No. 611.
Mr. Heap to Mr. Evarts.
Constantinople, March 5, 1880. (Received March 29.)
Sir: Lieutenant-Colonel Kummeran, the military attaché of the Russian embassy, whilst riding with Mr. Onou, the Russian chargé d’affaires, on the 27th of February, in the vicinity of Pera, was fired at by a Bosnian Mahometan and wounded in two places. He died on the 3d instant and was buried yesterday afternoon.
The funeral was attended by the diplomatic corps in uniform, a battalion of the imperial guard with the Sultan’s military band, the crews of the Russian and Austrian stationaires and a following of some 10,000 persons.
The assassin was arrested, with his two companions. He offered a desperate resistance and was severely wounded in the struggle.
This incident, which is attributed to a plot of the Nihilists, has occasioned some excitement, as it is supposed that it was the intention to shoot Mr. Onou, who indeed had a narrow escape, a ball having passed through his coat.
I am, &c.,
Chargé d’Affaires.