Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress, December 4, 1893

Mr. Gresham to Mr. Terrell.

Department of State,
Washington, August 3, 1893.

No. 30.]

Sir: The Department is in receipt of a letter of the 29th ultimo, from Mr. John Gillespie, secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, a copy of which I inclose, relating to the assault made upon Miss Anna Melton, on or about the 14th June last, at the village of Daree, near Amadia, in the Pashalik of Mosul.

Mr. McDowell, in a letter which is inclosed in Mr. Gillespie’s communication reporting the occurrence and his investigations made immediately thereafter to locate the responsibility for the assault, has accumulated strong evidence tending to incriminate not mountain Koords, who were at first supposed to be the assailants, but soldiers of the garrison of Amadia.

Mr. McDowell then states his conviction, that neither the vali nor the Porte will do anything, assurances notwithstanding, looking towards the punishment of the guilty parties, not, however, that the authorities are not fully able to cope successfully with such incidents occurring in remote provinces, for a number of recent cases in which Koordish chiefs and other offenders have been summarily punished are on record.

While this Department does not accept the writer’s opinion as to the disinclination of the Turkish Government to fulfill its treaty obligations, and while it accepts the assurances given you by the grand vizier, as reported in your cablegram of the 20th ultimo, that he will take every step to insure protection to our missionaries and have those guilty of the present outrage brought to punishment, as most gratifying not only to it but to the very large part of our people who take a deep and earnest interest in the work of our foreign missions, it considers that immediate action on the part of the Porte is not only desirable, but most essential. From the spontaneous assurances given you to that effect by the grand vizier there can be no doubt that these are also the views of the Ottoman Government.

You will, however, press for the issuance of orders for an immediate and thorough investigation by the competent authorities of the circumstances of the case, for adequate punishment of those found guilty, and for the future protection of those of our missionaries residing in Koordistan. Such orders, which so clearly meet the views of the Turkish Government and which it will therefore, unquestionably be most anxious to make, if not issued already, will tend more than any promises to convince our people of the friendly feelings animating the Government of His Majesty the Sultan towards this country and those of its people residing within his dominions.

I append a copy of the cablegram sent you under date of July 31, of which the present instructions are an amplification and explanation.

I am, etc.,

W. Q. Gresham.

[Inclosure in No. 30.]

Mr. Gillespie to Mr. Gresham.

The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church,
53 Fifth Avenue, New York, July 29, 1893.

Sir: On the 17th instant a letter was received at this office from Mr. W. W. Peet, treasurer in Constantinople of the Turkey missions of the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, advising us of an attack made upon our missionaries at Amadia, in the Pashalik of Mosul, on or about the 14th of June, in which one of the ladies connected with this board, Miss Anna Melton, was seriously injured. Later letters from Mr. E. W. McDowell and Miss Melton, dated June 19, giving a full statement of the affair, were received here on the 24th instant. From these it appears that Miss Melton, on whom the assault was committed, was at a village named Daree, about one hour’s ride from Amadia, a mountain town some 75 or 100 miles in a direct line north of Mosul. Miss Melton’s tent was pitched on the roof of the house, a practice common in that country during the summer, the houses being low and flat and extremely hot.

At midnight she was aroused by noise within or without her tent, and when she came to herself discovered a man ransacking her baggage. When she spoke he immediately attacked her with a club, and beat her about the head and body so severely that she was much bruised and covered with blood. As she freed herself from him and rushed from the tent she passed another man. Several guns were fired by other men still not far away, no doubt to frighten the villagers.

