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  4. Document 400

Mr. Breckinridge to Mr. Olney.

Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg , June 30, 1896 . (Received July 11.)
No. 333.]

Sir: Referring to my No. 288, of April 22, I now have the honor to inclose translation of a note from Mr. Chichkine of June 15/27, giving the names of the seventeen sealers arrested on Robben Island, but not indicating which ones claim to be American citizens, as requested. This request is renewed. In other respects Mr. Chichkine confirms information already given concerning trial, sentence, and appeal.

I have, etc.,

Clifton R. Breckinridge.
[Inclosure in No. 333.—Translation.]

Mr. Chichkine to Mr. Breckinridge.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Asiatic Department ,
June 15/27, 1896 .

Mr. Envoy: Following the notes which I have had the honor to address you, dated March 20 and April 9, 1896, Nos. 1238 and 1522, on [Page 505] the subject of the affair of the seventeen poachers arrested on Robben Island for being engaged in the illicit hunting of fur seals, and in reply to your last note of April 6/18, I hasten to make known to you the names of those individuals which have been communicated by the competent authorities. They are given as Steven Brenan, Roger Sheehy, Charles Riley, John Mahoney, Wenrich Ross, Edward Laskine, Arthur Wine, Diton Carty, Charles Calabell, Charles Nilsson, Hans Carlsen, Andre Anderson, Franz Hill, Edward Howe, John Wilson, Charles Evans, and Alexander Lilish.

The result of the information furnished by the ministry of the marine is that by a sentence of the tribunal of the arrondissement of Vladivostok, dated January 12 of that year, all these individuals, having been found guilty of being engaged in the illicit hunting of seals on land, have been sentenced each to five months’ imprisonment, which sentence, as I had the honor to inform you in my note of March 20, 1896, above mentioned, has not been put in execution, the public prosecutor having interposed an appeal regarding it.

In bringing the preceding to your knowledge I avail myself, etc.,

Chichkine.