Mr. Sperry to Mr.
Foster.
Legation of
the United States,
Teheran
Persia, January 16, 1893.
(Received February 28.)
No. 10.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that on the 10th
January instant, a complaint was received at this legation from the Rev.
Lewis F. Esselstyn, in regard to an insult received the day before, the 9th
of January, in the streets of Teheran by Mrs. Lewis F. Esselstyn, his wife,
and a request made that the offender be arrested and punished.
On the 22d October 1892, just after Mr. Fox had left Teheran, a complaint of
the same general nature was received at this legation from Mr. Esselstyn, in
regard to himself. Mr. John Tyler, interpreter, who was in charge of the
legation at that time, promptly took such measures as secured, in that case,
satisfactory reparation and justice. I inclose the correspondence in that
case.
Mrs. Esselstyn’s case was promptly brought to the attention of the police,
and arrest was made, but not of the right person; this error was promptly
rectified by arresting the real offender, who was brought to this legation,
identified, and his guilt proven, and adequate punishment administered,
under such circumstances and conditions as are fully set forth in the report
of the matter which I made to Mr. Esselstyn on the 14th January. I take
pleasure in stating that the public authorities of Teheran supported and
cooperated with the legation in every respect.
The munshi of this legation was sent as an official witness of the
punishment. A copy of his report in Persian and English accompanies this
dispatch.
The bond taken from the culprit and his relatives for the future good
behavior of the boy (he is 18 years old) is on file in the police office of
this city, and a true copy has been placed on record at this legation. I
send herewith a copy of this bond in Persian and English.
I also send a copy of Mr. Esselstyn’s reply to the report which I made to him
on Saturday, the 14th January.
It was annoying to me that this affair occurred so soon after my arrival, and
while I was still engaged in making the long round of ceremonial visits upon
the officers of His Majesty’s Government. I believe that by making a
responsible officer of police a party to the examination I have succeeded in
creating the impression here that this legation desires for American
residents in Persia nothing further than that safety from insult and injury
which is secured to American citizens, residing abroad, by all friendly
nations. The necessity for the punishment of the boy was as frankly admitted
by the public authorities of Teheran as it was evident to me, although
heretofore the duty of whipping men or boys has never been laid upon me.
I have, etc.,
[Page 477]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 10.]
Mr. Esselstyn to
Mr. Tyler.
Teheran,
Persia, January 10,
1893.
Dear Mr. Tyler: I am loth to take Mr. Sperry’s
time and attention with matters like the following, while at the same
time I can not let it pass unnoticed, hence I impose upon your kindness.
If need be, in your judgment, I will make formal complaint to Mr.
Sperry.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Esselstyn, accompanied by a man servant, a woman
servant, and a soldier, was down in the district known as the
Mahal-i-Arabhan, just south of the gas-works street, just to the east
and south of the Cannon Square. She was there hunting up some poor
people we had heard of, in order to help them. At the time of the
occurrence I will mention she was near the house of the
Som-ed-Dowlah.
A young man by the name of Akbar Khan, son of Hajii Amir Akbar, of the
Mohamed Dowlah (Shahzadeli Farad Mirza), without the slightest
provocation, used insulting language to my wife. Upon being politely
requested to keep still and go away he increased his insults to the most
extreme degree of vileness and obscenity, both by language and gesture.
My wife was compelled to take refuge in a house near by.
I beg you to take whatever steps may be necessary to bring the offender
to justice and punish him to the full extent of the law.
The bearer, my servant, was with Mrs. Esselstyn at the time, and I have
told him that if you desire he is to accompany an officer to find and
identify the offender.
Yours, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 10.]
Mr. Esselstyn to
Mr. Tyler.
Teheran, October 22,
1892.
Dear Sir: Yesterday afternoon I was coming up
the street from the direction of Sabze Maidan towards the
Shams-el-Amereh. A short distance south of the Shams-el-Amereh a
good-sized boy ran out of a shoe shop on the east side of the street,
stealthily came up behind my carriage, and struck me a fairly hard blow
in the back. I went back and demanded redress from the master of the
shop into which the boy fled. The boy was identified, but I could get no
satisfaction.
You can identify the boy by applying to Ustad Petros, a Protestant
Armenian who has a tailor’s shop on the west side of the street near
where the thing occurred, and was a witness to it.
