Mr. Hill to Mr. Allen. No. 175.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 359, of the 7th ultimo, on the subject of the residence of American missionaries in the interior of Korea. In reply I have to say that the Department shares your views that it is inexpedient to encourage American citizens to reside in the remote interior, and that each individual case should be dealt with according to its facts as it arises. I am, etc., DAVID J. HILL, No. 392.] Mr. Allen to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 359, of June 7, in regard to the failure of the Korean Government to carry out its instructions in regard to the matter of the settlement of the case of the violation of the domicile of Americans at Taiku, I now have the honor to hand you inclosed a copy of a letter I have received from the Rev. James E. Adams, of Taiku, in which the writer shows that upon receipt of new instructions as a result of my interview with the minister for foreign affairs, mentioned in above-cited dispatch, the governor at Taiku called him (Mr. Adams) in and began an investigation of the matter. The governor upbraided the official who had been chiefly instrumental in causing trouble to the Americans, dismissed him from his office, and ordered him to personally reimburse the Americans for their money loss. The man, with his accomplice, fled to escape arrest and they have not yet been captured. This action on the part of the governor will have a most salutary effect, and I anticipate no more trouble to the Americans in that locality. I have, etc., [Inclosure.] HORACE N. ALLEN Mr. Adams to Mr. Allen. TAIKU KOREA August 6, 1901. MY DEAR MR. ALLEN: I have been waiting a long time in order to see the end of our business before writing to you, but as the end seems indefinitely in the future, through the principal offender having run away, I have concluded to write anyway. After your last communication to the foreign office they at once sent down here and ordered the business settled up. The governor called me in and asked me to give a full account of the whole affair, which I did. He then called to Noh Chussa and questioned him. Noh denied taking any bribe in the case. The governor upbraided him for treating us as he did in the administration of the case; said that he was unfit for his office if he knew no more than that about how to treat foreigners who were here under definite treaty rights, and then dismissed him from his office. He further adjudicated that, as Noh had been the instrument, either through his igno rance of law or his corruption by bribes, which, was immaterial, of the maladministration of justice and our failure to be reimbursed in our losses, and as the tile burner, Soh, now was poor and unable to pay the bill, Noh himself should reimburse us for the full amount for which we had sued Soh. He issued an order for the arrest of Soh, in order to find out more definitely about the bribery charge, and closed the case. That night both Soh and Noh fled the country: I have heard nothing more of the matter since. I understand that Noh went to Seoul and that the governor had dispatched a policeman after him. So far as the governor's adjudication of the case was concerned, we could not have asked for more. Hoping to see you personally in a month or so and then more sufficiently thank you for the trouble you have taken in pushing this matter to a conclusion, I remain, etc., JAS. E. ADAMS. CONDOLENCES ON ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT M'KINLEY. The Emperor of Korea to the President. [Telegram.] SEOUL, September 13, 1901. The news of your excellency's wound had greatly grieved and shocked us. We wait with concern the news of your complete recovery. We assure your excellency of our very warm friendship and deep anxiety. YI HIUNG Emperor of Korea. LIBERIA. CONDOLENCES ON ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT M'KINLEY. Mr. Smith to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Monrovia, October 31, 1901. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of official correspondence between this legation and the Liberian Government, resulting from the death of the Hon. William McKinley, late President of the United States. I have, etc., [Inclosure 1.] OWEN L. W. SMITH. Mr. Smith to Mr. Gibson, acting secretary of state of Liberia. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you the fact that intelligence has this day reached me through the proper official channel too sadly confirming the report of the attempted assassination of President McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, N. Y., September 6, 1901, which attempt subsequently terminated in his death on September 14, 1901, at Buffalo, N. Y. The honored remains were duly and appropriately interred at Canton, Ohio, the home of the late President, September 18, 1901. I have, etc., OWEN L. W. SMITH. [Inclosure 2.] Mr. Gibson to Mr. Smith. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of even date, informing me of the death of President William McKinley, information of which has this day reached you. In reply I have to say that my Government sincerely and deeply regret that the President of the United States should have come to an untimely grave by the hand of a ruthless assassin, and as a nation we deeply sympathize with the American nation, our foster mother. With sentiments of the deepest sympathy, I have, etc., W. V. GIBSON, Acting Secretary of State. 