The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-29
Reported Assassination ] !, /!
Proves to Be an Error.
ATTEMPT WAS.n1ADE
TO MURDER HIM
Bullet. However, Went Wide
and He Escaped.
FLEET WILL NOT
CHANGE ITS COURSE
American Vessels Will 90 to Beirut and |.
Our Citizens Viii Be Protected
to the Fullest Extent-An
Attempt to Burn VI
College at Har-
port.
flBy Associated Press.l

(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, D. c.. August 2s.-A M
decidedly new turn In the case Of 4
United States vice-Consul William G. n
Magessen at Beirut, Syria. who was re- n
ported to have been assassnated last
Sunday, developed tonight when It be-
came known that the report was incorrect.
and that although Mr.. Magessen had bees
shot at. he had not even been Injured
This Information came to the State q
Department. tonight in q dispatch from
United States Minister Lclshman, at Con-
stantlnople, who said the mistake In max
Ing the orlnigal announcement was due
to be an error in the transmission OF the \
cipher dispatch from Consul Ravndal at
Beirut In reporting the incident to the
minister. $E, s55 ~ " is5 n # # S WI Xxi N
Y The dispatch from Mr.. Leishman fol-
lowed closely on the Associated Press
bulletin on tho same subject, which had {;
been shown to the prominent officials
OF the government. The dispatc from
the minister was communicated at once
to the President at Oyster Bay. It's con-
tents were extremely gratifying to the
officials OF the government here. as III
relieved the situation OF Its extreme
tension and leaves the way open for an
3amlcable and peaceful adjustment Of the
incident. 55 s
Was Shot At. s3 u
Acting Secretary Lcomis declined to
mako public the text Of Minister Leish-
mans dispatch tonight. but he gave +
summary OF It's contents. It shows that
Mr.. Magelssen had been shot at by some
person al the time unknown to the Oh
cials, but that he had not been hit. The (
local Turkish officials were prompt to ex-
press thor regret at the occurrence and
ere exertng themselves to apprehend the
assassin. but thus far had been unsuc-a
cessful. *
The minister's dispatch also said that
Consul Rnvndal had reported to him
that some OF the foreign consuls located
at Beirut had reported to their govern
ments that tho situation at that place had
become exceedingly unsafe, that this con-
dltion of affairs had existed for some 4
time, and that something ought to be
done to relieve the tension. The opinion
wa sexpressed that the attempted assas.
slnaton OF AIagelssen probably would
bring matters to n focus. the attention
of the Turkish government being drawn
to the matter In a torclble way and some
effort thus be made to avoid further
trouble, fs VI
Fleet Will Proceed.
The latest development in the Turkish
situation was discussed In official circles
where tho view Is hold that denta! OF the
It'll nf fr Nfocv ooay
relieves the situation OF its Immediately
awkward and embarrassing feature. but
will not prevent our naval vessels con-
tinulng to the East. Minister Leishman
| in one of his dispatches to the department
suggested that conditions were such that
| 1t might be we'll to have some American
naval demonstration in these waters
| Reports also have come to the goverSs
ment from the missionary interests OF
| threatened destruction Of their property
! at Harpoot and because OF this Admiral
Cotton will bo allowed to proceed to
| Beirut.
It developed during the day that acting
| upon the first report OF consul
Ntagelssen's murder. the United states IN 4
tended to enforce Its demands with wigor'
II necessary 1t had been determlned 20
seize and occupy some Turkish port N
| that event Minister Leishman would have
| left Turkey and turned over his aHalrs
to tho British Ambassador
More Acute.
Mr. Leishman states that Macedonian
| conditions are growing constantly more
| acute, and that the situation In that
section Is extremely grave. In his cable
| gram to Minister Leishma1 last night
Regarding the report Of the American
Board of Missions that an attempt had
| heen made to burn Euphrates College
buildings at Harpoot, Acting Secretary
Loornis Instructed him to demand OF the
Turkish government that Il take imme-
date steps for the protection OF tho lives
| OF all Americans there. The Brooklyn
and San Francisco Will proceed with all
speed to Beirut, and will not walt for the
Machias, which is a much slower vessel,
Another urgent appeal has reached the
state Department from the American
Board OF Missions at Boston that lmme-
dlate steps be taken for the protection ae
the American citizens at Harpoot. The
boards dispatches from there for several
DAYS past have represented the situation
as extremely grave. There are at tbs
Euphrates College at Harpoot fourteen
American teachers beside women and
chilt.ren and property to the value OF
| 500 1000. 1t is learned that there Is an
Iac al In ~ n