No. 944.
Mr. Lothrop to Mr. Bayard.
St Petersburg , November 29, 1887. (Received December 19.)
Sir: It seems proper that I should report the final result of the case of Adolph Lipszyc.*
It will be remembered that he went from Russia to the United States about thirty years ago, became naturalized, served in the Federal Armies through the war of the rebellion, had his right arm disabled by a wound in action, and became a pensioner. His father having died, leaving some property, Lipszyc returned to Russia about two years ago to secure his share of the inheritance, which, it seems, his brothers and sisters were not willing to accord to him. He says that a brother-in-law instigated his arrest. Be this as it may, he was arrested, charged with having left Russia and assumed foreign allegiance without leave of the Emperor. He was imprisoned and his passport and pension certificate taken from him.
As soon as the arrest was known by me, I asserted his American citizenship, remonstrated against his arrest and the seizure of his papers, and claimed his release. Considerable correspondence with the foreign office followed, but the Russian Government, as in other cases, steadily refused to recognize his American citizenship or to grant any relief, except to liberate him on moderate bail.
I learned last evening through our consul at Warsaw that Lipszyc has now been tried and found guilty and sentenced to be sent out of the Empire. Though it is not mentioned by the consul, I presume that as usual the deprivation of civic rights is a part of the sentence. If so, this probably works a forfeiture of his interest in his father’s estate. Lipszyc himself was not permitted to write or telegraph tome after his trial.
It is true that this sentence is the mildest that could be inflicted. He is permitted to return to his adopted country, but he returns probably despoiled of his inheritance.
I remain, etc.,