Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress, December 4, 1893
Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham.
Constantinople, August 1, 1893. (Received August 18.)
Sir: From the cable of the 31st of July, I infer that my dispatch No. 10, referring to Miss Melton’s case, had not readied you when the telegram was sent. I received to-day a letter from Mr. McDowell at Amadia informing me of conditions there. I enclose it. He believes [Page 653] that those high in authority were privy to the outrage, if indeed they did not instigate it. The letters convey information of the present safety of American teachers and confirm my impression that the grand vizier is sincere in his efforts to protect.
I will visit him at once or as soon as the session of cabinet ministers closes; the memoranda inclosed, or a copy thereof in French, I will leave with him to keep him mindful of what I will emphasize verbally. The fear of central authority is so slight in a remote province like Mosul that I desire some honest man invested with authority and armed with a military force to be sent there. I asked it in the beginning. The grand vizier thought his orders would suffice. I will press it again, nor will I relax my vigilance until somebody is hurt for assaulting that American lady.
I have, etc.,
Mr. McDowell to Mr. Terrell.
Dear Sir: I beg to inform you that the vali of Mosul on receipt of a telegram from Constantinople sent 10 soldiers here as additional protection to us and to assist in the arrest of those concerned in the attack on Miss Melton.
In consequence of this action there is a decided change in the hearing of the government here toward us. The kaimakam has dropped his insolent hearing and now grants us the night guard which a few days ago he refused.
We have no apprehension for our safety so long as he shows this disposition.
I can not see, however, that he is doing anything more for the apprehension of the guilty parties, although he and all the prominent men in the government say freely that it was done by some one of this place.
There are indications that the person or persons who were the instigators of the affair are too powerful to he handled by the government here.
Some of the most influential men in the place are simply freebooters. Three of them are associated together for just such work. One of their number is a member of the kaimakam’s council.
One of them was the principal in the murder of a priest three years ago. The murder was committed in daylight, within half an hour of the city, on a much frequented road, and before two witnesses. These two witnesses, Syrians, both well known to me, were so intimidated they have never dared to breathe the name of the murderers. Everybody here is said to know who it was, and yet nothing has been done to bring him to justice.
This fear of future vengeance prevents anyone bearing testimony or taking the initiative in securing the arrest of the offenders.
Suspicion points toward one or more of the men referred to, but, although I have used every means possible, having a prominent Koord in my secret service, I have not been able to secure any positive evidence against anyone.
I would like to ask if it would be possible to secure the arrest and punishment of one or more of these men on the strength of their notorious reputation. I presume not.
I am told that the chief men of the place fear the coming of officials of greater power who will hold them responsible for the matter until they have pointed out the guilty ones.
I should think this would be the most effective way, as there can be no doubt but that the guilty parties are known and that only fear or self-interest prevents others testifying against them.
I thank you most heartily for all that you have done, and especially for the promptness of the action which has greatly surprised the people here and will disabuse their minds of the idea that the United States is too far away to know what is done upon her citizens or to do anything for their protection.
Very respectfully, yours,
Ed. McDowell.
[Page 654]July 7.
This letter having been delayed, I add the following for your information:
The kaimakam being pressed to take some action, arrested as the perpetrators of the crime several Syrians of the village of Daree, where the affair happened. Of these, two were priests, one was crazy, and another an old man half blind and too weak to work.
We objected to this. They then prepared a paper for me to sign as a condition of releasing these men, who are our friends. This statement was so worded as to destroy our case against the Government and I refused to sign it.
This angered the kaimakam and his miglis, and they arrested all or nearly all the men of that village, and threw them in prison, giving orders to put those who were members of our church into the lower dungeon.
We have presented a formal statement to the effect that we have no charges to make against the men of Daree and even have no suspicion against them.
We received only an insolent answer to this, one remark of which was that perhaps we ourselves did it.
The outrageousness of this action is apparent in the light of the facts that this Christian village is itself terribly oppressed by the Koords of this place; that they are our people and friends; that there is not the slightest evidence against them, but, that, on the other hand, all the evidence is conclusively to the effect that it was Koords of this town of Amadia who did it: that the kaimakam and the kadi, only the day before they arrested them, told me openly that men of Amadia had done it.
It may be well to say that they justify themselves in this action on the ground that the vali of Mosul in quoting the telegrams sent to you from Mardin said “Mr. McDowell was beaten by the people of a village near Amadia” i. e., Daree and that therefore they have got to arrest those people. This is a mere technicality, but they are using it for all it is worth and they will, I think, make this their defense before the government at Stamhoul that “the message sent was not true;” Mr. McDowell was not beaten at all; that “Miss Melton was only slightly injured;” that “they have not been in any danger;” that we have arrested the men of that village who did it to drive the Americans out of the village. By intimidation they have forced some of the villagers to say that they are not our followers and were not willing to have us come into the village.
But all this is absurd before the facts, which are becoming clearer every day, viz, that the thing was done by some of the chief men of this place, i. e., planned by them and done by their men.
We have evidence that the kaimakam and his council know the very parties who did it, but being complicated with them in other affairs do not dare to do anything, and for this reason are endeavoring either to squelch the affair by denying the truthfulness of the charge or by belittling it and putting it upon that Christian village.
