Mr. Breckinridge to
Mr. Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, December 4,
1894.
(Received December 17.)
No. 11.]Sir: I write in further reply to your No. 252,
of October 27, addressed to Mr. Peirce and in response to Mr. Uhl’s No.
12, of November 16, since received.
As I infer from No. 252 that copies of papers in the case meet the
requirements of the Department (they being copies of the required
official reports of the death of Krzeminski that Mr. Peirce sent), and
as the originals may be needed in further proceedings here, I still
retain the original certificates from Warsaw.
In response to the request for “any other information” in regard to this
matter, and in order that, you may possess the fullest view of the case
that I can present, I herewith transmit copies of correspondence between
this legation and the consul at Warsaw. These are in addition
[Page 553]
to the papers transmitted with
Mr. Peirce’s Nos. 282 and 285, of October 23 and 26.
Attention is called to the letter from the consul at Warsaw of November
3, copy inclosed. None of the correspondence of August 3 and immediately
thereafter, set forth in this letter of November 3, is of record in this
legation. And Mr. Peirce informs me that so far as he knows this
legation had no further information that Warsaw was the place of
Krzeminski’s imprisonment than that the minister of the interior had so
stated in an informal conversation until the consul’s letter of October
3, communicating the intelligence of the death of Krzeminski, was
received. It appears, however, from a note from Mr. White to the foreign
office, dated September 6/18, that he was still ignorant of the
fact.
In regard to the removal of the body of Krzeminski, I this day addressed
a communication to the Imperial Government in accordance with your
instructions, and I will report the result to you as soon as a reply is
received.
I have, etc,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, October 25, 1894.
Sir: Referring to my communication of 21st
instant, I beg to state that yesterday I received the correspondence
from the chief of the prison where Krzeminski died, which I have
forwarded to you in a separate envelope together with certificate of
death furnished by them, all in translation, legalized.
Krzeminski’s alleged crime dates from 1860, the time when the
preparation for the last Polish revolution began, and perhaps this
is the reason that, being counted as a political crime, such delay
in answer to my inquiry was made.
It is shown by the above-mentioned correspondence that this consulate
received after Krzeminski’s death from the authorities of the prison
17 roubles 28 kopecks and 3 silver pieces, which I intend to return
to the widow, who called on this consulate several days ago,
requesting that the particulars concerning his death be communicated
to her.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 11.]
Mr. Peirce to
Mr. Rawicz.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, October 23, 1894.
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of
21st instant, and also of the documents forwarded by you under
separate cover, viz, certificate of death and medical
certificate.
[Page 554]
I am very glad to get these, as they enable me to report the cause of
Krzeminski’s death to the State Department.
I must, however, call your attention to the fact that in my letter of
October 9 I especially requested you to forward to me report upon
the cause of Krzeminski’s death. As it appears from the document
itself that you were in possession of the physician’s certificate
giving the cause of the death at the time you received my letter, it
seems to me strange, in view of the special request made by me for
haste in this matter, that you did not forward it at once. You will
be good enough to explain the delay in reporting the cause of
Krzeminski’s death promptly and as instructed.
I am, etc.,
Herbert H. D. Peirce,
Chargé d’Affaires.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 11.]
Mr. Peirce to
Mr. Rawicz.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, October 24, 1894.
Sir: Referring to the death from pneumonia
of Stanislaus Krzeminski in the examination prison at Warsaw, you
will please visit the prison, and if possible inspect the cell or
other apartment or room in which the said Krzeminski was
incarcerated, with a view to ascertaining, if you can, whether the
disease was induced by exposure owing to the manner of his treatment
during confinement, and report.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 4 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, October 26, 1894.
Sir: Your favor of 22d instant received,
and in answer I beg to refer to my letters of 21st and 23d instant,
which I hope have reached the legation by this time.
To-day I have received from the prison authorities the medical
certificate dated on the 30th of September (old style), or 12th of
October of our calendar, which I have the honor to communicate here
inclosed, together with translation, legalized.
The facts concerning the death of Stanislaus Krzeminski, which Mr.
Webb may be in possession of, can not be other than those I have
communicated to you in my previous letters, as Mr. Webb was
introduced to the prison authorities by the secretary of this
consulate, who acted at the same time as his interpreter.
During the imprisonment of Stanislaus Krzeminski nobody was permitted
to visit him but my secretary, whose interviews were reported to the
legation immediately.
I am, etc.,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[lnclosure 5 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, October 27, 1894.
Sir: Yesterday I forwarded to you, in
registered letter, the official medical certificate of the cause of
Krzeminski’s death, which was received by this consulate but
yesterday, although I sent the official inquiry on the 2d day of
this month.
The two documents I forwarded to you on the 21st instant were
obtained in a private way, and as I intended to compare them with
the official ones previous to my report, I have detained them here;
hence the delay in my report.
