Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress, December 3, 1894

Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham.

Legation of the United States,
Legation of the United States, October 1, 1894. (Received October 13.)

No. 316.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose a note from the Sublime Porte, of the 26th ultimo, announcing final action by the superior provincial court in the case against the assailants of Miss Melton, and requesting from me an expression of approval. I also transmit a copy of my response, dated the 27th ultimo, expressing my approval of the energy displayed by the Turkish Government in the prosecution.

There is a discrepancy between the verbal statement of the grand vizier to me and the note verbale, in that the latter omits the name of Taklio as one of the convicted men. The note verbale was sent by Said Pasha. My telegram was based on the verbal statement of the grand vizier.

The fact that the state’s attorney has appealed from the judgment of acquittal, as to five men found not guilty, you will note. I will personally inspect the evidence when the record reaches here, and urge a conviction or consent to a dismissal as the facts may seem to require.

I have, etc.,

A. W. Terrell.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 316.—Translation—Verbal note.]

Minister of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Terrell.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
September 26, 1894.

In referring to its verbal note of August 15, 1893, the ministry of foreign affairs has the honor to inform the legation of the United States of America that, according to a telegram received from the governor-general of the vilayet of Mosul, the eight men who were under arrest for the act of aggression against Miss Melton at Amadia, those named Abdul Aziz, Eba Bekir, Azo, Ali bin Mahommed, and Pouge, have been acquitted, there being insufficient evidence against them; the three others, Khalil, Abdoullah, and Terho (the two latter have escaped) were condemned to three years’ hard labor, in accordance with article 218 of the penal code.

The court has not taken into consideration the question of civil damages, as no claim was made upon the subject.

The attorney-general of said tribunal having appealed against the judgment acquitting the five prisoners, the judgment, as well as the papers regarding the case have been forwarded to the ministry of justice.

In having the honor to bring the above to the knowledge of the legation of the United States the imperial ministry is persuaded that the legation will be good enough to declare itself satisfied by the results obtained, and consider the incident as closed.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 316.—Verbal note.]

Mr. Terrell to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Legation of the United States,
Legation of the United States, September 27, 1894.

The legation of the United States takes pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the note verbale of the ministry of foreign affairs for the Imperial Ottoman Government, dated the 18th instant. In securing the conviction of the wicked men who beat Miss Melton, a defenseless woman, in 1893, in the vilayet of Mosul, the Ottoman Government has shown an energy and determination to enforce justice worthy of the highest praise. The conviction was effected in a remote province and with many difficulties, which are known to the minister of the United States.

Miss Melton could not even recognize her assailants, but the Turkish Government has detected them in a wild district, nearly a thousand miles from its capital, and has secured their conviction.

The minister of the United States has communicated to Washington his high appreciation of the energy shown by the Turkish Government in this affair, and he would be pleased, if permitted, to inspect the evidence in the case of the five other men in opposition to whose acquittal the attorney-general has appealed to the supreme court.