Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part II
Mr. Terrell to Mr. Olney.
Constantinople , September 5, 1895 . (Received Sept. 19.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your information copy of a dispatch from Consul Gibson to Consul-General Short, with copy of Dr. Christie’s report and translated copy of the report of the moutessarif of Mersine, all relating to the Tarsus affair.
In this connection, I would call the attention of the Department to the gratifying fact that the grand vizier has kept the promise he made me on August 7, viz, that he would take prompt action in the matter. This action, looking to the protection of the Americans in Tarsus and the arrest of the guilty parties, seems to have been taken some days before the receipt, in America, of the telegrams which so greatly excited our Christian press. I shall now spare no efforts at the Porte to secure the punishment of the guilty parties.
I have, etc.,
Mr. Gibson to Mr. Short.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith for transmission to our honorable legation copies of reports in regard to the Tarsus trouble, sent at my request to Acting Consular Agent Daras and by him forwarded to me. Pardon the haste shown in making these copies, which have just to-day been received through Mr. Daras from Dr. Christie and also from the moutessarif of Mersine.
They show that his excellency the moutessarif, who has direct charge of affairs in Tarsus and Namroun, has taken the necessary steps in the [Page 1278] affair, but unfortunately it also appears that the mudir of Namroun and the acting kaimakani of Tarsus, in their sympathy for the attacking party, are permitting the persons arrested to go free in the streets of Tarsus and even to return to Nainroun, greatly to the prejudice of the case and to American interests in that fanatical section.
I am, etc.,
United States Consul.
P. S.—I also have the honor to inclose for your inspection and for the information of Minister Terrell the copy of a letter just this afternoon received from the governor-general of Adana containing the gratifying news of the release of Dr. Christie’s teacher, under the general amnesty allowed by His Imperial Majesty the Sultan to Armenian political prisoners. This case was referred to in the opening clauses of my dispatch No. 79 of August 6.
Mr. Christie to Mr. Darras.
Dear Sir: In reply to your favor of the 8th, asking for the particulars of the recent outrage, I beg leave to report as follows:
I rent and occupy here three houses for family and students. One of them is a three-minutes’ walk from the other two. At 9 o’clock, a la Franqua, in the evening of August 1, my servant Stepan and two of my pupils (Misak and Solomon) had just gone to this house and were preparing to go to bed, when some one called to them from the gate of the yard. Misak, thinking a passer-by wanted a drink of water, went down to the gate. A Moslem neighbor was there, outside; his name is Zeybek Ali. He accused Misak of throwing stones at his house. On the boy’s denying it he struck at him with a heavy club which he had held concealed. The gate and hedge are very slight affairs. He then threw a heavy stone, which struck the lad on the side of the leg and knocked him to the ground, where he lay crying and unable to rise. Ali then opened the gate and came into the yard and began to beat the poor boy, shouting out curses with a loud voice.
My servant Stepan ran to save Misak, when Ali began to beat him. At this instant a crowd of Moslems, their skirts tucked up and with clubs and stones in their hands, rushed into the yard shouting and cursing and helped Ali to beat the three Christians. In five minutes this crowd increased to 30 men. On hearing the tumult, one of our Christian neighbors (Boghos) and a dozen students ran to the scene; they were without weapons of any kind, and were too much terrified even to strike a blow in self-defense. These also were beaten without mercy. Boghos would have been stabbed with a dagger in the hands of a Moslem youth named Loutfi, had not his mother rescued him.
About this time I came up from the other house, having been summoned from evening worship with my children by the news of the tumult. It was a scene of indescribable confusion and shouting. Parties of from 4 to 8 Moslems were around each young lad, beating him with fists and sticks and yelling out curses upon the “giaours, the kyaffirs, the pigs, the dogs,” etc., threatening them with instant death and reviling their religion, their mothers, their sisters, and other relatives [Page 1279] in the filthiest language. At least one revolver and one dagger were freely brandished. I am confident that these would have been used if the poor sufferers or their friends had shown the least resistance.
