Mr. Newberry to Mr.
Foster.
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, August 30, 1892.
(Received September 15.)
No. 528.]Sir: I instructed Mr. Bartlett to forward me all
items of evidence that could in any way help his case, solely for the
purpose of forwarding you for your information and not for presentation to
the Porte, as I intend to evade any discussion of evidence until so
instructed by you. I inclose herewith a statement received from him this
morning. There is no question but that a conspiracy existed, and still
exists, to prevent, at all hazards, Mr. Bartlett establishing himself at
this place. He sent word to me that he would like to return to Smyrna. I
sent word to him through the same source not by any means to leave the town
one hour, that Ave would stand by him as long as any American had a right to
stay in this country, and to show the white feather at this critical
juncture would be altogether too encouraging to his enemies. I have sent
word to the minister for foreign affairs that I should have the honor of
calling upon him on September 1, in order to ask him if he had a reply to my
note and demand.
I have, etc.,
H. R. Newberry,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
[Inclosure in No. 528.]
Further statements of the Rev. L. Bartlett
concerning the Bourdour affair.
- (1)
- On Saturday the 20th, the yuz bashi (chief of police) with a
scribe and another officer called on me to inquire what reason I had
for telegraphing that our lives were in danger. I replied that I had
not sent such a telegram without careful thought. We had been
repeatedly stoned during several days. Our windows were being broken
each night. I had been hit by a stone and one of my friends had just
been knocked clown and severely injured by a stone thrown in the
dark. The worst kinds of threats were constantly reaching our ears,
and we knew, what no one here denies, that the Greeks and the
Armenians had held a conference and agreed to act
[Page 592]
together against the Protestants.
Moreover, special orders had been sent to the owners of all the
houses occupied by Protestants to turn them out, which meant to
leave them houseless. Such orders had been sent to my landlady, by
which she was put in a great fear because I would not leave; and
finally my own house had been burned. Knowing the character of the
people, and how little self-control they have when excited, as they
were at that moment, I was perfectly justified in saying that our
lives were in danger.
- (2)
- I learn this morning that on the night of the fire, in the quarter
where my informant lives, everybody was up when the alarm was given,
as if in expectation of something. The fire broke out about
midnight, and it seemed to me impossible that such crowds could have
dressed themselves and rushed to the scene so very quickly.
Furthermore, as they passed below our windows, yet some way off and
unable to see the fire, we could hear them saying: It is the
Protestant’s house; and others would reply; “Ora mi dir?” (it is
there, is it) the tone showing that something was expected to happen
there.
