The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-02
FIVE ARRESTS MADE
IN EFFORT TO FIND MAN WHO
SHOT AT MAGELssON,
TURKS CONTINUE TO CLAIM
THAT SHOOTING WAS BUT PART OF
MARRIAGE FESTIVAL.

LeishmaH Trying 10 Settle Number
of Matters in Which Americans
Are Interested - United states
Warships May Hasten Action in
These CRses-DiplOmatic Circles
in CoDstantinOpIe Approve Conn
ing of the Ships--RavndaI wires
From Beirut.
Constantinople, Sept 1.-The Porte
has notified Minister Leishman that
five arrests have been made at Beirut
in connection with the shooting which
led to the report that William C. Ma
gelssen, the United States vice and
deputy consul there, had been assas-
sinated.
The Turkish officials continue to in
sist that no attempt was made on the
vice CONSUL and they reassert that the
whole originated in a feu-de- joio fired
on the occasion of a native marriage
in accordance with custom. Mr. Leish-
man, however, refuses to accept such
an explanation without conclusive
proof that the judicial investigation
continues.
The attempt to burn the American
college at Kharput occurred five weeks
ago and apparently was the work of an
individual who had considered he had
a grievance against the college authori-
ties. When Mr.. Leishman was informed
of the attempt he demanded that the
Porte protect the American institution,
and In consequence of his representa-
tons, instructions We're sent to the au-
thorities at Kharput to try in the regu-
lar courts the charges against fifty
Armenians accused of trafiicklng in
arms and engaging in other seditious
acts.
Among the accused is Prof. Teneked-
jan, of the American college, whose
treatment in prison pending his trial
was also ordered to be improved.
other Matters Pending.
Mr.. Leishman is pressing for a def
mite settlement of a number of mat
ters on which agreements were reach
ed with the Turkish authorities last
year, but which, in spite of frequent
promises on the part of the Porte, have
never been executed. For instance, a
at Tripoli, Syria, although the Porte
has frequently informed Mr.. Leishman
| that the authorities at Beirut, who
have jurisdiction over Trlpoh, had
been ordered to liberate him.
The American officials here attribute
the dispatch of the warships to Turk
ish waters not solely to the Magelssen
affair but to the general dissatisfac-
ton of the authorities at Washington
f,,I ~f fIA TO-
promises in regard to pending ques-
tons and to the determination of Pres
ident Roosevelt to show Turkey that
she cannot trifle with American rep
reservations.
Diplomatic circles here generally ap-
prove energetic action of the United
States, which, it is pointed out, is am
ply justified by the bad faith of Tur-
key, and it is felt here that the APP
pearance of the United States warships
in Turkish waters will lead to the inn
mediate settlement of the pending dis
putes. Nothing so impresses the Porte
as a naval demonstration.
First Dispatch From Beirut.
Washington, Sept. 1.-The first off,
cial dispatch coming directly from
Beirut regarding the Magelssen affair
has been received by Secretary Hay.
Consul Ravndal. 1t says:
THE attempt on Magelssen's life
failed utterly. narrow escape, but
the vice consul suffered no injury"
CheI<ib Bey Gets Message.
Washington, Sept. 1.--Chekib Bey,
the Turkish minister, has received from
the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Con-
stantinople a dispatch giving the Turk
ish version Of the reported attempt
on the life Of United States Vice Con-
sui Magelssen at Beirut. After de-
claring that the report of the assassi-
nation of Mr.. Magelssen was absolute
ly false the dispatch gives a version
of the affair practically the same as
has been told before in these dispatches.
from Turkey.
1t says the pistol was fired by man
returning from a marriage fete; that
the shot was fired i'm the air, and that
it happened just as Mr. Magelssen was
passing in his carriage. This, the dis
patch says, led the vice consul to be-
lieve that an attempt had been made
against his life. The man who did the
shooting has been delivered to the tu-
dcial authorities. Chekib Bey's dis
patch also asserts that order and tram
guilty prevail at Beirut
Ships Pass Through Messinn.
Messina. Sicily, Sept. 1.-The United
States cruisers Brooklyn and San
Francisco passed through the straits
of Messina at 1920 a. m. to-day bound
south. The Semaphore saluted the
warships, wishing them good luck.
-S-e-@-
JELKS TALKS OF PEONAGE.