Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1903 — ASSAULT ON CONSUL. [ARTICLE]

ASSAULT ON CONSUL.

American Representative In Turkey Beaten by Police. The United States flag over the consulate at Alexandretta, Asiatic. Turkey, has been hauled down and Consul W. It. Davis lias left his post for Beirut in consequence of a serious diplomatic incident iu which Mr. Davis was insulted uud assaulted by the local police. The affair grew out of the arrest of an Armenian, Ohannes Attariau, who is a naturalized American citizen. Attarian hud been in prison at Aleppo during the last two months and bad just been liberated through the intervention of the American consular agent, on condition of his leaving the country forthwith. Mr. Davis was accompanying Attarian on board a departing steamer when the police intercepted the party', assaulted and insulted Mr. Davis, and, despite the resistance of the consul and his guards, arrested Attarian and took him back to prison. Mr. Davis immediately lowered the flag over the consulate and formally broke off relations with the Turkish»nuthorities by leaving Alexandretta, placing the consulate in charge of the vice consul. A mob of Moslems seized the occasion to make a hostile demonstration against the consulate and against Christians generally. The State Department nt Washington promptly cabled Minister Leishman at Constantinople to make a thorough investigation of the affair.