Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-29
AS MATTER OF PROTECTION
TO All Americans Fleet Will Proceed
to Turkish Waters.

Washington, Aug. 2S.-A decidedly
new turn in the case of United States
Vice Consul William C. Magelssen at
Beyrout. Syria. who was reported to
have been assassinated. last Sunday,
developed. tonight, when it became
known that the report was incorrect
and that although Mr.. Magelssen had
been shot at he had not even been in
iured. This information came to the
state department, tonight i'll dis
patch from United States Minister
Leishman at Constantinople, who said
the mistake in making the original an
nouncement was due to an error in
the transmission of the cipher dis
patch from Consul Ravndal, at Bey-
rout, in reporting the incident to the
minister.
The dispatch from Leishman follow
ed closely on The Associated Press
bulletin on the same subject which
had been shown to the prominent Of
ficials of the government. The dis
patch from the minister was communl-
Gated to the President at Oyster Bay,
but up to late hour tonight, nothing
had been heard from him on the sub
iect at the state department. It's con-
tents were extremely gratifying to the
officials Of the government here, as 1t
relieved the situation of it's extreme
tension and leaves the way open for
an amicable and peaceable adjustment
of the incident.
Acting Secretary Loon,is declined 10
make public the text of Minister Leisl~
mans dispatch. tonight, but he gave a
summary of its contents. AS stated Ill
the press dispatch it shows that MI Ma
gelsSen had been shot at by some person
1T the time unknown to the onlclalS, p,lI
that he had not been hit. The local URN
ish officials were prompt to express thelr
regret at the occurrence and were exert
ing themselves to apprehend the assassin,
but thus far had been unsuccessful.
The minister's dispatch also sald tiat
Consul Ravndal had reported to him that
some of the foreign consuls located at
Beyrout had reported to their govern,
ments that the situation at that place had
become eXcitedly unsafe, that TINS conui-
ton of affairs had existed TOT some tlile
and that something ought to be done to
relieve the tension. The opinion was ex-
pressed that the attempted aSsassinatloill
of Minister Nagelssen probably WOMB
bring matters to n close, the atteHlIoh VI
the Turkish government being drawn 10
the matter in this forcible way ana some
effort thus be made to avoid luftler
trouble. .
In official circles the view is held that
the denial of the report of the killing OF
Mr.. Nagessen relieves the situation OF IT'S
immediate awkward and embarrassing
features tiiI'G but s viii not prevent our naval
vessels continuing to the East MINISTER
I4eishman. in one of his dispatches TO the
,vara s,,cb that # might be we'll to have
some American naval demonstration IN
those waters. Reports also nave come
to the government from the MISSIONARY
interests of threatened destructioli of t .l'
Cotton, it is expected, VIII be
allowed to proceed with one or more OF
mis- vessels to Beyrout. .,;ct+ 80
Acting Secretary DARING tnl lisa re-
ID ViIlefranche, saying that he had left
hat place with the cruisers Brooklyn ana
San francisco for Genoa, on tiie way u
Beyrout.