No. 434.
Mr. Wallace to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, April 25, 1884.
(Received May 13.)
No. 381.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit copies of papers
touching the affair of Messrs. Knapp and Reynolds; one, from the minister of
foreign affairs, conveying the idea that the authorities of Bitlis have been
making extraordinary exertions to bring Moussa Bey to justice, and that they
are now making such exertions and mean to continue them; the other is a copy
of an official report from Her Britannic Majesty’s vice-counsel at Van,
which states that the zaptiehs sent to arrest Moussa found him, but let him
go. For the latter I am indebted to Lord Dufferin.
* * * * * * *
Very respectfully, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
381.—Translation.]
Assim Pasha to Mr.
Wallace.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Sublime Porte, April 21,
1884.
Monsieur l’Envoyé: To follow the note from my
department dated the 20th of last March, No. 73964, 11, relative to the
affair of Messrs. Knapp and Reynolds, I have the honor to inform your
excellency that the judicial authorities of Bitlis, to whom the Minister
of Justice had addressed by telegraph most urgent recommendations, have
just answered him that, notwithstanding all their efforts the inquiries
and investigations made by them had not yet obtained the desired result,
but that they would be
[Page 564]
continued with the greatest energy. In presence of this situation the
department of justice has thought proper to ask to have the papers
concerning this affair sent to Constantinople to have them submitted to
the minute examination, and to satisfy itself of the manner in which the
inquest had been conducted. Meanwhile it has not failed to renew to the
competent authorities categorical orders to exert the greatest activity
to obtain the solution justice has in view.
In reserving to make known to your excellency future information I may
receive concerning this affair, I beg you to be persuaded that the
Imperial Government will not lose sight of this affair.
Accept, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 381.]
Mr. Eyres to
Lieutenant-Colonel W.
Everett.
Sir: I have received news from Bitlis to the
effect that Meza Bey, father of Moussa Bey, has been dismissed from his
post of Caimma kam, of Modkan. The defterdar of Bitlis, Husseim Bey, has
also been dismissed.
The governor-general, Arif Pasha, lately sent a summons to Moussa Bey to
appear before the criminal court and stand his trial for the attack on
the American missionaries. No attention was paid to this summons, and
zaptiehs were sent to arrest him, but Moussa Bey refused to accompany
them, and the zaptiehs returned without effecting their purpose.
I have &c.,
