Mr. Terrell to Mr.
Olney.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, September 24,
1895. (Received Oct. 11.)
No. 630.]
Sir: Referring to my No. 627,1 of the 18th instant, relative
to the case of Melcoun Guedjian, 1 have the honor to supplement my
report
[Page 1305]
by the following
summary of facts reported to me by Mr. Poche, consular agent at
Aleppo.
Melcoun Guedjian, now confined in the Central Prison of Aleppo, claims to
have spent eight years in the United States, to have been naturalized in
Boston in December, 1894, and to be part owner of a house situated at
No. 36 Wheeler street, Lynn, Mass., where he says he pays taxes to the
amount of 840 or $50 annually.
It would seem that Guedjian left the United States in the early part of
the present year, as he claims to bear a passport dated January 1, 1895.
On his way from America to Asia Minor he stopped in London for five
months, which he spent with the Huntchaguist Society. The object of this
society (of which Guedjian has been a member for three years) is stated
by him to be the obtaining of “complete reforms; economic reforms;
freedom of the press; universal suffrage; suppression of local
passports, as in Europe.” On his leaving London the society intrusted
him with the sum of £760, which he states was for distribution among the
Armenian poor in certain districts of northern Syria.
This holy mission, he says, was undertaken by him in the interest of the
Government, in order to prevent an uprising among the Armenians made
desperate by misery, for the Huntchaguist Society hearing that the
Sultan had proclaimed a general amnesty and that reforms would soon
follow were desirous above all things to prevent any acts of a
revolutionary nature. On his arrival at Alexandretta at the end of July,
Guedjian bribed a boatman for £4 to land him at a distant point of the
town, thereby evading custom-house and police inspection. Soon
afterwards, as he was journeying into the interior, he was set upon by a
large band of men and his baggage all taken from him; he himself, having
a horse, escaped to the mountains. A night or two afterwards his horse
was stolen, and he thereupon decided to go to Antioch and lay complaint
before the authorities. On entering Antioch he went at once to the
residence of the subgovernor and presented himself as an Englishman (“Je
me suis rendu au Conak et me suis présenté comme anglais”). The kaimacam
accordingly took him before the English consul, to whom Guedjian stated
his grievance, viz, that his effects had been taken from him. On hearing
this the kaimacam reassured him by saying, “My son, your effects are
here. I have put them under seal. We were looking for you.” Guedjian was
then interrogated at length and the facts stated above were elicited
from him.
After this he was moved to Aleppo, the capital of the province, where he
underwent a second examination. A translation of the indictment against
him is inclosed herewith. The result of this trial was a sentence of
imprisonment for the term of one hundred and one years. Notwithstanding
the numerous protests and demands of Consular Agent Poche, he was never
allowed to see Guedjian or to communicate with him. The passport which
he claimed to possess was never shown by the authorities,
notwithstanding Mr. Pocke’s repeated requests to be permitted to inspect
it. The information concerning the man’s movements and intentions which
is contained in this dispatch was all comprised in two communications
from Guedjian, which he succeeded in having smuggled out of his prison
and conveyed to Mr. Poche by an Armenian friend.
On receipt of Mr. Poche’s telegram, a copy of which is inclosed, and of
his dispatches containing a detailed statement of facts which is
embodied in this dispatch, I addressed a telegram to you and also
forwarded a note on the subject to the grand vizier, copies of winch are
herewith inclosed. It is important that I should receive an instruction
in regard to the inquiry-contained in the last sentence of my telegram
[Page 1306]
to you, for with the
example of protection I have already set in the case of Mardiros
Mooradian, I fear a fresh inundation of Armenian revolutionary
emissaries in the guise of American citizens.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
630.—Translation.]
Indictment marked “e.”
The council of accusations, consisting of the second president of the
Aleppo criminal court of first instance, Hassan Sami Effendi, and of
the members Mehmed Murad and Habid Effendis, the public prosecutor
of appeals, Husni Bey, being also present, met in the room set apart
for deliberations.
The record clerk was caused to read the documents of the
investigation, including the investigations of the examining
magistrate of the court of the first instance of the capital of the
province, and also the requisition (No. 219, August 26, 1311) of the
said public prosecutor in the case of Melcon of Harpout [this is the
American citizen, Melcoun Guedjian], son of Tashji Hohannes; Kevork
of Haji Jilis, son of Tujjar Mamas; Muleteer Garabed of Beilan, son
of Apraham, who were arrested near the village of Haji Jilis, in the
commune of Suedien; Gunsmith Garabed, son of Babik of Aintab;
Serkis, son of Avedis of Aintab and brother-in-law to the above;
Muleteer Apraham, son of Boghos of Antioch; and Muleteer Manouk, son
of Hohannes, who were captured at the place called Hajii Getchen,
near Antioch, while crossing in a boat.