We beg to call your attention to the very clear statement of facts, and the evidence implicating the officials at Amadia in this gross outrage as contained in the subjoined copies of the letters of Mr. McDowell and Miss Melton; which show that this attack was deliberately planned and executed by quite a body of men, not for the sake of plunder, but for the purpose of intimidation and to drive the missionaries away from Amadia. Rev. E. W. McDowell has been for six years a missionary of this board in Persia and Turkey, during which period he has proved himself persistent in his work, but wise and conciliatory in his method of pursuing it. For the past three years his residence for nine months of the year has been in Mosul, where a permanent missionary station of this board has been established. Mr. McDowell with his family and Miss Melton, in company with a Nestorian physician, Dr. Daniel, left Mosul on June 1, intending to avoid the intolerable heat of the plains by spending the summer months in the mountain town of Amadia, where Mr. McDowell had purchased a native house. A few days after their arrival at Amadia, on June 5, on the 9th instant Miss Melton went to the Nestorian village of Daree upon the invitation of the people. This district has been visited by American missionaries repeatedly for more than forty years, and Mr. McDowell and Miss Melton spent some weeks there and in Amadia last summer. The fact that the attack was planned and executed so soon after her going to the village, points to the town of Amadia as the place from which it emanated.

Mr. Peet informs us in his letter of the 3d instant that his excellency, Judge Terrell had promptly brought this outrage to the attention of the Sublime Porte, and in a cablegram from Constantinople, dated July 20, Mr. Peet assured us that the Government was giving full protection to our imperiled friends. Protection, however, after the attack is over, without full redress in the punishment of the offenders, means to Turkish officers and people license to do what they please in the future. We rely on the good sense and firmness of Judge Terrell, supported by energetic instructions from Washington, to obtain such redress. Many cases must be well known to the State Department of criminal neglect, if not the active participation of Turkish officials, wherein citizens of the United States have been insulted with impunity and even put in peril of their lives because their Government is considered by the Turks so distant and ineffective. We may refer to the case of Dr. Reynolds attacked by Moussa Bey, but persistently shielded by the Turkish Government. And again to the affair of the Rev. E. W. McDowell and Dr. John Wishard, both of the American Presbyterian Mission, with its headquarters in Mosul, who in May, 1889, were robbed in broad daylight in a village well known, and by men who could have been named, and against whom evidence could have easily been established. The case was fully presented to Minister Straus, then in charge of the legation in Constantinople, who made complaint to the Turkish Government; but no redress was ever secured.

We believe it is to the interest of every American citizen entering Turkey, whether as merchant, traveler, or as a missionary, that our Government should take decided action in securing redress for these unprovoked attacks upon its citizens acting clearly within their treaty rights, carrying passports viséd by the Turkish Government, as well as Turkish passports.

We are pleased to acknowledge the good offices of the American ministers, backed as they have been by our Government at Washington in securing justice in the Marsovan incident, and in the case of Dr. Bartlett, of Smyrna.

Considering the remoteness of Amadia and the long time which must elapse for mail advice to reach that place, we would urge that your prompt and energetic instructions be sent to our minister at Constantinople by cablegram, as from experience we know the Sublime Porte pays ten times more attention to a cablegram than to a message sent by the slow process of the ordinary mails. Such action on your part would greatly contribute toward the speedy punishment of those who so nearly were the murderers of an American woman, and to the future safety of many other American families similarly exposed to wanton outbreaks in other parts of that Empire.

Respectfully yours,

John Gillespie,
Secretary.

[Inclosure 1 in inclosure in No. 30.]

Miss Melton to Mr. Grant.

Amadia Turkey, June 19, 1893.

My Dear Mr. Grant: I can not express the regret I feel in telling you of the events of the past week, and be assured that it is only the bearing they have upon the work of the Gospel that would induce me to do it.

Last summer, or a portion of it, Mr. McDowell and I spent in this region and were cordially received by the Christians. Especially did there seem to me advantage arising from our stay in Daree, a Syrian village within less than an hour of Amadia. On reaching this place, June 5, a cordial invitation came from Daree that I should come to their place. We had previously decided that in company with Kasha Zkhuria (Pastor Zacharias) and his sister I should visit the Christian villages around Amadia such as we considered safe and expedient. Daree seemed to be one of the best of these. We talked over the matter of taking a soldier. On the one hand seemed these reasons: The soldiers, such as they would give us from a place like this, are especially degraded men. The Government does not wish to give them, and so we are repeatedly refused. The villagers are unwilling to have soldiers around. The soldiers are not always noted for bravery and it is impossible to carry on our work by such means. On the other hand, if anything should happen the Government could not say, “Why did you go without permission?” We decided not to ask for a soldier but to employ a servant, one of the principal men of the village, one of the old Nestorian church, but who is friendly to us. Having made such arrangements on Friday, 9th instant, we established ourselves in Daree.

