Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-08-29
VICE C0NSuL NOT KILLED.

A decidedly new turn IN the case Oh
United States Vice Consul William q.
Magelssen, at Beirut, Syria, who was re-
ported to have been assassinated last
Sunday, developed last night when it
became known that the report was incor-
rect, and that although Mr.. Magelssen
had been fred upon he had not been in
iured. This information came to the
State Department in 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 Rayn-
dial at Beirut in reporting the incident to
the minister. The dispatch from the
minister was communicated at once to
the President at Oyster Bay.
Acting Secretary LOOMS declined to
make public the text of Minister Leish-
mans dispatch, bushe gave summary
of its contents. Itshows that Mr.. Mag
elssen had been fred upon by some per-
son at the time unknown to the officials,
but that he had lot been hit. The local
Turkish officials were prompt to express
their regret at the occurrence, and were
exerting themselves to apprehend the
assassin. but thus far had been unsuc-
cessf1l. The Minister'S dispatch also
said that Consul Ravendal had reported
TO him that some of the foreign cOnsuls
located at Beirut had reported to their
governments that the situation at that
place had become exceedingly unsafe,
that this condition Of affairs had existed
for some time, and that something ought
to be done to relieve the tension. The
opinion was expressed that the attempted
assassination of Megelssen probably
would bring matters to focus, the at
tention of the Turkish government being
drawn to the matter in this forcible way,
and some effort thus be made to avoid
further trouble.
In official circles the view is held that
while the denial of the report of the
killing of Mr.. Magelssen relieves the
situation of its Immediately awkward
and embarrassing feature, it will not pre-
vent U. S. naval vessels continuing to
the east. Minister Leishman, in one OF
his dispatches to the department sug-
gested that conditions were such that it
might be well to have some American
naval demonstration in those waters.
Reports also have come to the govern
ment from the missionary interests of
the threatened destruction of their prop
erty at Harpoot, and because of this
Admiral Cotton, it is expected, will be
allowed to proceed with one or more of
his vessels to Beirut.
Assistant Secretary Darling last night
received q cablegram from Admiral
Cotton dated Villa Franche, saying that
he had left that place with the cruisers
Brooklyn and San Francisco for Genoa,
on the way to Beirut. The gunboat
Machias is to follow.
President Roosevelt when seen at
Oyster Bay last night mnounced that no
change at present would be made in the
plans of this government and that the
European squadron, which he had or
dered to proceed Immediately to Beirut,
would continue to its ordered destina-
ton. It Is said that the President and
Secretary of State Hay both regard it
advisable, in view of the present state
Of unrest in Turkey, to have American
war vessels in Turkish waters.