Mr. Webb to Mr. Adee.
St. Petersburg , August 9, 1893 . (Received August 24.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a list of the passports issued by this legation from January 1, 1893, to June 30, 1893, inclusive, together with the applications and evidence on which they were granted.
There are one or two cases wherein I am in doubt as to whether a passport should be issued, notably that of Simon James Gordon, No. 30, April 13, and on this case I should like instructions for the future. Gordon (real name said to be Polish), a Pole, was naturalized in the United States in November, 1872. He left in December and has not been back since. He has been away for twenty-one years. He came to this legation in the time of Mr. Wickham Hoffman with a woman to whom he wished to be married. Mr. Hoffman obligingly performed the ceremony and declared them man and wife. Later the woman (with her baby) returned with a pitiful tale and, thinking it a poor rule that wouldn’t work both ways, asked for divorce.
A more conservative order of things prevailed and she was informed that whereas her marriage was illegal she needed none. Gordon has recently married a Russian lady of wealth and ancient name. All this I knew and I issued the passport on his sworn statement that he wanted it in order to go to the United States at once, but he is still here. I have made, for the benefit and assistance of myself as well as future secretaries, a “blacklist” of persons to whom passports have been denied and it appears to me that Mr. Simon James Gordon’s name should be added thereto.
I am, etc.,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.