Evening journal., 1903-08-29


grets for the outrage and ordered meas
ures for the arrest Of the perpetrator.
The error in stating that Vice Consul
Magelssen had been killed arose from
mistake in cipher telegram.
News Confirmed In Washington.
Washington, Aug. 29. A decidedly
new turn in the case Of United States
Vice Consul Magelssen at Beirut, Syria,
who was reported to have been assas-
sinated last Sunday, developed last
night when 1t became known that the
report was Incorrect and that, although
Mr.. Magelssen had been shot at, he
had not been injured. This informa-
tion came to the state department last
night in a dispatch from United States
Minister Leishman at Constantinople,
who said the mistake in making the
original announcement was due to an
error in the transmission Of the cipher
dispatch from Consul Ravndal at Bel
rut in reporting the incident to the
minister The dispatch from Mr.. Leish-
man followed closely on the Associated
Press bulletin on the same subject,
which had been shown to the promi-
nent officials of the governments The
dispatch from i.se minister was COM
municated at onc'Ato the president at
Oyster Bay, but u 10 late hour moth
ing had been heses from him on the
subject own herr ta department. Its
contents anaftremely gratifying to
the officials y the government here
as it relieved the situation Of its ex-
treme tension and leaves the way open
for an amicable and peaceable adjust
ment of the incident.
Acting Secretary Loomis declined to
make public the text of Minister Leish
mans despatch. but he gave a sum
mary OF its contents. AS stated in the
press despatch, It shows that Mr.. Ma
gelssen had been shot at by some
person unknown to the officials, but
that he had not been hit The 10
cal Turkish officials were prompt tc
express their regret at the occurrence
and we're exerting themselves to ap
prehend the assassin, but thus far had
been unsuccessful The minister's de
spatch dlso said that Consul Ravnda
bad reported to him that some of the
foreign consuls located at Beirut haC
reported to their government that th'
situation at that place had become
exceedingly unsafe, that this condi
tion of affairs had existed for sons
time. and that something ought to b
done to relieve the tension. The opin
ion was expressed that the attempted
assassination of Magelssen probabl,
would bring matters to a focus, the at
tention OF the Turkish government
being drawn to the matter in this fore
ible way, and some effort thus be mad'
to avoid further trouble.
The latest development in the Tur
kish situation was discussed in ofiicia
circles. where the view is held that tn
denial Of the report of the killing o
Mr.. Magelssen relieves the situation
OF its immediate awkward and embaI
RAISING feature, but will not proven
our naval vessels continuing to tn
east. Minister Leishman, in one o
his dispatches to the department. sus
gested that conditions were such tina
It might be well to have some Amer
can naval demonstration in those wa
ters. Reports also have come to tn
government from the missionary intel
ests Of threatened destruction of thei
property at Harpoot and because G
this Admiral Cotton, 1t is expected
will be allowed to proceed with on
or more of his vessels to Beirut
Acting Secretary Darling last nigh
received a cablegram from the adm
raj. dated Villa Franche, saying tha
he had left that place with the crui
ers Brooklyn and the San Francisc
for Genoa. on the way to Beirut.
ll....tin,,nd on Sixth ParaN