Mr. King to Mr. Hay.

No. 45.]

Sir: In the event of the Department being interviewed by outside parties on the inclosed case, I have honor to request that the Kellett assault case be permitted to stand just where it is for the present, as, in my judgment, this will be for the best interests of the Government.

So far as I know our relations here are most cordial, and I expect them to so remain.

I have the honor, etc.,

Hamilton King.
[Inclosure.]

alleged assault upon the united states vice-consul-general, mr. e. v. kellett, by soldiers of his siamese majesty’s army, in chiengmai, on the 19th of november, 1896.—decision of the arbitrators.

Whereas we, the undersigned, have been duly appointed and authorized, respectively, by the United States and Siamese Governments to investigate a certain alleged assault upon the United States vice-consul-general, Mr. E. V. Kellett, at Chiengmai, in November, 1896, and to arbitrate all questions of law, fact, and reparation of said alleged assault;

Whereas we have held an investigation in both Bankok and Chiengmai, and have heard all evidence obtainable in this matter;

Whereas from said investigation it appears that on the 19th of November, 1896, at about 7 p.m., after and following certain difficulties between said vice-consul-general of the United States and soldiers of His Siamese Majesty’s army acting as police, in regard to the arrest of a clerk of said vice-consul-general of the United States, the said vice-consul-general was assaulted in one of the main streets of Chiengmai by a number of said soldiers;

Whereas this unfortunate incident could have been avoided, or at least its gravity lessened, if the Nai Roi Ake, i. e., Capt. Luang Phuvanat, the officer in command of the soldiers who committed said assault—had taken the steps which his duty and the circumstances required;

Whereas the Nai Roi Tri, i. e., Sublieutenant Choi, under whose immediate command the soldiers who committed said assault were placed, and who was present when said soldiers committed the assault, did nothing to prevent them from inflicting injuries upon the person of the vice-consul-general;

Whereas Nais Kram, Nieni, and Phun, ordinary soldiers, while obeying certain orders, are convicted of having transcended such orders and of having struck several times said vice-consul-general, using to that effect the butts of their rifles and inflicting bruises upon his body;

Whereas the conduct of said officers and soldiers is to a certain extent excusable, from the excitement resulting from the unusual and imprudent steps taken by said vice-consul-general in this matter: Therefore we have agreed on the following:

I.
The Nai Roi Ake, i. e., Capt. Luang Phuranat, shall be recalled to Bangkok [Page 675] without delay after the publication of this decision; he shall be reprimanded in the presence of an official of the United States legation in Bangkok and a Siamese official of equal rank; he shall lose the grade he holds in His Siamese Majesty’s army and shall be reduced to the grade of Nai Roi Toh, i. e., lieutenant, from which he shall not be promoted for a period of two years from date of reprimand; he shall be suspended from the army without pay for a period of one year from date of reprimand; he shall not return to Chiengmai within five years from date of this decision.
II.
The Nai Roi Tri, i. e., Sublieutenant Choi, shall be recalled to Bangkok without delay after the publication of the decision; he shall be reprimanded in the presence of an official of the United States legation in Bangkok and a Siamese official of equal rank; he shall not be open to promotion for a period of eighteen months from date of reprimand; he shall be suspended from the army without pay for a period of six months from date of reprimand; he shall not return to Chiengmai within five years from the date of this decision.
III.
Nais Kram, Niem, and Phun shall be recalled to Bangkok without delay after the publication of this decision; they shall be reprimanded in the presence of an official of the United States legation in Bangkok and a Siamese official of equal rank; they shall be deprived of their pay during three months from date of reprimand; they shall not return to Chiengmai within five years from date of this decision.

We have also agreed:

(a)
That His Siamese Majesty’s Government shall express its official regrets to the United States Government, through the latter’s representative in Bangkok, that soldiers of His Siamese Majesty’s army committed an assault upon the person of a consular official of the United States, and shall duly instruct the chief commissioner of the Monthon Laochieng, Phya Song Surady, to take such steps as will prevent a repetition of such an incident.
(b)
That copies of this decision shall be published in the official gazettes of both Governments within a reasonable time after their acquaintance with the same, and one shall be posted on the gateway of the police station in Chiengmai for not less than three weeks and within seventy-five days of date of said decision.


  • John Barrett,
    Minister Resident and Consul-General of the United States,
    Arbitrator on behalf of the United States Government.
  • Pierre Orts,
    Assistant Legal Adviser to His Siamese Majesty’s Government,
    Arbitrator on behalf of His Siamese Majesty’s Government.