Mr. Peirce to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, October 23,
1894.
(Received November 6.)
No. 282.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith
copies of the certificate of the death of Stanislaus Krzeminski and of
the certificate of the attending physician, stating the cause of his
death to have been pneumonia, which have been received by me this
day.
I will forward the originals with the other documents relating to the
case as soon as these latter are received by me.
The United States consul at Warsaw in forwarding these papers writes me
the letter, a copy of which I append.
In my letter of the 9th instant, to the consul, I endeavored to impress
upon him the importance of using dispatch in reporting to the legation
as to the cause of Krzeminski’s death, certificate of which, it appears,
he then had in his possession. I have therefore requested him to explain
the delay in transmitting this document. It may, perhaps, be fair to
infer that he did not consider the report upon the cause of death
complete without evidence as to the cause of the disease and
identification of the dead.
With regard to his telegram complaining of the delay in obtaining
official papers, I at once, on its receipt, called upon Baron Osten
Sacken at the foreign office, Mr. Chichkine being absent, and requested
that telegraphic instructions be given to the authorities at Warsaw to
facilitate and expedite the investigations of the consul, and obtained
his promise that he would endeavor to secure this.
I observe that my predecessor in office, Mr. G. Creighton Webb, appears
as witness to the signature of the attending physician. Mr. Webb had
been active in informing himself regarding Krzeminski’s imprisonment,
and before he left here told me that he had been informed
[Page 548]
by the minister of the
interior that the unfortunate man would be released after certain
formalities had been observed. This tallies with the statement made to
me by the adjoint of the imperial ministry of foreign affairs before I
informed him that I had been notified by the United States consul of
Krzeminski’s death.
What information Mr. Webb may have obtained regarding the case when he
was in Warsaw and witnessed the signature of the physician on October 3,
I do not know.
I have already instructed the consul to obtain all the information
possible regarding Krzeminski’s imprisonment. As it is not impossible
that the disease may have been induced by exposure, I shall now request
him to visit, if possible, the exact place of Krzeminski’s incarceration
and report.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
282.—Translation.]
record of death.
The rector of the Roman Catholic parish of the Birth of the Most Holy
Mother at Warsaw.
It is certified by this that in the books of this parish for the year
1894 under No. 839, the following certificate of death is
recorded:
In the city of Warsaw, in the office of the parish of the Most Holy
Mother, on the 6th–18th day of September, in the year 1894, at 4
o’clock p.m., appeared Andrew Domorowli and Stephen Bury, both
prison guardians of age and living at Warsaw, and stated here in
Warsaw on Drielna street, No. 24, in the examination prison of
Warsaw, on yesterday’s evening at 7 o’clock p.m., died a prisoner
Stanislaus Krzeminski, married, an officer, 62 years of age, born in
Intomiosk, county Lask, Government Piotrkow, Sebastian’s and
Elizabeth’s son, leaving after his wife Valeria.
Being so notified of the death of said Stanislaus Krzeminski, this
act was read to the appearing and then signed.
For the rector of the parish.
Issuing the foregoing act out of the record books, I do certify
its truth, by my signature and the official seal, city of Warsaw
the (20th of September) 2d day of October, 1894 year.
| [l. s.] |
Rev. Niewiarowski,
The
Sector. |
U. S.
Consulate at Warsaw,
Warsaw, October 3, 1894.
I, Joseph Rawicz, consul of the United States at Warsaw, do
hereby certify that the signature of Rev. Niewiarowski, the
rector of the parish of the Birth of the Most Holy Mother of
Warsaw, is true and genuine signature, and that the said Rev.
Niewiarowski is personally known to me.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
seal of the consulate at Warsaw, this day and year next above
written, and of the independence of the United States the one
hundred and nineteenth.
| [seal.] |
Joseph
Rawicz,
U. S.
Consul. |
U. S.
Consulate at Warsaw,
Warsaw, October 3, 1894.
I, Joseph Rawicz, consul of the United States at Warsaw, do
hereby certify that the foregoing translation is true and
correct.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
seal of the consulate at Warsaw, this day and year next above
written, and of the independence of the United States the one
hundred and nineteenth.
[seal.] Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[Page 549]
[Inclosure 2 in No.
282.—Translation.]
medical certificate.
I, the undersigned, Nicolay Laviagin, medical doctor, do declare
under oath, before Joseph Rawicz, the consul of the United States,
that I am at present acting physician at the examination prison;
that I knew personally Stanislaus Krzeminski, and I treated him in
the hospital of the examination prison during the time about from
the 1st to the 17th day of September; that I have seen him for the
last time on the 17th of said month, and he was, at that time, so
weak that it was impossible for him to live over a day, and so he
died that same day from pneumonia (cacherti corum). To the above I
do place my signature, 2d day of October (20th of September.)
U. S.
Consulate at Warsaw,
Warsaw, October 3, 1894.
I, Joseph Rawicz, consul of the United States at Warsaw, do
hereby certify that the signature of Nicolay Laviagin, M. D., is
true and genuine signature, made and acknowledged in my
presence, and that the said Nicolay Laviagin is personally known
to me.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
seal of the consulate at Warsaw, the day and year next above
written, and of the independence of the United States the one
hundred and nineteenth.
| [seal.] |
Joseph
Rawicz,
U. S.
Consul. |
U. S.
Consulate at Warsaw,
Warsaw, October 3, 1894.
I, Joseph Rawicz, consul of the United States at Warsaw, do
hereby certify that the foregoing translation is true and
correct.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
seal of the consulate at Warsaw this day and year next above
written, and of the Independence of the United States the one
hundred and nineteenth.
[seal.] Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
Signed in the presence of—
G. Creighton Webb, New York.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
282.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, October 21, 1894.
Sir: Referring to your three letters of
8th, 9th, and 17th instant, also telegram received yesterday
evening, “report regarding Krzeminski without delay (sig.) Pierce,”
I beg to communicate that to-day I have answered by wire:
American Legation, Petersburg.
Notwithstanding personal influence, great endeavors, and
official correspondence, for reasons of formalities the
official papers about Krzeminski have not been received by
consulate. They have been promised this day.
Rawicz, Consul.
To explain the above I beg to state that on the 2d October (20th
September) I sent explicit inquiry concerning the death of late
Stanislaus Krzeminski to the authorities of the prison where he
died, but until to-day no answer was received, although during that
time the secretary of the consulate called on them in person several
times, and almost every day they have been admonished by
telephone.
Same time with my correspondence with the authorities I have procured
the certificate of death and medical certificate, in a private way,
[Page 550]
but not considering:
them sufficient proofs, I have awaited the official ones, but not
having them yet, I have forwarded to-day to the legation the first
ones, in a separate registered envelope, all translated and
legalized.
As soon as I shall receive official particulars I shall communicate
them to you, together with my report.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
