'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎61r] (112/211)

25
Inclosure in No. 23.
Acting Consul Hampson to Sir W. White.
Sir, Erzeroum, March 7, 1891.
WITH reference to my despatch of the 21st February, concerning the appoint
ment of a well-known bad character, Ahmed Bey, as provisional Kaimakam of
Alashgerd, it is with much satisfaction that I have now the honour to announce^ to
your Excellency that this man has been dismissed, and that a certain Halim Effendi, a
native of Kars, and, as far as I can learn, an official of good reputation, has been
appointed from Constantinople to the post. I trust that this measure will have a very
good effect in the Alashgerd district.
At the same time, I learn from a reliable source that the expectations of trouble
consequent on the return of Hussein Aga, Mudir of Patnoss, to that district, have
proved only too true (see my despatches of the 16th and 23rd January). In his
capacity as Mudir, Hussein has thrown over twenty Armenians into prison on no
charges at all, or on vague accusations of being in correspondence with the Bussian
Armenians. Since his return he has forcibly collected nearly 1,000 sheep from the
villages round, as also seven pairs of buffaloes from Patnoss and Kizilkah. These
animals appear to have been seized from Christians and Mussulmans alike, and
Hussein is already in Treaty with a merchant in this town for their sale. He has
appropriated a valuable horse, the property of an Armenian, Manouk, of Kizilkah,
which he is said to intend to present to the son of Ismail Effendi, President of the
Criminal Court of Appeal in Erzeroum, with whom he is on the best terms {vide my
despatch of the 16th January).
Fifteen days ago Hussein, with his nephew, entered by night the house of an
Armenian named Caspar, in Patnoss, with the intention of carrying off Caspar s
daughter-in-law, a very beautiful young woman. The inhabitants of the house cried
out for help, on which Hussein drew his revolver and fired, killing the young woman
on the spot. .
No steps have been taken to punish this crime ; in fact, Hussein takes every
possible precaution to prevent the stories of his proceedings from spreading, forbidding
all persons from leaving the villages under his sway. It is consequently very difficult
to obtain confirmation of these allegations, but my information comes from a good
source, and is, I believe, trustworthy. I am assured, moreover, that thirty witnesses
could be produced to testify to every one of the crimes alleged, both those now
reported and those which 1 have previously brought to your Excellency s notice. . At
present, protected as he is supposed to be by the authorities, no one dares to raise a
voice against him. Such is the terror that he now inspiies that the jVIuiakhass
(Armenian Bishop) of Alashgerd has fled to Bayazid. ^ .
The dismissal of Ahmed Bey from his post as Ka'imakam raises hopes that
possiblv some steps may also be taken to put an end to the of outrages Hussein Aga.
If this were done, there would seem to be a fair prospect of the Alashgerd distnc
bein 0 * restored, for the moment at least, to a tolerable state of oidei.
° I have, &c.
(Signed) CHARLES S. HAMPSON.
No. 24.
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir W» White.
(Telegraphic.) . Foreign Office, March 23, 1891. ^
I HAVE received your despatch of the 16th instant. Lou should communicate
to the Grand Vizier the statements as to Hussein Agha’s conduct made to you by
Acting Consul Hampson; and you should impress upon his Highness the necessi y
of taking immediate steps to withdraw him from the distuct cf Alashgird, fo
cause an inquiry to be made into the crimes which he is stated to have committed.