406 MEXICO. IMPRISONMENT OF AMERICAN CITIZENS, RAILWAY EMPLOYEES, IN MEXICO. No. 509.] Mr. Hay to Mr. McCreery. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 18, 1901. SIR: I inclose herewith for your information a copy of a petition from the Chamber of Commerce of El Paso, Tex., praying that this Government take such measures as may be deemed proper and effective to secure to American citizens arrested and imprisoned in Mexico on the charge of criminal negligence in causing railway wrecks the protection of their personal and civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution. * * * * * * The matter of these arrests of American citizens should have your consideration, and may be the occasion of friendly conversation with Señor Mariscal, with the view to ameliorating the condition which appears to exist, and especially to securing the prompt disposition of the cases as they arise, and the speedy release of any railway employee not liable, on ample probable cause, to be held on a criminal charge; and, even in the latter case, the proceedings should be expedited in every possible way and with the fullest opportunity for defense. A full report from you on the subject will have the Department's attentive consideration. I am, etc., [Inclosure.] JOHN HAY. Chamber of Commerce of El Paso, Tex., to Mr. Hay. EL PASO, TEX., April 11, 1901. SIR: I have the honor to transmit the following resolutions adopted unanimously by the board of directors of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce April 10, 1901: Whereas it is a common method of judicial procedure in Mexico, in cases of accident involving fatal or serious injury to Mexican citizens in connection with the running of railway trains, to immediately arrest and imprison American citizens employed as conductors or engineers or in other responsible positions on such railways; and Whereas American citizens thus arrested are in many cases held in prison for days, weeks, or months without reasonable and sufficient opportunity to communicate with friends, or to take other measures for securing fair and speedy judicial investigation of the charges preferred against them; and Whereas such procedure is a substantial denial of the right of American citizens to protection in the lines of employment in which they have been permitted, and even encouraged, by the Government of Mexico to engage: Therefore be it Resolved, That the El Paso Chamber of Commerce respectfully petitions the United States Government to take such measures as may be deemed proper and effective to secure to American citizens under such circumstances as above set forth the protec 407 tion of their personal and civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and recognized in civilized countries generally as reasonable and just. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your instruction to Secretary McCreery, No. 509, of April 18, 1901, and accompanying document, viz, a copy of certain resolutions passed by the Chamber of Commerce of El Paso, Tex., * * relating to the matter of arrests of American conductors and engineers employed on railways. in Mexico, for responsibility in railway accidents. * Referring again to the general question, I called Señor Mariscal's attention to the strength and influence of the different railway men's organizations in the United States, and that in my judgment they were agitating the question in the interests of the members of their orders who had, in some instances, been subjected to great hardships. I remarked that it was not for me to question the wisdom of the Mexican law under which arrests and imprisonments were made; that I had, in some instances in the past, notably the Turner case, complained of the apparently unnecessary delay in bringing the persons accused of such offenses to final trial. I said it would be an act of great satisfaction to my Government and be highly appreciated by it if his Government would adopt some plan by which, in the future, cases of this character would be disposed of promptly by the courts. Mr. Mariscal replied that he had in mind the issuance of a circular letter to the different judicial officers under whose jurisdiction such cases would come upon the subject; that he would give the matter his very careful attention with the view of bringing about the expedition of such cases and the prevention of just causes for complaint. For the purpose of furnishing data to enable me to report upon the general subject of the arrest and imprisonment, in Mexico, of employees on railways, engaged in the movement of trains, I directed Secretary Heimké to carefully examine the records of this legation, during my incumbency of over four years, and report to me each case that has been brought to the attention of the legation during that time, with information as to the employment of the accused, date of complaint, date and place of imprisonment, accusation, when reported to the foreign office and State Department, date of final trial, and final action upon the part of the courts. This information Mr. Heimké has furnished in the succinct and well prepared tabulated statement," herewith inclosed. From this statement I find that, during the period referred to, only twelve complaints have been made to this legation, either directly by the person seeking its good offices, or by other in his behalf. The facts concerning the arrest, and action of the court, in each case, are as follows: Embodied in letter to Chamber of Commerce of El Paso, printed page 411. |