CO129-341 - Acting Governor May Governor Lugard - 1907 [7-10] — Page 425

OP Y.

Enclosure 1.

420

CO Chefoo, China, Sept. 5, 1907.

38184

RECE

'Qer' 30 OCT 07

Sir,

I do hereby protest at my being illegally imprisoned and held in jail, by the United States Government at Chefoo, China, since August 13th, 1907, on an alleged charge of murder, claimed to have been committed at Hongkong, China, a British Colony, of which I am innocent.

I was illegally arrested by John Fowler, United States Consul General at Chefoo, China, on suspicion of being implicated in the murder of one person named Gertrude Dayton at Hongkong, China, which is not an American or Chinese territory, but is a British Colony.

As already stated, I have not been shown any legal document charging me with the crime; no legal or official paper or charge has been shown or handed to me since my illegal arrest by John Fowler, United States Consul General.

I am now being illegally held a prisoner in irons and restrained of my liberty without any legal process of law.

I do solemnly protest against my illegal detention and imprisonment and ask to be released.

I do solemnly protest against being turned over to the British Authorities, and I absolutely refuse to agree to same.

In case the Government of the United States of America should refuse to release me, I claim at once the right of the "Writ of Habeas Corpus" for which I hereby respectfully petition.

And I ask that the Government of the United States of America furnish me with a Consul in order to protect my rights, and that I be released from restraint.

I claim that the United States Government has no authority to arrest me in China for an offence or crime committed