[Inclosure 1 in No. 78.]
Mr. Dewey to Mr.
Terrell.
American Mission,
Mardin Turkey
in Asia, September 25,
1893.
Dear Sir: Some three weeks ago a telegram came
from you addressed to Mi. Gates, inquiring whether any one had yet been
punished for the outrage upon Miss Melton. Mr. Gates was away at the
time, and Dr. Thorn repeated the telegram to
[Page 690]
Mr. McDowell’s agent in Mosul, who replied: “The
suspected parties are in prison. Will inform you by post.” Since that
time two posts from Mosul have passed, but neither has brought us
anything from Mr. McDowell or his agent. Three days ago I saw a young
man who had just come from Mosul. He could not give me any very definite
information, but thought the principal men of Amadia who had been in
prison bad been released and 20 others imprisoned. Our last letters from
Mr. McDowell expressed fears, apparently well grounded, that the public
prosecutor had been bribed and was doing all he could to block
proceedings. The vali, however, was standing firm and doing all he could
to press matters.
We have reason to fear correspondence has been intercepted, and perhaps
Dr. Thorn’s telegram to you, repeating the telegram of Mr. McDowell’s
agent given above, as (the second day after it was sent) the chief of
police of this city waited upon Dr. Thorn with the salaams* of the
mutessarif, and a copy of the telegram which had been sent back to the
mutessarif by the vali at Diarbekir with a request to know what that
Thom was telegraphing about? We should be glad to know that the telegram
reached you. As for the failure to receive anything by the post from
Mosul these past two weeks, it has happened before now that letters have
been carried by, and two or three weeks later have come back to ns with
the post from above. This may be the case now, and then again it may
not. Where duplicity is the rule rather than the exception, we are not
to be surprised at anything.
I have written Mr. McDowell urging the importance of keeping you fully
informed of the progress of the case. I suppose he will soon be
returning to Mosul with his family, and in any case letters or telegrams
addressed to him at Mosul will be promptly delivered to him, unless
intercepted by the authorities.
In conclusion, allow me to express the very great gratification we all
feel at the vigorous manner in which you are carrying on the case. In
view of taunts sometimes thrown at us that our Government cares nothing
for us, it quickens our national pride and makes us feel that indeed we
are citizens of no mean country.
Very sincerely, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 78.]
Mr. McDowell to Mr.
Terrell.
Amadia
Koordistan,
September 18,
1893.
Dear Sir: Our business in the government at
Mosul, I am sorry to say, is being unnecessarily delayed.
There are certain parties here against whom there is strong suspicion
that they were implicated in the affair, and among them those who
actually assaulted Miss Melton. There is the same evidence against one
of them that there is against those in prison, and the others are their
tools, whom they have often used in such business. All of these men, at
every approach of officers from Mosul, flee to the mountains and remain
in hiding until they leave.
The first referred to is now under arrest for attempting to suborn a
witness by offers of money and threats against his life to testify that
the guilty parties were two certain Syrians and certain Koords of
another district, who by force compelled him to guide them to Miss
Melton’s tent. This man fled to me for protection on last Sunday, as
several Koords, including the one above mentioned, had gone down to his
village to kill him. On Sunday and on Monday they made attempts to get
him out of my yard. Yesterday we went before the kaimakan and made a
statement in effect as above, and these parties were arrested. They
include brothers of three of the prisoners in Mosul, and a servant of
one of them.
It is to be supposed that this piece of business was done without
consulting their friends in Mosul, as they themselves in Mosul are
producing evidence putting the responsibility upon entirely different
parties and from another district.
We now have two witnesses, one a Koord, the other a Syrian, who have
testified before the government that these parties have offered bribes
to give false testimony in order to clear themselves. Of more importance
is their effort to bribe the vali of Mosul, which, I fear from the
reports which reach me, will be successful.
The prisoners have written their friends here that they have about fixed
their business, that they had given a certain sum of money, and that all
that was lacking was a certain valuable horse here which the vali
wanted, and that as soon as it is delivered they will be free. This
testimony is corroborated by the facts that an agent of the vali,
recently paid a visit to the Sheik who has been active in his efforts to
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release these men, and
that the horse referred to has been taken from its owner and sent to
Mosul.
We hear, too, that the prisoners have been removed from prison and placed
in comfortable quarters, and even have freedom to walk in the city.
This report, while there is much to substantiate it, may be exaggerated.
I have written to the vali about it and also to my agent at Mosul.
If it is incorrect and the vali is doing his duty, you will receive a
telegram to the effect that the business is all right. A telegram to the
contrary will give you the substance of this letter and be its
confirmation on its reaching you.
I should have said that the vali promised to have the other parties
arrested. He afterwards said he had sent the orders. The kaimakam denied
receiving them. On asking the vali he said he had sent orders and would
send stricter orders. The kaimakam denies having received them. I am
satisfied that these orders have never come.
There has been a strange reluctance to arrest these parties, who are
still at large; and much lying has been done by the government, both
here and in Mosul, to avoid arresting them. There is no reason why this
business should not be finished speedily. This delay is in keeping with
the usual policy of this government, to let the case drag until they
quietly let it drop.
If these men come back here unpunished all the money they have spent in
bribes and expenses they will collect off of our friends, and sooner or
later will undoubtedly kill some of them.
Their friends here say they will certainly kill me, if these men go
unpunished. I have no doubt but that they will do it if they get the
opportunity. If they are punished I have no fears for myself or our
friends here.
The Koords all over this country have heard of this case and now fear our
Government, and their chief men are making overtures of friendship.
If these men are punished it will make all this region comparatively safe
for ns, if not, this fear and respect for our Government will soon be
dissipated.
We are very thankful to you for the firm attitude you have taken in the
case.
I am, etc.,
