Mr. Uhl to Mr. Terrell.
Washington, May 27, 1895.
Sir: Your No. 546, of the 8th instant, giving the result of Mr. Riddle’s visit to Brusa to investigate the death of the American citizen George Webber has been received.
[Page 1269]The circumstances as disclosed by your secretary’s report justify the apprehensions which led me to send you my cable instruction of the 20th instant, directing a searching inquiry in the case. An American citizen, whose identity and nationality were fully established by the papers he carried, appears to have been arrested on no charge save mere suspicion and for no other cause than that he happened to be in Asia Minor, where any peaceable and law-abiding American citizen (not a returning Armenian) quietly pursuing his own affairs had a perfect treaty right to be at will. He was, it seems, forced to pay his own and probably his guards’ transportation by rail until his money gave out; and thereupon was conducted on foot, until exhaustion compelled the employment of a wagon, to Brusa, where he died in his cell the following night, alone and unattended. In view of all this, it is obviously incumbent upon the Ottoman Government to establish very clearly that the death of this unfortunate man was not due to the hardship, privation, and neglect he needlessly suffered at the hands of the Turkish officials. And it is expected that steps will be taken and adequate assurance given that American citizens, in the enjoyment of their treaty right of travel and sojourn in the Ottoman dominions, shall not be deprived of liberty in violation of existing treaty stipulations at the whim of suspicious provincial officials.
It is presumed that you will, before this, have presented the matter to the Porte in obedience to my telegram of May 20. The President hopes for your further promised report at an early day, with a view of such additional instructions as the developed facts will warrant.
I am, etc.,