Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-28
Discuss Assassination Of Consul
Magelssen at Oyster Bay

Md&61SSOA dU Wy SGC1 LAY
TURKEY REGRETS THE AFFAIF
But Dfsclaims Any Responsibility TO
the Consurs Death-The Question
Viewed in All Its Phases By th
President and Secretary-Turkis ISL
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prom
ises to Make an Immediate ant
Searching Investigation.
Oyster Bay, L. l., Aug President
Roosevelt received a telegram to-day
from. the state department transmit
ting him a cabled communication from
@Ae Turkish foreign office disclaiming
any responsibility for the murder OF
Consul Magelssen and expressing re
gret that it should have occurred
Official information of the murder
seems to be lacking in the Turkish
foreign Office, as the communication ex
presses some doubt of the report.
Secretary of State John Hay arriv.
ed here to-day to meet an engagement
made with the president prior to the
receipt of the news of Magelssen's as
sassination. The president and Secre-
tary Hay considered in all it's phases
the situation which has arisen. The
information yet at hand is indefinite,
but it is expected that details of the
crime from an official source will be
forthcoming soon.
In the absence of definite inforna
ton concerning the assassination OF
Vice Consul Magelssen the president
will take no decided action beyond
that already taken in ordering the Etl-
ropean squadron to Beirut This ac-
ton is viewed now as a precautionary
measure. It is the determination of the
United States to support its demands
upon Turkey for the punishment of the
murderer or murderers of Consul Ma
gelssen, but until the circumstances sur
rounding the murder are known Off
cially and precisely the United States,
it is stated, will not take any drastic
action. A demand that officials of the
United States be afforded protection
for their lives and property will be
made, and the Turkish government will
be held responsible for the assassina-
ton of Consul Magelssen, whatever
pRay be the circumstances of the case.
President Roosevelt is concerned over
the situation as it. has developed be.
cause 1T indicates an intolefable condi.
ton of affairs in Turkey. He recalls
the fact that only recently a Russian
consul was murdered in Turkey.
=
that it VIII require several days for ii
to rendezvous at Beirut. Meantime the
ofilciaissof the state department will be
fully advised by Minister Leishman OF
the details of the crime, and the presi.
dent then will be in position to pre-.
sent to Turkey the demands of the
United States, with naval force on
the spot of sufficient strength to en-
force them adequately.
The belief is entertained that the
sultan may seek to temporize, as he
did with Russia, in which case the
United States will not hesitate to fol
low the determined course taken by the
czar of Russia in regard to the murder
Of the Russian consul by a Turkish
sentinel
Nice, France-the San Francisco and the
Brooklyn. The Machias is in the vicini-
ty of Genoa and could be sent with lit.
tie delay with the other ships to Bel
rut or some other Turkish. seaport
These three ships comprise the Euro
pean squadron under Rear Admiral
Cotton.
Beirut, a city of 100, 1000 inhabitants
is situated on a bay of the Mediterra
mean sea ffty-seven miles northwest OF
Damascus. It is an important center
Of American missionary enterprise and
contains, in addition to Protestant
school for natives, mission schools and
converts. The United States consul al
Beirut is g. Bic Ravudal
Leishman has cabled the state depart
ment that he called at the foreign office
again last night and presented ths
American demands for an immediate
investigation of the reported assassina
ton of Vice-Consul Magelssen a.
Beirut. The minister of foreign af
fairs, while denying all knowledge Of
the affair and attempting to discredi
LIE ICpOll, upOns ldo IuoISlSuCC OL A1l
Leishman. promised that an immediate
investigation would follow and tha
the Turkish government would take
all possible steps to find out and punisl
the guilty.
Mr. Leishman states that Macedonian
conditions are growing constantly more
acute and that the situation in tina
section is extremely grave.
In his cablegram to Minister Leish
man last night regarding the report Of
the American Board of Missions tha
an attempt had been made to burn tht
Euphrates college buildings at Har
poot, Acting Secretary Loomis instruct
ed him TO demand of the Turkish gov
ernment that it take immediate steps
for the protection of the lives Of al
Americans there.
London, Aug 2S-The foreign offic'
has received a dispatch from th
British consul at Beirut notifying th