My servant, Mar Yacoo, thought night watchmen wholly unnecessary, and, from past experience, I know they are usually asleep, especially when everything seemed as quiet as at Daree. Mar Yacoo repeatedly assured me he was up looking after things every hour of the night. All was quiet till Wednesday the 14th. No stranger had been in the village and no word of the kind to arouse suspicion had been heard. The people of the village were becoming more friendly every day. On Wednesday evening I was taken with a slight chill and retired soon after Sunset, not gathering the women for prayers as usual. When the fever came on I fell asleep. Some time in the night I was awakened by what I thought was some one hammering on the shackles on the mule’s feet. I raised up and listened, but, hearing some one walking in the direction of where my servant should be, I at once concluded it was he, and lay down with no suspicions. The fever had left me. The refreshing mountain air was blowing in upon me. The noise with the mule had ceased and I thought, Surely this is a place where one will get rest and strength for a hard winter’s work; how pleasant it is to he here! and immediately fell asleep, to be awakened—I know not how long after—by some one fumbling in the hourge (bag) of provisions. Turning, I saw some one squatting by the hourge, Supposing it to be the girl Baharee, I said, “Is that you, Baharee?” There was no reply, but she has a way of not answering when first spoken to, so I repeated the question. When the figure rose up I saw it was a man, but, from general appearance, as I saw him in the dim light, I thought it was the servant, Mar Yacoo, and said, “Mar Yacoo, what are you doing here; what do you want?” He started toward the bed. I cried out, “Mar Yacoo, don’t come here.” He had a large walking stick, such as is in common use here, and began striking at me. The blows were warded off by a frame I have over my bed for supporting a curtain or net. At the first attack I began screaming and calling for Kasha. He broke the frame from the bed, and with one of the sticks—1¼ inches square, with beveled corners—commenced beating me over the head. I was tangled in the net and was perfectly helpless, but freed myself, I don’t know how it was, but grabbing the stick I wrenched it from him with ease. He immediately took hold of me with his hands, and it seemed to me he was Satan himself, and with more than natural force I loosened his grasp and held his hands so that he could do nothing. It was only for a moment, for, with an oath, he flung me across the tent. I then noticed another man whom I took to be Kasha. I ran to him, saying, “O, Kasha, help me;” but he put me aside and picked up the hourge and carried it, and I knew it was not Kasha. In the meantime guns had been fired on the mountain, above the village. The first man was picking up things to carry out, and striking me at long range. I went outside the tent, where I found Baharee beating her head and wailing, O, why have they poured ashes on our heads?” Stunned, bewildered, and affrighted, I replied, “You know I have never poured ashes on any man’s head; where is Kasha.” “O, when you first cried he threw himself over the wall and fled, and Mar Yacoo has fled, and the whole village has fled, and we are all alone.”

I had before this felt stunned and terrified as if in some terrible nightmare in which if I could only hold on till some one could hear and come I would be saved; but now to know that I, with this girl, was left alone in the hands of these men gave me such a feeling of despair as I can never describe. Baharee began begging mercy of the men in Koordish. The first man carrying out my bedding stepped toward me and gave me a terrible stroke across the abdomen with the head of his cane. In doing this he slipped and fell off the roof, and then for some reason, we know not why, they went away. They seem to have taken only those things they had in hand at the time, viz: A bedquilt, a native lantern in box, a tin box of caudles, and an empty hourge. The contents of the tent had been taken outside ready to be carried away. Why they did not take them is a mystery.