The evidence referred to is: (1) A muleteer of this place, soon after the affair, said to two different parties in Mosul, that “it was well known who did it; that it was Abdul Aziz Agha, who sent two soldiers and three men of Amadia to do it.” (2) An officer in the Government here, a stranger to this place, has made the statement here before two of my men, a physician and a preacher, that it was known by everyone here who did it, but that the kaimakam was afraid to arrest them; that he himself had said to the kaimakam he ought to arrest them. (3) Our secret agent has suddenly grown cold. His manner indicates that he is afraid to go further. Under pressure he told me that he suspicions three persons, but that he has no proof whatever against them and can not testify against them. He has given me these names and the names of their accomplices.
One of the three is the Abdul Aziz referred to. He is a member of the council. The three accomplices are the men who killed the priest a few years ago. Two of these answer to Miss Melton’s description, of the men who beat her. The other two principals with Abdul Aziz are Mustafa Effendi, another member of the council, and Sadullah.
If even a muleteer knows who it was and can give names, it is evident that our man not only has suspicions but knows, and that these names he has given as on suspicion are our men.
(4) The officer sent by the vali of Mosul on his arrival was ready for work, and said he had full authority to act in the case. The kaimakam on that day was broken down and did not venture to cross any of my statements, but only sought to clear himself. The next day, and ever since, we have been able to get nothing out of the special officers. The kaimakam has again become as bold as a lion.
These men are powerful and will stop at nothing to save themselves; but I am sure that, with a little patience and then a strong effort, they can be convicted.
The evidence given is not yet in such a shape that we can offer it to the Government, and we are not ready yet to prefer any charges against these men, But I hope very soon to be able to have such testimony that we can give these names to the Government at Mosul and demand their arrest.
[Page 655]Let these men be punished thoroughly for this crime, and I can assure you that there will be no further trouble in this region for years to come.
If they are not punished it will be very difficult for us to leave this place without loss of life or property.
May I ask you to use your influence to secure the release of the Syrian Christians of Daree. There is not the slightest foundation for any charge against them. They are suffering not only in person but in the loss of their labor in time of harvest. If they are held very long many of them will lose their winter store, upon which alone they have to depend for food.
I have written to Mosul to the vali, asking him to order their release. I have arranged, in case he does not, a special note, which I will write, will be forwarded to you. If such a note does not reach you, you can understand that the vali has attended to the matter, and that you need not take any action In reference to them.
Possibly, in what I have been doing and writing, I may be overstepping the bounds of what is proper in such cases. If so, I hope you will pardon me and attribute it to my ignorance and to the zeal to discover and punish the miscreants who assaulted an American woman.
I am, etc.,
Ed. McDowell.
July 8.
I have made a last effort to secure the release of the Syrians. The government has refused to do so, except on one condition, that I write a statement dropping the case of Miss Melton. They have made this proposition repeatedly. They are now busy writing their side of the case for the Government at Constantinople.
They have tried to intimidate the Syrians again to-day to induce them to say that they were not willing to have us enter their village. This failing, they promised to release them at once if they would so testify. The two priests have been released; whether or not they have made the required statement I do not know.
They are also in other ways trying to belittle the affair and throw it upon us—done by ourselves or servants.
If the telegram sent you said the men of that village attacked Miss Melton the mistake was made in writing the telegram.
Also, they emphasize another point in the telegram as not true, viz, that we were hedged in and could not escape. It was not our intention to say that armed men surrounded us, but that we could not leave Amadia by any road without great danger, it being known that Miss Melton had been beaten and that we could not get redress from the government. This is true to-day. We would not dare to go a day’s journey from this place for fear of being attacked, robbed, and perhaps killed.
The men who committed the deed are here and in the miglis of the kaimakam, and are managing the matter in the government. If their declarations are accepted in Constantinople undoubtedly they will be emboldened to take revenge for pressing them so hard.
I earnestly in treat you to accept none of their statements. It looks somewhat as though they were being instructed by the higher Government in their present action.
It is true that Miss Melton was attacked by armed men; that she was severely beaten by one of them, and only escaped death by virtue of her strong constitution. It is true that unless that these men are arrested and punished we are in danger, and could not leave this place safely, even under escort of soldiers.
Ed. McDowell.
Mr. Terrell to the Grand Vizier.
Constantinople, August 2, 1893.
I renew my assurance of gratification at the prompt measures adopted by your highness to secure the punishment of those who assaulted Miss Melton near Amadia. I desire now to caution your highness against an effort now made by officials at Amadia to divert attention from the guilty parties, corrupt men holding high official position in Amadia directed, as I am informed, the brutal assault on Miss Melton. The same men, I am informed, are now, or were recently, preparing a report to divert attention from the guilty.
Against this conspiracy to smother justice I desire to place your highness on your guard. One of the men who is believed to have a guilty knowledge of the assault is [Page 656] generally regarded as the murderer of a priest three years ago. His influence prevents his arrest.
The fear in Amadia is general that your highness will send there an honest official of superior power to punish the guilty.
If your highness will now send, as I at first requested, an honest official who will require the officials in power at Amadia to surrender to him the guilty parties, they will he delivered and punished. They promise that the guilty parties will be punished in a few days. What my Government expects when an American lady is outraged is the act of punishment, not the promise.
My confidence is in your sense of justice, which I know will prompt you to make the authority of His Imperial Highness the Sultan respected in that remote territory, I do not doubt the good intentions both of His Majesty and of yourself.
I have, etc.,
N. B.—Since writing the above I am in receipt of a letter which indicates that the governor of the province of Mosul is an honest and faithful official.