The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-29

Urgent Appeal from the American
Board-Americans i'm Peril.


from the American Board Of Missions at
Boston that immediate steps be taken for
the protection of the American citizens at
Beirut. The boards dispatches from there
have reported the situation as extremely
grave. There are at the Euphrates College
at Harpoot. fourteen American teachers be-
sides women and children and property TO
the value OF 100000.
BOSTON, Aug. 2s-The appeal OF the
American board TO the government at
Washington on behalf of American citizens
at Harpoot is based on series OF Incidents
which. to the mind of the board
of managers, indicate increasing dan
ger TO the interests of the American resi-
dents. Not only has the appeal been made
TO the State Department, but letter has
been sent to President Roosevelt asking
for an opportunity to present to him the
situation. The request for an interview
with the President was made in letter
yesterday and the effort of the American
board has the Endorsement of the lieutenant
governor. Curtis Guild, jr, friend of the
President, who also has written to the
President urging that the boards request
be granted. The boards first appeal was
made because of an attempt TO burn the
American College at Beirut. The second
appeal was made also on Monday when a
cablegram was received from w. w. Peet.
treasurer of the American board at Con-
stantinople, saying that the fanaticism at
HarpOot was almost beyond control and
that delay in action would be dangerous.
from Constantinople to Vienna TO avoid GEN.
sorship and was cabled from Vienna Aug.
%. The cablegram follows:
vienna, Aug 23-Norton wires fanat-
icism Harpoot almost beyond control. De-
lay of action dangerous.
As far as the American board has been
advised the attempt to burE the American
College. the date of which is not known,
resulted in little damage as the building
was of stone. The fact that the attempt
was made, however, is viewed as evidence
of the hostility of the Turks towards civ
iliZing influences and an increasing daring
in their attitude toward the United States.
The situation in eastern Turkey as pre-
scented by the board officials. is that when
demand was made last December, that
American institutions in Turkey be granted
the same concessions as those OF other gov
ernments, promises were not kept and the
matter was not pushed. which, 1T is claimed.
encouraged the Turks last June to seize
Tenekejian, a native teacher in the mission
schools on charge of sedition. In spite or
protest by the prisoners friends he was
kept in confinement and the American
| board appealed to the State Department
The result of the appeal was a request that
the Turkish government see that the man
| lease of the innocent, and that the case or
| innocence being established that his calum-
niatSrs , be punished Thus the lease sase l mas
| in confinement; and the American board ex-
presses the belief that fearing nothing the
Turks; with growing fana n did 6,,i not
| ings. knowledge Of these facts, empha-
sized by the cablegram announcing the
| growing danger, have prompted the board OF
| managers to do everything possible TO gam
| the attention of the State Department and
| of the President himself.
| Letters have been received here from per-
| sons at Monastir, European Turkey, indfcat-
| ing that the assassination of the American
| Vice Consul Magelssen at Beirut on Sunday,
| Aug. %, just fifteen days after the assas-
| sination of the. Russion Consul Rostkovski,
| did not surprise the English speaking peo-
| pie there, as it was considered part OF a
| well-laid plan of Turkish land owners to
/ bring about a European occupation OF Turk
| ish territory. For a long time it has been
| understood that the native proprietors, feel
i ing that their investments were Insecure
under Turkish rule, have been working TO
secure foreign Intervention and of late ru-
mors of a plot involving the assassination
| of consuls have been frequently heard. In
| fact reports had become so well founded
| that the consus had considered the advis-
| ability of asking their governments for ma
| tional guards but had delayed taking def
| mite action to that end.
| Investigation into the assassination OF NJ.
! Rostkovski at Monastir, Aug s. has shown
| that there is no reason to believe that the
/ Russian consul made any use of cane or
| a revolver on the police as was asserted by
| the Turkish troops. The advices state that
| NJ. Rostvoski, NJ. Krat, the Austrian consul
and Mr. McGregor, the British vice consul
| were looked upon with suspicion by the
Turks because of supposed sympathy with
| Bulgarians and that recently an assassin
| was appointed to kill the British officer as
| he was taking his customary walk but that
the plot failed because Mr.. McGregor on
| that day took an unsual route
The adyices received here say that the
| Russian consul was driving in to the city
| from the Bukovo monastery, In company
| with a Bulgarian teacher named Mlsirkan
| Outside of the city on the way to the ran
road station is Turkish guardhouse., 0r
| passing this hut the Russian consul OBJ
| served that the policeman on duty FAILED
| to give him the ordinary salute. he stopped
his carriage, walked back to the police
man and asked the latter why he had failed
to show the courtesy. The policeman an
swered the consul that he did not know
how. Mr.. Rostkovsh then asked the police
man for his name and for answer received
a bullet in his side and another through hi
head, causing instant death The teacher
who had also alighted, either from extrem'
fright or presence or mind. Tell prone ii
the roadside ditch and remained as If deae
until the Turkish officials and others APP
peared and he could escape without fear O
same day some women observed five arme'
Turks in the quarters at the guardhous
and when the shooting occurred one Turl
asked another: what is the natter" On
of the five armed men replied: "a dog wa
killed. after which the five men Wen
away. The vail received the remains ev.
| IDENTIFY much disturbed, and remarked tina
the consul was to blame for using his re
| volver on the policeman When the bod,
| of the consul was brought to his home, !
was found that ne not only had been sno
blow from the butt end of the policeman
rifle.
On the following Monday Him Pash;
| sought an interviey with Madame Rost
kovski. At first the bereaved woman re
| fused to see the Pasha, but on it beini
made known that he came as representa-
tive of the Sultan, she met him In IN
presence of two Russian noblemen. TIL
| Pasha expressed regret at the 'unfortu
| nate affair. Unfortunate, infamous af
fair" exclaimed Madame Rostkovski. Afte
| some further remarks the Pasha. wit
| considerable embarrassment. produced
| check for 100000 francs $4,000, and ex
planned with much stammering that IN
Sultan had ordered him to give Ii to tn
unfortunate widow for herself and children
Madame Rostkovski, who is princess b
birth. asked IL she rightly understood tina
the Sultan offering "baksheesh-" 18th
blood of my husband cannot be paid 70
by Turkish money" she said. Give tn
check back to your master, and If he doe
not know what TO do with it. tell him I
give it to his soldiers, who have receive
| no pay for many months. Here are tn
decorations which the Sultan bestowed o
my husband and myself. / return ther
through you. Tomorrow / will advise tn
Sultan by telegraph that l have given ther
back" This ended the interview.
On Saturday Aug s, FIVE towns in I'll
: district of Mogilan were burned by tn
| revolutionists who took the wheat Of III
Turkish proprietors and gave 1t TO the Blu
garian villagers.
MAGELSSEN COURAGEOUS.