As soon as they had gone, Baharee began beating her head and wailing, “O, you are killed, you are killed! “I looked and saw I was covered with blood and felt it running down from my head, and thought, What if I faint here alone with this girl and those men come back? Shaking her by the arm I said, “Baharee, if I faint, you are to let me lie, and pour cold water on my head. Get the water now.” She picked up a jug that was at hand, but wailed, “O, I can’t, I can’t pour it on you; you are so full of blood.” “Yes, you can; you must.” The doing of something definite seemed to give her more presence of mind and she cried out, “Come back: the robbers have gone. They have killed khanum (the lady); O, come back.” The charm word, “The robbers have gone,” brought them back. I tried to get some one to carry the word to Mr. McDowell’s, for I thought that if the Government could send soldiers after them at once they might be able to capture them, but no one would leave the village till morning light. I bound my head up in tannic acid, wrote a note to Mr. McDowell, and then, with the men in and around the tent with their guns, waited for the morning. As I looked around on the villagers and their guns, I felt there was not one among them but what if the robbers came back would take to his heels. Baharee says she was awakened by some one choking her and telling her to keep still, and she was so frightened she did so. Kasha says he was wakened by my cries for him and a gun was fired near his head. Having no weapon with which to defend himself, he thought the best thing was to run. He jumped off the roof and hurt his knee, and in trying to avoid the men he saw by the tent he fell over a wall and hurt his foot. Meeting Deacon Lanzer, who asked, “What shall we do?” he replied, “Save ourselves;” and that seemed to be the thought in everybody’s mind, and the Lord looked on and saved us all. “With a strong hand and with a stretched out arm” He did save us, and more, He sustained ns after He had saved us. In an incredibly short time after the messenger left Mr. McDowell came. We examined things to find all the evidence possible, which was meager indeed, and then came to Amadia, where Dr. Daniel dressed my head more skillfully than I had been able to do it. There were three broken places, the largest about the size of a 25-cent piece, but the top of my head and forehead were well bruised—one stroke by the left eye, one on the right cheek, and one on the chin. The left arm and shoulder were badly bruised, also a heavy stroke on right arm and on abdomen; but I am glad to say they are all healing rapidly and there is no sign of permanent injury.

No doubt I will be criticised by the stations of this mission and also by the church at home. It will probably be said, first, “Why were you in Daree?” I was in Daree for the same reason I am in Turkey. Second, “Why were you alone?” Mr. McDowell could not leave his family and there was no one else to be with me. Third, “Why were you so wholly unprotected?” I thought I was well protected. I considered Kasha Jkhuria the very best substitute for an American in all our field, and I can not tell you my surprise and disappointment at his utter desertion. Fourth, “Why did you take anything of value to excite the Koords?” The only thing of value I had was the mule, and they evidently did not want her, else they would have taken her. I should have said we could find no signs of hammering or tampering with the shackles, so we think that must have been a false alarm; but all the men of the village say they were not walking about the tent during the night. In the tent I had my bed and only necessary bedding and traveling table or chair, a hourge of provisions, including a small amount of flour, rice, etc., and in the other hourge rubber goods, a change of clothing, and a few books, writing material, and a small amount of medicine, by my bed a hand bag containing toilet case and small change for purchasing such things as the village afforded, milk, eggs, etc., also the lantern and candle boxes. Nothing of a suspicious appearance and nothing but what was necessary for a moderate degree of comfort. Fifth, “You ought to know the mountains by this time, that there is no safety in them.” No one knows that better than we. We keep our schools in Mosul with threats hanging over our heads. We run a risk in going from village to village. We were robbed eleven and one half hours from Mosul. We were attacked in Hassan. Thieves were about us in Delhi. There is not a safe place in the field that we know of. If we do anything we must do it at a risk. If we are not to take risk we must quit the field. There seemed the least risk about this as about anything I could do. There may be many others that will suggest themselves to on-lookers after the event has happened. Those given here are, I should have had a light in my tent; I should not have spoken when I saw the man; I should have crept out the back way and run. These last are foolish. I give them only that you may know the way the people look at the matter. In their eyes one of the worst features is I didn’t have enough ingenuity to run.

Mr. McDowell has told you of our situation here and the bearing this has upon the work. We can not tell you our sorrow and deep regret that this has been added to the already heavy burden laid upon our station in this region and it will extend to Mosul. It really seems if we can not be sustained better than formerly there will be a loud call for martyrs, and it may be this is the real need of the field, and that after the sacrifice has been made the mountains may be won for Christ. They are His and surely must return to Him.