These men having been arrested while going to aid and abet in the
extension of the seditious undertaking of the person named Aghasi,
who is now engaged in seditious undertakings and efforts to seduce
the inhabitants of Suedieh, Antioch, and of the Armenian villages of
that vicinity with the purpose of separating from the control of the
Government a portion of the territories of the Ottoman Empire.
The following are the contents of the said requisition [of the public
prosecutor]:
As to the man named Melcon, he has confessed that he was carrying 700
and more liras, together with a number of letters and treasonable
instructions given by the central authority at London of
Huntchaguist revolutionary committee, for aiding and abetting the
extension of the seditious operations of the person named Aghasi,
who is engaged in seditious undertakings and in seducing and
corrupting the inhabitants of Suedieh and of the adjacent Armenian
villages; that he came from London to Cyprus; that having received
from certain seditious persons there pernicious documents and
letters, he was arrested when about to reach the presence of Aghasy.
These facts were fully exposed and proved by the 700 and more gold
pieces found upon him and by the contents of a number of pernicious
documents and letters also found upon him.
As to the said Kevork and the Muleteer Garabed, it is evident that
they were leading men of the revolutionists who had entered into the
seditious plans of Aghasy, from the fact that they were taken with
the man Melcon, whom they had clandestinely met at Alexandretta, and
whom they were taking from village to village to bring him to the
presence of Aghasi. This is confirmed by their manner of expression
and by the contents of pernicious documents which came to light on
searching the house of Kevork.
As to the others, it has been learned partially from their evasive
excuses and answers and fully and directly from the letters and
papers found upon them, that they were intending to do service, by
learning the use of arms, acts of brigandage, and other evil
practices from the rebel who, under the assumed name of Ohan, is
engaged in extending sedition and in carrying seditious
correspondence between Aintab, Aleppo, and Antioch, and that when
captured they were going to the presence of the said Aghasi. When
they were captured, there were found upon them two bags of
Winchester and Martini cartridges, various tools for the manufacture
of arms, two double-barreled shotguns, and three revolvers.
Sufficient evidence having been found to require the indictment of
all of them in this way, it is requested that it be decided by the
court to indict them for felony under the first clause of the
appendix to the fifty-fourth article of the Criminal Code, with
which their acts and conduct are in conformity.
Having heard the argument orally delivered upon this point by the
public prosecutor, action was taken as required by the two hundred
and sixth article of the law of proceedure for criminal courts.
The court then, on the 26th of August, 1311, unanimously decided that
the papers show that the accused, Melcon, Muleteer Garabed, Gunsmith
Garabed, and his brother-in-law Serkis, Apraham and Manouk, were
captured while going to aid and abet the
[Page 1307]
extension of the seditious operations of the
person named Aghasi, who is engaged in seditious undertakings near
Suedieh with a view of taking out from the control of the Government
a portion of the dominions of the Ottoman Empire; and that the
indications and circumstances set forth in the requisition of the
public prosecutor are found to be sufficient for this
indictment.
That their actions being felonious acts, which require the
application of the first clause of the appendix of the fifty-fourth
article of the Criminal Code, they be indicted for felony, their
trial to be conducted before the criminal court of appeal at Aleppo,
and that they being already in custody there is no need for an order
for their arrest, and it is simply ordered that they be transferred
to the jail for felons of the said court.
[Seal of the council of accusation.]
[Inclosure 2 in No.
630.—Telegram.]
Mr. Poche to Mr.
Terrell.
[undated.]
(Received Sept. 20.)
My insistence with vali remains without effect. The vali declared
that without an order from the minister he would give neither paper
nor passport belonging to Guedjian. It is consequently impossible to
examine into his right to American protection. According to my
information Guedjian owns part of a house in Lynn, Mass., 36 Wheeler
street. Naturalization paper from Boston also, dated 28th December,
1894. Passport from Boston also, dated 1st January, 1895. Against
arrest, sentence, detention of passport and money, and against all
consequences, I have protested afresh.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
630.]
Mr. Terrell to
the Grand Vizier.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, September 23, 1895.
Your Highness: Melcoun Guedjian, a
naturalized citizen of the United States, has, I am informed, been
sentenced at Aleppo to a long period of imprisonment without notice
to the consular agent at that city, and against his protest. * * * I
demand to know the facts, that I may know whether he has forfeited
my protection. A refusal by the Turkish Government to permit a
consular agent of the United States to see and converse with a man
in prison who bears an American passport, as was done in the case of
Guedjian, is not calculated to strengthen the cordial relations
which have always happily existed between the two Governments, and I
now formally protest against the execution of the sentence and
demand that it be suspended until I can examine the facts.
Please accept, etc.,
[Inclosure 4 in No.
630.—Telegram.]
Mr. Terrell to
Mr. Poche.
Porte has sent instructions vali demanding again inspection passport
and permission to have an interview with Guedjian.