I went into the midst of the throng addressing gentle words of remonstrance to the rioters and especially to Zeybek Ali, the oldest among them. He and several others had my servant down and were beating him. On my trying to pull them off, the most shameful language was used against me. There were cries of, “This is the head of the giaours; beat him, stone him, kill him!” But Zeybek Ali protected me. Another old man (Hadji Mehmed Agha or Kara Zeber) also began now to assist in quieting the tumult. I got Stepan upon his feet, when instantly the mob surged upon him again, threw him down, and dragged him by the feet down the stony slope in the most cruel and abusive fashion. I followed, trying to save him, for I had good reason to fear for his life. A shout arose, “To the mudir with him!” and the crowd rushed down the hill. By this time the beating of the other boys had ceased. I shouted to Stepan to make no resistance, but go to the mudir’s house, and that I would go with him. He and his assailants disappeared in the darkness. I followed as fast as I could, fearing what they would do to him on the way; but first I turned to my boys and bade them go back at once. They started to do this when a zabtieh named Ali appeared and with abusive language and aiming his gun at them ordered them to come to the mudir’s. This I did not see; but after I had reached the mudir’s house, a mile away, this Ali brought in the boys and a teacher, saying, “Here are the pigs I have brought.” About ten of the rioters were around me as I went down through the gardens and vineyards to the mudir’s. These continued their wordy abuse of me and all my relations. My hat also came in for a share of the cursing. I don’t wonder at that, for it is really a shocking bad one. Several times a fellow named Hafuz Nalban Oghlon and others rushed in front of me and lifted their big clubs to strike me on the head. I kept laughing at them and talking with Zeybek Ali pleasantly. He always interposed to protect me. I should otherwise have been badly beaten and perhaps killed. In this way we got over the mile or more of the road to the house of the mudir. There I found poor Stepan and the crowd around him. When I appeared they abused me to the mudir as a foreigner, having no right to be here at all; the head of all the giaours; and said I had lifted up here the American flag, a statement wholly untrue.
The mudir took part with the rioters, Zeybek Ali being his uncle. He made no effort to stop their abusive talk. He charged Stepan and the students with drinking raki all night, singing vile songs, and stoning the houses of their neighbors. He then promised the rioters that our boys should be punished, and sent the former away to their homes.
I came home with Stepan and a decent zabtieh, who stayed at our house that night; he is a personal friend. I made a thorough investigation before going to bed and soon saw that the charge of stone throwing was wholly false.
- 1.
- A stone of the weight Ali shows as having been thrown could not be hurled, even by a giant, from where our boys were to his house.
- 2.
- The boys had not been at the house for more than three or four minutes when the attack took place. Ali’s story makes out that the stone was thrown at least ten minutes before.
- 3.
- Our boys are not at all of the sort that throw stones at people’s houses, as their Moslem neighbors agree.
- 4.
- There are many facts that show the attack to have been a premeditated [Page 1280] one, well planned and prepared for. Some of them are these: (a) A great crowd came; (b) some of the assailants were from the east side of the valley, a mile away; (c) they all came well prepared with weapons; (d) they all rushed in at once, at the signal of All’s loud shout; (e) they beat our boys and the neighbor Boghos without mercy, although the latter were very few in number, wholly unarmed, and making no resistance even with their lists; (f) the language used and the extreme violence displayed are ample proofs that the real ground of it all was religious and race prejudice—a most dangerous spirit, that, if not checked by prompt and vigorous action, will surely lead to most deplorable outbreaks.
- 5.
- I may add that the bim bashi sent here by his excellency the moutessarif has made a careful examination of the premises, and tells me that nothing could be more absurd than the charge made by Ali.
On Friday morning I made a formal complaint to the mudir. That day he took our depositions, but in a very unsatisfactory manner. On the next day (Saturday noon) I sent word of the affair to Guzneh, having waited that long with the sincere desire to do everything possible here for peace and wishing to let the mudir have time, according to his request, to settle the affair on the ground. It was only when I saw plainly that he was working to hide the truth and to defeat justice that I decided to appeal to higher authorities.