Sincerely yours,

Anna Melton.

[Inclosure 2 in inclosure No. 30.]

Mr. McDowell to Mr. Grant.

Amadia, Turkey, June 19, 1893.

Dear Brother: I am sorry to write what will give the Board great concern. Miss Melton has been beaten by some Koords. Her injuries might well have proved fatal, but we are thankful to say that they are not so serious as to endanger her life.

The facts are as follows: A few days after we reached Amadia, Miss Melton, in pursuance of the plan she had formed for her summer’s work, took her tent and went to Daree, a Syrian village less than an hour from the city. There has been work in this village intermittently since the time of Dr. Lobdell, but it has been interrupted these last ten years. The people are friendly and were glad to have her come. She expected to spend a week or two there, return to the house for a brief rest, and then go to another village.

Her tent was pitched on the roof of a house of the village. Pastor Zkurya, a man in whom we had much confidence as to his bravery, was sent with her as protection and to help her in the work. He slept only a few feet from her tent. Her servants, the owner of the house, his brother, and their family, slept on a roof just below her. On other roofs, only a few feet away, there were other families. Besides these a man from Tiary slept on the roof with his servant, both of these having guns. Miss Melton, for the sake of precaution, suggested having a watchman at night, but her servant declared that such a thing was absolutely unnecessary, especially since there were so many men sleeping around her tent. As we had spent some days there last summer in perfect quiet she the more readily accepted his statement. Had she taken them she would only have added to the number of sleeping men.

Last Wednesday night (June 14) Miss Melton was awakened by some one in her tent. The man seeing she was awake, struck at her several times with a heavy cane. The wooden frame of her mosquito net protected her from these blows. This seemed to anger her assailant. He tore the frame away in a fury, seized one of the sticks (over an inch square), and beat her over the head and body. She was entangled in her net and for a moment was helpless, but in a moment she freed herself and, how she was able to do it she does not know, she wrested the stick from him and seized his hands. He called upon God several times before he succeeded in thro wing her off. He then again beat her with his cane. She had been screaming for help, and another man entering the tent, she took him for Pastor Zkurya and ran to him for protection. Ho was another Koord, however, who pushed her aside, not at all roughly, and began to gather up the things in the tent. Her assailant thereupon did the same. Miss Melton rushed outside and found only her servant girl, the only one of all the village who had not fled. The Koord coming out of the tent and seeing Miss Melton again beat her with his cane, inflicting blows upon the abdomen which might well have killed her. The cane had a curved head. The next day the print of this was left entire upon her body.

In striking this last blow he fell from the roof, which was not high. At this they all disappeared suddenly.

Besides those who entered the tent there were others who played their part. One at the beginning, choked the servant girl, who was sleeping just outside the tent, and frightened her into silence. Others were stationed among the rocks, two or three rods away, who at the first outcry from Miss Melton fired their guns. At this, as was intended, the entire village fled, including all of Miss Melton’s protectors, not except even the pastor, who rushed by the tent at the very time Miss Melton was being beaten and was calling upon him.

Koords in leaving carried off only a few things, and they of but little value. Why they left so suddenly and without carrying off other things is a mystery to us, as there was nothing to hinder their taking everything, not only of Miss Melton, but of the village.

After the Koords had gone, the villagers began to return, but still so frightened that none of them would stir from the village until daylight, when one was made willing to carry a letter to me. I went at once to the kaimakam (the governor of the city) who had not yet risen. I had him wakened, but as he was slow coming I left Hakim Daniel to inform him of the trouble and to ask him to send the proper officers and soldiers to investigate and act as might be necessary. Shortly after I reached the city, three soldiers came, sent, not by the kaimakam but by an under officer who did so on his own responsibility, seeing me leave the city.

The kaimakam reprimanded him for this and refused to send any one else. But on my sending another messenger from the village, he sent out another subordinate officer, whom we found sitting by the road on our return to the city.

On reaching Daree I found everything quiet; Miss Melton, wonderful to say, aside from her bandaged head, which she had dressed herself, gave no evidence of having passed through such a terrible experience.