Yesterday, after the sending of my report to you, an officer from the
governor general’s office called on this consulate, and in
consequence of your intervention at the foreign office at St.
Petersburg inquired if the documents were furnished by the prison
authorities, whom I informed that one of them was received but
yesterday and immediately forwarded to the United States legation at
St. Petersburg. Trusting that you will find this satisfactory, I am,
etc.,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[Inclosure 6 in No. 11.]
Mr. Peirce to
Mr. Rawicz.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, October 29, 1894.
Sir: Your favors of 26th and 27th instant,
with inclosed certificate of death of Stanislaus Krzeminski,
received.
In the former you refer to details of interviews by your secretary
with Krzeminski and state that you reported the same to this
legation.
As I find no letters to this effect from you, you will please send
duplicates.
I am, etc.,
Herbert H. D. Peirce,
Chargé d’Affaires.
[Inclosure 7 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, October 30, 1894.
Sir: In continuation of my letter of
yesterday I beg to communicate to you that, not receiving permission
direct from the authorities of the prison where Krzeminski died to
visit his cell, I have sent to-day a request for permission to the
governor of Warsaw, after receipt of which, and examination of the
last abode of Krzeminski, I shall report to you accordingly.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[Inclosure 8 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Warsaw, November 3,
1894.
Sir: In answer to your correspondence of
the 29th instant, I beg to communicate here below the copies of my
letters concerning arrest of Krzeminski, as desired.
August 3, 1894.
His Excellency Andrew D.
White,
U. S. Minister
Plenipotentiary at St. Petersburg:
Yesterday I received a letter from a United States citizen, Mr.
Stanislaus Krzeminski, who is detained in prison in this city.
On the request of said Krzeminski I have sent my secretary to
the prison to interview him, and his statement I beg to
communicate to your excellency. “Stanislaus Krzeminski arrived
in this country invested with a United States passport, issued
by the Secretary of State at Washington. On the 2d day of April,
this year, said Krzeminski was arrested at Intomiosk County,
Lask, Government of Piotrkow, where also his passport and his
United States citizen papers were detained. He was charged with
a crime of becoming a citizen of the United States without a
Russian emigration passport, according to section 325 of the
statutes of this country. On the 18th day of June, by the report
of the attorney-general (—————) of Piotrkow, under No. 9464,
that charge against said Mr. Krzeminski was waived, he released,
and then again, by the order of attorney-general of Warsaw,
arrested, conveyed to Warsaw, and now, since the 18th day of
June, imprisoned here without any trial.” Mr. Krzeminski, after
making above statement, requested that his case be reported to
your excellency, with his prayer for your assistance.
On the 15th of August I received a telegram signed by Mr. Creighton
Webb, to which I wired an answer and sent the following letter:
Creighton Webb,
Esq.,
Chargé d’Affaires, U. S.
Legation, St. Petersburg:
Your telegram of 15th instant, “Ascertain and telegraph
immediately to me present whereabouts of Stanislaus
Krzeminski. Is he still in prison? Creighton Webb,”
received, but as yesterday was here a holy day, therefore
to-day I was able to ascertain, and have sent you an answer
accordingly by telegraph: “American Ambassador, St.
Petersburg, Krzeminski in the examination prison of Warsaw.
Not examined yet.” I have delegated my secretary to
interview Mr. Stanislaus Krzeminski to-day in prison, where
Mr. Krzeminski has stated that since his imprisonment, viz,
since 18th day of June, he has never been called before any
court for examination, and repeated his request to the U. S.
legation for assistance.”
My next correspondence in relation to the above case was directed to
His Excellency Andrew D. White, minister plenipotentiary, on the 4th
day of October, under No. 1347, which I presume is in your
possession.
Referring to my last letter to you, No. 1373, of the 30th of last
month, I beg to state that I have not received the answer from the
governor concerning the permission to visit the cell of Krzeminski’s
imprisonment yet.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
[Inclosure 9 in No. 11.]
Mr. Rawicz to
Mr. Peirce.
Consulate of the United States,
Warsaw, November 7, 1894.
Sir: In continuation of my correspondence
in answering yours of the 24th, I have the honor to communicate that
to-day I have received from the governor of Warsaw permission to
visit the prison in which Stanislaus Krzeminski died, and now I am
ready to report:
[Page 557]
The prison is situated at the Dzielna Str., and the cell, No. 15, in
which Krzeminski was imprisoned, is located on the ground floor, for
one inmate, about 8 by 12 feet in size, arched, with one half round
small window, with a ventilator in the wall.
The hospital room in which Krzeminski died is on the third floor of
the same building, situated on the south side, containing six beds,
one of which is intended for the guardian of the room.
The appearance of the rooms and halls is clean, and the atmosphere
throughout the building is pure.
Communicating the above I hope to satisfy fully your desire.
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Rawicz,
U. S. Consul.
