
The officials Of the State Department are
very reticent concerning Dr. Bedloe's case
They gave the impression yesterday that
Dr. Bedloe was coming home merely on an
ordinary leave of absence Influential
friends of the accused managed to have
the State Department withhold final ac-
ton until the fullest enquiry has been
made. A great deal of evidence concerning
/ the charges Is on file in the department,
i and Rounseville Wildman the United
/ States Consul General at Hongkong, is
! credited with having furnished much of it.
/ The alleged flibuster is the steamer ABB
/ by, Long before the present rebellious
outbreak in the Island of Luzon she was
engaged in carrying war supplies to the
| Filipinos. The first official report concern
/ ing her came from Admiral Dewey in a
| telegram dated at Manila resolved at the
Navy Department on September q, 1898.
The Admiral said:
Having received information American
steamer Abby left Macao September II
with cargo OF arms for Batalgas, sent Nc
Culloch Arrived Batangas 23d, found her
in harbor, having arrived three days earlier
and landed cargo. Only Filipinos On
board. They refused TO give any informa
tion and had no papers whatever. Seized
and brought her here, where now hold her.
| This steamer formerly Pasig registered
! American vessel, United States Consulate
at Canton. Have information she made
one voyage same kind before"
The seizure was justified by the fact
that the Abby had registry OR clear
! ance papers She was subsequently, re-
leased on representations from her owners
in this country. and nothing was heard OF
her officially until several months ago
| after the Aguinaldo insurrection against
! the United States had been In operation
/ fer seme time. Then y. W. Sutterlie, OF
Philadelphia, applied for an American reg
! lister for the Abby, at Hongkong. In one
OF the reports on iile in the State Depart
ment, Sutterfie is charged with having alb
seconded with large amount of money be-
longing to a Philadelphia bank Thieves
| sci was loaded with arms and ammunition
and Sutterlie wanted to have her cleared
TO another Chinese port. Consul General
! Wildman refused, it is said, to grant the
register or to clear the abby as an Ameri-
can vessel, but in some way she got to
rx-tr
newed before Consul Bedlee. According
| to the neagre information obtainable Sut-
terlie wanted to clear the Abby for an
! ether Chinese port She still had muni-
items of war on board.
Consul Bedloe, it is alleged, granted the
! application for an American register and
cleared the steamer Whether she landed
her cargo in the Philippines or was actually
a fllibuster cannot be ascertained from the
officials here. Admiral Dewey's dispatch of
September p says that the Consulate at
Canton had information that she had made
| '.one voyage of the sama kind before" but
the Admiral does not say whathsr the Abby
was engaged in this traffic during the ex-
| istsnce OF the Filipino rebellion against
Spain or subsequently.
There is reason 10 believe that the off,
cials of the Government do not attach as
much Importance TO the charge that Dr.
Bedloe had acknowledged that the Abby
was engaged in illegal traffic as they do to
other allegations In fact. it was limited
yesterday that any trouble in which DR..
Bedloe might have become involved with
the State Department was due TO matters
not connected with the Abby incident, as
that had been practically disposed Of. DR..
Bedloe's friends are sticking by him close
ly and there is disposition despite reports
10 the contrary to acquit him Of any blame
except that resulting from mistake in
| granting American register to the Abby.
| DR.. Bedioe has always been regarded In
Philadelphia a man of high standing.
He'is well known throughout the country
as raconteur and after-dinner speaker
and always made hit with his recitation
of David and Goliath, F" poem. He was
one of the organizers and a prominent
member OF the Philadelphia Glover Club
, President Harrison appointed him Consul
at Annoy, China, in February, 1880, and he
served with credit until September, 1893
He was appointed Consul at Canton on Oc-
| tplaer 4 1897