I secured all the light possible on the affair, including some things left by the robbers, and then no officer appearing, accompanied Miss Melton to the city, where Hakim Daniel dressed her wounds.

I went again to the Kaimakam, who at first displaced some anger and was not inclined to do anything, on the ground that Miss Melton had no business to go to the village, and in going had not asked permission or taken a soldier with her. After some plain words on my part, however, he promised to do all in his power to discover and arrest the perpetrator of the outrage. He sent officers to take Miss Melton’s testimony that day, i. e., Thursday. But not until Saturday did they go to the village. I went with them. The sum total of testimony was, “we were awakened by the guns, were frightened, and fled.”

No one saw the men nor knew how many there were. Excepting the servant girl, they all, including those who slept not 10 feet from the tent, testified under oath, that they did not hear Miss Melton’s cries. This, in spite of the fact that on their return to Miss Melton, they confessed to her that they did hear her.

At this moment, the woman of the house, who was the first to hear, and wakened the men, telling them that, some one was killing Miss Melton, and who, after the affair came to her and saw her wounds and the night clothes drenched in blood, and who under oath and with the strongest imprecations upon herself if lying, declared she did not hear Miss Melton’s voice, saw no blood and no wounds, that woman is just now with Miss Melton confessing that she and all the others who testified, lied, that they did hear her voice and were afraid to go to her help.

The examiners repeatedly expressed the greatest astonishment that such a thing could happen and those people sleeping so near not hear it. They are evidently going to make a scapegoat of the owner of the house, who, as I said, is Miss Melton’s servant, the above testimony being so evidently a lie as to give them a pretext for this. The villagers had agreed among themselves as to this testimony, fearing that if they confessed having heard her cries and not having come to her assistance they would be held responsible. The first question is, who did it? We are satisfied that it was done by men of this city itself, and submit the following in evidence:

(1) There is nothing that would suggest outside Koords, and, on the contrary there are circumstances which preclude an attack from those most likely to do such a thing. They had not had time to learn of her position and to plan such an attack. The two bands of Koords most given to such work are just now out with the Amadians and would not venture in these regions except in force.

(2) These positive proofs: (a) It was a carefully planned attack by those who knew the village and the situation generally, (b) The servant girl in her struggle with one of them learned by sight and touch that the clothes of the man were those of the Amadians, not those of mountain Koords, the difference being great, (c) Miss Melton’s assailant, as did the others, spoke in Koordish, but in swearing said not “Ya Khudai” (Oh God), which the mountain Koords invariably do, but “Ya Allah,” the Arabic term. The soldiers here and others of the city, who have been on the plain more or less, use the latter term more as an oath, (d) The kind of stick used, while common through the country, is specially used by the Amadians. (e) The first impulse of a mountaineer when angry is to use his dagger. There was no dagger used nor none seen. The soldiers are using constantly just such sticks in beating the villagers, but never go so far as to use their daggers, which are not always carried by them. A Koord having begun in such a spirit would not have left her alive. It would be natural for a soldier, as he often does, to give a beating without killing, (f) At the place from which the guns were fired were found two empty cartridge shells and two cartridges, which had missed fire and been thrown, out. Three of these were for the Martini rifle, the other for a rifle of another make. The first-mentioned rifle is the government rifle, a few of which are found among the Koords. The second has been introduced more recently, and there are absolutely none of them in the hands of the Koords. To show the strength of this evidence, I would say that in my first interview I showed these cartridges and shells, together with a pipe, to the kaimakam and judge. On seeing them they both involuntarily exclaimed, “Why, the thing was done by men of this city.” Then, seeing what the admission meant, they endeavored to turn it aside and grew quite angry as we held to that position.

Again I showed these things to a Koordish agha here, a friend of ours, who on seeing them said at once it was the work of Amadians.

A pipe and a piece of bread were found at the place where the men fell from the roof, but as yet they afford us no light. All these things excepting the bread are in my possession.

The brother of the Kaimakam is such a man as would be suggested by the above evidence. He is a notoriously wicked man and is frequently engaged in robberies, as contributor or receiver of plunder. He is an officer of the Government and has soldiers under him.