Will you take the necessary steps to identify the boy and give him all
necessary punishment?
Yours, etc.,
P. S.—I’m leaving for Hamadan next Tuesday.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 10.]
Mr. Tyler to Mr.
Esselstyn.
Legation of the United States,
Teheran, October 22,
1892.
Dear Sir: In reply to your letter just
received, I beg to express my regret at the insult and the assault to
which you have been subjected at the hands of a Persian boy, and at the
same time to assure you that I shall take steps to have the boy
apprehended and exemplary chastisement administered to him.
I remain, etc.,
John Tyler,
Interpreter in Charge.
[Page 478]
[Inclosure 4 in No. 10.]
Mr. Tyler to Mr.
Esselstyn.
Legation of the United States,
Teheran, October 25,
1892.
Dear Sir: I beg to inform you that the boy who
committed the assault on you in the Jabba Khaneh street on Friday last
is now at the legation, in the custody of the police.
If you will kindly come to the legation and identify and affirm that he
is the actual boy, with the view to his being punished, I shall be much
obliged.
I remain, etc.,
John Tyler,
Interpreter in Charge.
Note.—The boy having admitted the offense
charged against him was taken to the place where the assault was
committed, and some stripes with a stick were administered to him,
and at the same time the boy’s master was bound over to be
responsible for the boy’s good behavior in the future.
[Inclosure 5 in No. 10.]
Mr. Sperry to Mr.
Esselstyn.
Legation of the United States,
Teheran, January 14,
1893.
Dear Sir: In the matter of the complaint made
by you to this legation on the 10th of January in regard to certain
insults offered to Mrs. Esselstyn, your wife, in the streets of Teheran
on the 9th January, I have the honor to report to you the following as
the result of your complaint, and the official proceedings which in
consequence took place:
Your note regarding the occurrence reached this legation on the 10th of
January. Your statement of the affair was transmitted officially to the
chief of police on the evening of the 10th, and was accompanied by a
request from this legation that the young man complained of, one Ali
Akbar Khan, be immediately arrested and brought to this legation.
On the afternoon of the 11th of January it was reported by the police to
this legation that the arrest has been made, and the reply from this
legation was to bring the boy here that evening. This was thereupon
done, and you and Mrs. Esselstyn being present, it was at once
discovered that the person arrested was not the one complained of, but
his younger brother, one Ibrahim Khan. The police were then requested to
rectify their error, and to bring before this legation Ali Akbar Kahn.
On the 12th of January the police reported that they had Ali Akbar Khan
in arrest, and that he was at the disposal of the legation.
A request was thereupon sent to the police that he be brought to this
legation that evening, the 12th January, and that some superior officer
of police be permitted to accompany the squad, in order to watch the
proceedings and to aid the legation with his judgment. Gen. Mirza Hassan
Khan came to this legation on the evening of the 12th January as the
representative of the police, in answer to this request, and the person
complained of was duly brought here. Mrs. Esselstyn and other witnesses
being present, the examination then proceeded. It was shown that Ali
Akbar Khan was the person complained of; that he had used grossly
indecent language within the hearing of Mrs. Esselstyn and others; that
he had evidently directed this language at Mrs. Esselstyn, and designed
it to injure and wound her feelings, she at the time being upon an
errand of mercy, and in no wise having injured or even annoyed Ali Akbar
Khan; neither had her servants injured or annoyed him. The insult being
thus shown to be unprovoked and wanton, and being of gross quality, it
was concluded, with the ready assent of Gen. Mirza Hassan Khan, that the
boy must be punished. This, I believe, was also your judgment.
It was thereupon decided that the boy must be whipped on his back, he
wearing at the time only one shirt and one thin coat, and that bonds for
his permanent good behavior must be taken from him and from his
responsible relatives.
The munshi of this legation was sent to the police office as an official
witness of this punishment, which was inflicted that same evening of the
12th January, Gen. Mirza Hassan Khan recommending this prompt course.
