Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28
Of Great Personal Bravery.

HE was very active and efiicient in
working up a market for American goods.
He had secured the Introduction of a con-
siderable number Of shoe making machines
the past year; thrashing machines. phono-
graphs. sewing machines and other Ameri-
can manufactures -
ENCOUNTERS WITH NATIVES
Magelssen Was FEARLESS and Had a
Number Of Them.
Walter 8. Bigelow of, No "a State street.
an exporter who has business interests in
Turkey, where he spent six months last
winter. tells the New York Tribune that
the assassination of Mr.. Magelssen was
probably an affair provoked by personal re-
venge rather than inspired by any political
motive.
Last April spent ethree weeks in Bel
rut." said Mr.. Bigeiow; to the Tribune last
evening. land. meeting Mr.. Magelssen the
first day. 1 saw a great deal Of him, and
came to know him very Intimately.
1.-THE news of his murder is a great shock
to me. and yet In q way may say that
am not altogether surprised, knowing Mr..
Magelssen so well as 1 did, and knowing
also the almost total absence Of personal
protection existing in all Turkish cities.
Splendid Specimen Of Manhood.
''The vice consul was a splendid physical
specimen Of man. He was unusually tail
and of large frame. Hailing from Mime
sofa, he possessed all the characteristic
daring and nerve of the westerner
He was absolutely fearless, and his dis
regard for personal danger amounted al
most to reckessness. For these reasons he
was known and beloved by all Europeans
along the Syrian coast as far south as Alex
andria. and perhaps for the same reason he
invoked the enmity of the natives. Soon
after arriving at Beirut was told several
stories of encounters which Mr. Magelssen
had had with native highwaymen.
Waylaid at Night.
ION one occasion he was waylaid by two
desperate characters along the shore road
on dark night. and, although. unarmed,
he disposed Of his assailants single handed
The punishment he administered was said
70 nave been as severe as It was unex-
pected. sp stw
Later another native cttthroat attempt
ed to hold up Mr.. Magelssen one night In
lonely part of the toWn, but he was SO
badly used up as result, OF the encounter
that that the services Ola dSctor were neces-
Naturally. in a small, place like Beirut,
the reports of these affairs spread. but 1t
was supposed that the American vice con-
SUI mad inspired such a respect among the
De immune from further Iiiolestation.
Trouble With Cab Drivers.
Possibly one or two@iittie encounters
with cab drivers might be mentioned I re-
member one distinctly, in which both Mr..
Magelssen and myselfilh4d part. OF all
cab drivers the Turkish Variety is the most
fnsolent and exasperating. The helpless
victim Of one Of these oriental ,Jehus has
only one optien when itscomeA to an Issue.
and that Is give up orsdefeAd himself as
best he may On the occasion am think
ing OF the cabman. who had started in by
force to collect an excessive fare met q re-
ception he was not looking for and since
then has probably thought twice before he
has attempted to practice extortion on
Americans Of athletic appearance
Il remember asking Magelssen at the time
II he Went armed II abroad at night. and he
replied that he seldom carried a revolver
ana was not afraid to go into any part of
Beirut at any time OF the day or night.
Bigelow Warned Him.
1T seems strange now. but 1 recall say
Ing to him. half seriously. half jokingly:
Mageissen. II you don't take better care
OF yourself shall expect to hear some day
that these ours have done you up. You
must be more careful
But he only laughed In reply. and said
ne was a match for them ALL So. my
fears. half expressed at the time. / am
AFRAID. have come true.
MY friend has been killed by some
steaithy hand from behind or else shot
from a distance. And, furthermore. I do
not believe they will ever catch the man.
for there Is such thing as police or de-,
tective work in Beirut
III driven. the Turkish authorities may
put 10 death some innocent nobody to
satls1y American demands, but 1t Is moro
than likely that the real criminal will
escape.
Made Honored Name.
"Mr. Magelssen had made a name for
himself in the consular service, and when
l was there was hoping for advancement.
he had received special commendatory
mention Tor special services performed by
him In collecting valuable data regarding
conditions throughout Palestine.
He was very thorough and painstaking
IN all his work. He took special interest
personally valuable assistance In behalf
OF the interests l represented.
Next to the American consulate at Con-
stantinopie. the Office at Beirut impressed
me the most favorably of all those had
occasion to visit during my travels in the
Levant. Mr.. Magelssen was brother-in-
law OF the consul. Mr.. Rayndal.
Beirut is only small, unimportant city
at best. 1t is on the Syrian coast, far away
from the seat Of the Macedonian troubles,
and, with the absolute suppression Of news
ana newspapers, 1t Is safe to say that s
large share of the population do not know
at the present moment that any trouble
exists In Macedonia or European Turkey.
When was at Beirut the Syrian Pro-
testant College, splendid institution, by
the way-gave field day. and invited thu
Turkish authorities to, witpass the sports.
The Turkish governor did not attend,
but reported that night by telegraph to the
sultan that the Americana had offered his
royal highness an insult by having tho
Turkish military baud play all the after
noon noon, under a tentr fIag the fiagpole of
This was the only ysxpyession of Ill will
toward the United, States which I heard
while there. The Turk does not take kind
troduced by the ChbSstiaps. and no DOUBT
there is some feeling against Americans for
this reason"
MINISTER MAN, oF4RoN NERVE.
~ g-fy-
Leishman Has Made the Sultan
Apologize Before.
The New York Journal says this morn
ing that John G. A.hHeishman, United
States minister to ,Tufkey-the society