He had called on me previous to the affair and expressed his friendship. He was on hand the morning alter when I brought the matter before the government. He came to the house along with the officers who took Miss Melton’s testimony, although he had no business whatever with it. Quite early in the morning before I had returned from Daree and before I had made complaint before the governor he went to Haikiin Daniel and had a conversation with him on the subject, and in the conversation referred to what our Government would likely do or not do. There was something unnatural in all this. It is of very frequent occurrence in this city for soldiers to be used in just such affairs.

I should have added as having a general bearing against the men of this place, that some of the chief men of this city are very much opposed to our being here.

Supposing they wished to drive us out, as there is now talk of doing, this would explain the very curious departure of the men having beaten Miss Melton according to instruction, as an act of intimidation which might induce us to leave, they threw over their shoulders whatever came to hand. Those who fired the guns would have come down into the village and plundered it.

The act and the attitude of these men towards us, together with all the evidence, clearly point to some one here in the city. It might be the person mentioned above, it might be others. Miss Melton herself can give no other light than that one of them, her assailant, was a large man and had a short beard, the other was a small man.

The government here in all probability will do absolutely nothing towards punishing these men. The same is true of the government in Mosul and in Constantinople if left to their own wills. They will take the ground (1) that the letter we brought from the vali of Mosul stated only that we came to this place for health reasons and therefore had no business in the villages doing religious work. (2) That Miss Melton went without consulting the Government and without securing a soldier. (3) That the Government is not able to protect us in the villages.

How much weight should be given by our Government to these statements? If I may be permitted to express my opinion, none at all, so far as demanding satisfaction and protection for us is concerned.

(1) Whatever may have been stated by the vali in his letter to this government, we were clearly within the rights granted by the treaty to American missionaries. The people were under our spiritual oversight, had invited us to their village to give them spiritual instruction; there are no Moslems there and we were working solely for our own people.

(2) As to seeking permission and a guard, (a), there is no such obligation resting upon us every time we stir from the city, to go an hour’s journey, the treaty certainly giving us the right to travel freely within such reasonable limits of Government protection, (b) Such a guard is not necessary in such a village, supposing the Government to be performing its ordinary duty in the prevention of crimes, duties clearly within its power even here, as there is abundant evidence to show, (c) The requirement is used by the Government to defeat the purposes of the treaty. They never find it convenient to give such soldiers as they have been refused to us; so that we are shut up to either abandoning the work or to go in disobedience to the orders of the Government (if we comply with this requirement it will in large measure hinder our work), which must, to a certain extent, be conceded to them, which, nevertheless, is a weight upon our work. The presence of soldiers with the missionaries in a village would create friction between the latter and the villagers, who are oppressed by the soldiers even when in the service of the missionaries. It is evident that the Government will never aid us in our work to the extent of putting a soldier at our elbow every place we go, and just as evident that if it would do so, the work could not go on under such a policy.

(3) As to the ability of the Government to protect us in the villages. The alleged inability is simply Government crookedness in dismissing offenders for a bribe. By reason not of inability of the Government, but of its culpable looseness, men are bold to commit such deeds.

To show that the government has power—two years ago, when we were in Bohtan, we were threatened by a strong Koorclish agha in the mountains, and it was said the government could not protect us. But while we were still there the General Government sent its orders, a company of soldiers went up to his castle, took him from the midst of his own men, and carried him off, all for taxes.

This government, a few months ago, went up into Berwer and arrested a strong Koordish agha in his own house. He is here now on parole, at liberty to move about the city, and even to accompany government officers into the country, but does not dare to violate his parole. A still more powerful chief was arrested even further back in the mountains and kept here in prison until recently, when he was sent to Mosul.

Last summer the Sultan sent a special agent to Mosul to make certain reforms. He acted vigorously, punishing indiscriminately the little and great, the poor and rich, and did this with no other means than were in the hands of previous governors. In a week’s time the terror of his name spread throughout the mountains and deeds of violence ceased. Every road and every village was safe for the time being—the Koordish agha forgot to oppress the Syrian village; the poor man here could take his donkey and load of wheat and go, night and day, alone, without fear, to Mosul. I know these things from personal observations, for I was in the mountains at the time, both here and in Bohtan.

