Office of the Historian

EXHIBIT K.

Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, September 9 (21), 1892.

Your Excellency: I have the honor to acquaint your excellency with the contents of a telegram received by me last night, as follows:

“Vladivostok, September 8. Bark Cape Horn Pigeon, of New Bedford,” etc. (See telegram on file.)

I will be greatly obliged if your excellency will cause an investigation to be made into the circumstances of the seizure of the vessel above indicated for report to the United States Government.

In the meanwhile I beg your excellency to have the kindness to direct that proper help be extended by the authorities at Vladivostok to the master and crew of this vessel. I trust and believe that the description in the telegram of their condition, “without food or shelter,” is an exaggeration, for it is not the custom of the Imperial authorities or of the Russian people to refuse assistance called for by persons [Page 40] in distress, no matter what may have placed them in the predicament. However it may be, in the name of humanity I most respectfully appeal to your excellency that aid may be advanced to the persons in question.

I avail, etc.,

George W. Wurts.

His Excellency M. Chichkine,
Adjoint, etc.

Embassy of the United States of America,
St. Petersburg, Russia.

I, Herbert J. Hagerman, second secretary of the embassy of the United States of America, do hereby certify that I have compared the foregoing copy of a note addressed to the Imperial Russian ministry of foreign affairs by the legation of the United States at St. Petersburg, Russia, with the original as entered in the archives of this embassy and now on file, and that the same is a correct transcription of the original as so entered and of the whole thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of this embassy this 17th day of February, A. D. 1900.

[seal.]
Herbert J. Hagerman,
Second Secretary, United States Embassy.