In accordance with your complaint to the moutessarif, and his prompt action, the head of the police (bim bashi) came two days ago. He and Hibmy Effendi, the yenz bashi, have been working hard on the case, but the temporary kaimakam in Tarsus is releasing the prisoners and sending some of them back to Namroun as fast as the officers here send them down to go to prison. I desire that complaint on this head be made to the moutessarif.
We were able to secure the names of the following as having taken chief parts in the outrage; they are now in Tarsus but still at large: Zeybek Ali, Hafuz (Nalban), two sons of Hanna(oneof them is named Zebbar Effendi), Loutfi, and Zabtieh Ali—six in all.
In addition, the officers have arrested 11 men whom the bim bashi is to take to Tarsus on Monday. He promises, also, that all shall be put in prison.
The action taken against the transgressors has produced a most excellent effect. I have talked with most of the prominent Moslems, and they all approve of the punishment of these ill-doers. Some of the latter are well-known criminals, whose imprisonment will be for the good of all honest people in Namroun.
I have to thank you and your dragoman, Mr. Demosthenes, for all your kindness in this matter. I hope by the punishment of the guilty persons our security for the future, both here and in Tarsus, will be effectually maintained and that we shall have to trouble you with no more such cases.
Kindly present my thanks to his excellency the moutessarif for what he and his officers have already done, and at the same time show him the necessity for seeing that the case is thoroughly prosecuted.
I inclose a telegram for Consul Gibson in answer to one of inquiry from him received this evening. It is possible I shall visit you on Monday. I shall be glad if a copy of this letter be sent to Consul Gibson.
With great respect, etc.,
President of Institute.
The Moutessarif of Mersine to the United States consular agent at Mersine.
Esteemed Sir: We have taken cognizance of your letter of July 28, 311 (August 9, 1895), in which you ask to know the steps taken against the offenders who violated the domicile of Mr. Christie, an American citizen residing at Namroun.
Upon the receipt of your first letter of July 23 (August 4, 1895), and that of Mr. Christie sent to his wife, the mudir of Namroun was requested to report the facts of this case, and an answer was received from him on July 24 (August 5, 1895) to the effect that no violation of Mr. Christie’s domicile had taken place, but that a quarrel occurred between Mr. Christie’s cook and the companions of the latter (who are living in a house situated at a distance of about 150 feet from Mr. Christie’s domicile), and their neighbor Zeybek Ali, on account of their casting stones on him, and that the whole quarrel resulted in Zeybek Ali giving a box on the face of each of Mr. Christie’s cook and companions, and that the offender was sent under escort to the caimakamate of Tarsus.
Furthermore, as the letter of Mr. Christie to his wife contained certain intimations respecting his desire to come to town and his demand for protection, the kolaghasi of Mersine was therefore sent to Namroun in order to procure him full tranquillity.
The report received from the said kolaghasi, under date of July 28, 311 (August 9, 1895), relates that perfect tranquillity is pervading at Namroun under the auspices of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, that the dispute had taken place between the cook and his companions and Zeybek Ali, and that the latter has been arrested and sent to Tarsus. On the other hand, as Mr. Christie has reported in a petition that other persons had also taken part with Zeybek Ali at the time of the quarrel, namely, Khanli Zada Jabbar and his brother Hemmet, and Kefteker Osman and Khillo Oghlon Hafez Mohammed, the same have been dispatched to Tarsus under escort, and the evidence of those who were present that night during the quarrel is being taken from them.
From the foregoing details it plainly appears that the true facts in the case consist in the storming of Zeybek Ali’s house by the cook and his companions, which action gave rise to a dispute between them and him and his giving them blows on the face. That Zeybek Ali was arrested, together with his accomplices, and delivered to the authorities to be tried in a legal way. As to Mr. Christie, he was not ill-treated nor was his domicile violated, but is living in a perfect condition of rest and security under the auspices of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan.
With the view of bringing the true facts of the case to your notice, we transmit you this responsive communication, seizing this opportunity to assure you of our high esteem.