This government can govern and protect us, whether on the road or in the village, and that not by sending soldiers with us, but by governing. Had the men who robbed us in Tkhoma been punished, as they easily might have been; had the men who robbed us near Telkeif been punished, as they might have been punished, this affair would never have happened. It is a word in everybody’s mouth that our Government never does anything for us, that we have no king. This is the persuasion of the local government.

We are not protected, not because the government here can not, but because our Government does not demand it. What can be done! As to final action I do not know, but as to immediate action looking toward our protection while the case is being investigated and until we are able to reach Mosul, which will not be till fall, I would respectfully suggest that the strongest influence be brought to bear upon the State Department to have them telegraph to Constantinople, demanding that orders he telegraphed at once to Mosul to take necessary steps to secure our safety until the case can be investigated. That such prompt and decided action is called for our situation shows.

Miss Melton has just narrowly escaped death and that, in all probability, at the hands of men in this city, possibly by a government officer. There are powerful men here who find our presence obnoxious to them as bringing light upon their wickedness. Threats have been made that they will put us out.

The government’s inaction as to previous cases and now as to this, emboldens them as to still more desperate deeds.

In the present disturbed condition of the country they could have the deed done, and without positive evidence it would not be known on whom of a dozen different kinds of Koords to lay the blame. They can simply force us to leave the city without actually committing murder or robbery, and yet once outside of the city our lives would not be worth a farthing. Being forced out and being without government protection, there are any number of desperate men who would finish the work. We are not saying how great the danger is—only God knows that. The situation is as I have described it. It seems to us sufficiently serious to call for the above action.

The logic of human nature reaches the same conclusion. Just as truly as that, if unchecked, the liar will lie, the thief steal, the murderer commit crime, just so surely must we expect men, if unchecked, to commit such deeds upon us. None are more helpless just now than we; none, to their mind, offer a greater prize as a reward for such violence. Their religion as well as their nature spur them to the deed, rather than restrain them. If that is taken away violence will surely follow and the smaller deed will prepare the way for the greater until there will be a catastrophe too dreadful to contemplate.

I am driven to speak thus strongly by thinking of our women and children in the hands of brutish men or wandering alone among these hills to fall into the hands of even more desperate men or to die from exposure; these things, with the previous inaction of our Government. I am sure, remembering the little ones and how far from help they are, you will do all in your power to secure prompt and decisive action on the part of our Government.

I send by this mail letters to Constantinople to our U. S. minister, explaining the situation and asking him to do all in his power to secure the above action in advance from word of the home Government.

To telegraph from this side is out of the question, so that we are forced to wait on the slow mail to carry word to Constantinople.

Now, on the other hand, dear brother, I do not want you or other friends to be unduly exercised in mind for us. We are not in a panic. We are quite cheerful and going ahead with our usual work.

I visited a village as usual yesterday, the women having no hesitation about being left alone. We are hopeful that we can pass the summer without further serious trouble. We propose to take every precaution and use every means to secure the friendship of the better class of the chief men, by which we hope to be able to neutralize the enmity of the others. I had already exchanged calls with the most prominent of them and found them, with one exception, very pleasant.

Above all, in prayer we find a constant source of strength and grace. We have been made to realize the personal presence of Christ, who we feel to be all sufficient, let come what will. I am amazed at how Miss Melton has endured not only the injuries but the shock to her nervous system. God grant there may no evil after effects appear.

We shall pray incessantly that yon may be able to secure such action as not only will secure our safety for the summer, but will also give us more freedom in our work.

I perhaps ought to add that I have a private detective on the track of the robbers, a Koord of more than usual intelligence, of high position, but hostile to the parties who are likely to have done the deed. He is our friend and has been the friend of our people for many years. He is confident that he can give us sufficient evidence to convict the parties. He is in a position to know everything going on and being talked of.

Very sincerely, yours,

E. W. McDowell.