The munshi’s report is, in substance, as follows: That he went to the
police office at my orders; that Ali Akbar Khan was whipped upon the
back and shoulders in his presence with a cat of five tails, eighteen
blows being given with the cat; and that the punishment was so
[Page 479]
severe that the culprit was
overcome by it. The bonds for future good behavior have also been made
out, and at this date the originals are at this legation. These bonds
have been given by Ali Akbar Khan, by his younger brother, and by his
uncle. Copies of these bonds will be preserved in the archives of this
legation, and the original bonds will be kept on tile in the office of
police. A true copy of the munshi’s report and also a true copy of the
bonds are inclosed with this statement.
I certainly hope that the proceedings which followed your entirely
justifiable complaint and that the punishment which has been
administered to the offender will prove to be satisfactory to Mrs.
Esselstyn and to yourself. I learn that the punishment given to the
young man is regarded as entirely just at the police office, and that
the entire proceeding meets with the approval of the public authorities
of Teheran. I regard this general approval by the authorities of this
capital as in a considerable degree a guaranty against a recurrence of
such annoyances and injuries as Mrs. Esselstyn received in this
instance. If this result shall follow, one of the objects at which I
aimed will be attained.
With the highest respect, etc.,
[Inclosure 6 in No.
10—Translation.]
bond to keep the peace.
I, Ali Akbar Khan, the nephew of Hajii Amir-Akbar (master of the house),
jointly with my uncle, Hajii Naib, and my brother, Ibraheem Khan, have
undertaken and bound myself, at the office of police, that from this
time onwards should I be seen or heard to insult any European, whether
man or woman, I will endure one month’s incarceration in the prison of
the police and suffer 100 stripes of the bastinado.
These few words are set forth as a bond for my future good behavior.
Dated the 26th of Iamadi the second A. H.
1310.
Ali Akbar Khan.
[
seal.]
Hajii
Naib.
[
seal.]
Ibraheem
Khan.
[
seal.]
P. S.—Furthermore, it is undertaken that he shall not behave unseemly
or impudently, especially towards any United States citizen.
Ali Akbar Khan.
[
seal.]
Hajii Naib.
[
seal.]
Ibraheem
Khan.
[
seal.]
Note on the execution of justice by
the chief of police.
Acting on the information of his excellency the minister of the
United States, in conformity with a complaint made by Mr. Esselstyn,
an American clergyman, that Ali Akbar Khan, nephew of Hajii Amir
Akbar, had used insulting language to Mr. Esselstyn’s servant
reflecting most seriously on Mrs. Esselstyn (in her presence), in
order to uphold the honor and respect of the legation, the necessary
steps were taken by the police authorities to vindicate the claims
of justice, and in order to give satisfaction to Mrs. Esselstyn,
according to her wish, the said Ali Akbar Khan has been punished,
and, by the bond of good behavior, his brother and his uncle bind
themselves that so long as they live no unworthy behavior shall
proceed from them.
Seal of the chief of police.
[Inclosure 7 in No.
10.—Translation.]
declaration by the munshi of the
legation.
I, Mirza Abul Kassan Khan, the chief munshi of the United States
legation, in compliance with the orders of his excellency the minister
of the United States, on the evening of Friday the 23 of Jamadi the
second, A. H., corresponding to the 13th of January, 1893, went to the
chief police office of this city for the purpose of being a witness to
the punishment of Ali Akbar Khan, who hall insulted Mrs. Esselstyn, a
native of the United States of America, in the public streets, hereby
testify that eighteen stripes with a cat of five tails (over a thin coat
and shirt) were given on the back and shoulders of Ali Akbar Khan, and
so severely was the punishment
[Page 480]
inflicted that the culprit was overcome by it, and he cried and begged
for mercy. Thereupon I, on the part of the legation and the lady
insulted, ordered the boy to be released and be let go.
Then, in my presence, a bond was taken from the culprit, his brother, and
uncle, binding him over to keep the peace toward Mrs. Esselstyn for the
remainder of his wife.
[Inclosure 8 in No. 10.]
Mr. Esselstyn to
Mr. Tyler.
Teheran, Persia, January
14, 1893.
Dear Mr. Tyler: Please say to Mr. Sperry that I
have received his inclosure. As you request, I hand you herewith twenty
krans, anams (presents), for the policemen.
Will you kindly thank Mr. Sperry and yourself for your prompt action in
the matter of the insults offered to Mrs. Esselstyn by Ali Akbar
Khan.
Yours, etc.,
