Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28
OUR MURDERED AGENT
He Was a Man of Honor and
Great Courage.
FRIENDS TELL OF LIFE
MAoELSSEN HAD BEEN ATTACK
ED ONCE BEFORE.
Minister Who Has Called Turkey to
Account Is Man Of In
domitable Will.

The New York Tribune Of this morning
says that Chancellor MacCracken of New
York University has Just returned from
Beirut. Syria, where the American vice con-
sui was assassinated. In q talk with q
Tribune reporter last evening the chancellor
gave many Interesting facts In regard to
the situation In that city. He said that he
had spent an entire month in Beirut to-
gether with Mrs. MacCracken. having re-
ceived a cable dispatch that their youngest
son. an instructor in the American College
there since 1900. was I'll with typhoid fever.
HE left Beirut the middle of July, as
soon as his son could be carried from the
hospital to the steamship, and to Switzer-
land, where he rapidly recovered. The
chancellor had met Vice Consul William c.
Magelssen several times, both on business
and socially.
Intelligent and Able.
Mr.. Magelssen.'' said the chancellor,
was a brother of Mrs. Ravndal, the wife
of the consul. Both were Norwegian by
name and by parentage, and were fine
specimens of the Observation-Disclosures.
The murdered vice consul was prompt, in
telligent and able in the transaction Of
business. The American consulate. under
his chief and himself, easily held the first
place in reputation among the foreign con-
sulates in Beirut. I lived within a block Of
the consulate during my months stay. I
observed that as young, patriotic Amer
lean. the murdered man was Jealous in
helping every American interest.
Celebrated Fourth of July.
A celebration Of the Fourth of July was
organized by the consulate, and held In O
suburb of Beirut. The Syrian Protestant
College, which exists under a board of trus-
tees chartered by the state of New York,
found the vice consul a helpful friend. He
promoted zealously a field day held this
year. and helped to secure the attendance
Of the governor Of Lebanon. who came with
full staff and a military band playing
American national airs. I met Mr.. Magels-
sen also at the commencement of the col
iege In July. had been told that the vice
consul had more than once taken part in
securing the punishment of crimes by ma
ives in Beirut which were committed under
his notice."
Death Due to Courage.
The chancellor was inclined to think that
Magelssen's courage in pursuing criminals
had probably caused his assassination. Old
residents of Beirut had assured him that
for Christians to appear in court against
Moslems to testify to their crimes was to
invite assassination. A recent murder of a
man in American employ had been left
almost without inquiry because witnesses
were completely terrorized.
The Turkish government" continued Dr.
MacCracken. breaks down because 1t has
weak autocrat at its head. This leaves
Beirut and every similar district under a
petty vice autocrat. who is energetic in lit
tie except unw1se and CRUEL extortion of
fox tai
ten years chairman OF a New York board
OF five trustees who carry on st. Pauls
institute In Tarsus, Asia Minor endowed
by Mr.. and Mrs. Elliott F.. Shepard. Moth
Ing saved this school. made up largely of
Armenian teachers and students, from the
horrible massacre Of few years ago ex-
cept the presence throughout an entire
summer of the United States warship Mar
blehead in the harbor nearby.
American Colony in Danger.
The whole Beirut American colony Of
about one hundred persons and the British
colony OF fifty persons would be at the
merck of Moslem mob II such should be
excited by the growing misrule. We have
noble citizens there. One medical faculty of
some half a dozen American physicians,
two of them. DR.. George E. Post and Wal
sity Medical School. Is the most noted
American faculty of medicine outside of
America.
DIR. Harris Graham of this faculty to
whom owe my sons life. is coming to this
country the present autumn. The United
States government has recently extorted
from the sultan the same rules for licens-
ing graduates under the American faculty
at Beirut that were granted the French
schools"
Powers Must Take Turkey.
Chancellor MacCracken was informed by
the American minister at Constantinople,
Mr.. Leishman. with whom he spent a
couple Of hours in June last. that it took
months of costly labor to secure the sui
tans attention to this measure. which was
wholly for the benefit of the Turkish en-
pire. THE only real hope of Turkey"
added the doctor. rs in the Christian pow
ers taking control of it. as England has al
ready taken Egypt and France Algiers."
SET UPON ONCE BEFORE.