Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-10-07
ATTACHE Of BRITISH
EMBASSY IS FINED
Held in Contempt of Court and
for Speeding His Auto
mobile.
TO BE INVESTIGATED
serious Results Are Possible for Under
Law Persons Attached to Embassy
Are Relieved From Legal
Responsibility.

Pittsield, Mass, Sept. 2S.-Hugh
%Eurney, third secretary OF the British
Embassy, was fined $50 in police IA
pit Lee for contempt OF court and Tor
speeding his automobile in Stockbridge
Sunday.
Washington, Sept. 27.--Notice OF the
action OF a special justice at Lee,
Mass. in filming Hugh Quincy, the third
secretary of the British embassy, was
received at the state department IN q
telegram from Mr.. Raikes, first secre-
tary of the embassy, who is at Lonox.
The department Immediately transmit
ted this telegram In substance to the
governor of Massachusetts that ne
might do whatever might be necessary
10 secure the diplomatic immunity or
Mr.. Quincy.
1t is believed at the department that
the matter may be far more serious
than the local officers at Lee seem to
regard it. In the first place. by con-
stitutional aud statutory law, the per-
sons attached to an embassy are ex-
pressly relieved from any legal re-
sponsibility, and the exemption even
extends to domestic servants. Section
1853, revised statutes. declares that any
writ prosecuted In any court of the
United States or OF a state or by any
judge or justice intended to cause the
arrest and imprisonment of any public
minister or his servants shall be void.
The succeeding section, 1904. of the re-
vised statutes, provides that every per-
son by whom any such arrest Is OBJ
tanned or prosecuted, whether as party
or attorney, and every officer con-
cerned In It's execution, shall be
deemed a violator of the law of ma
lions and a disturber of the public re-
pose, and shall be imprisoned for not
more than three years n fined at the
Al1nrnffAn ~ fhn pntFNt "
1t will remain for the governor OF
Massachusetts to a X initial action In
this case. which will require prompt re-
dress.
The last similar incident occurred in
1882 at the picnic resort OF Bay Ridge,
near Baltimore. when DIR. George, an
,attache of the Swiss legation In Wash
ington, was arrested by a deputy sher-
if on a charge OF being q pickpocket
and was searched and otherwise treat
ed in a humiliating manne by the local
authorities. The state department se-
cured his release at an early m
through the governor of Maryland, who
also caused the dismissal OF the Offend
ing deputy and extended an apology
for the incident. Though the Swiss min
lister might have pressed further pun
lshment h accepted what had been
done as sufficient, but the matter was
deemed OF such Importance that he
could not give this notice TO our gov
eminent until the Swiss federal SCUM
ell had formally examined the case and
expressed itself satisfied.
Cir Henry Mortimer Durand. the
British ambassador, has received
telegram telling of the arrest Of Cur
ney and stating that the matter had
been referred TO the state department.
The ambassador took no action IN the
matter, nor does he expect that II viii
be necessary for him TO do SO. He ex-
pressed confidence that the state de-
partment will take whatever action Is
DrODer.