Heap to the Bey, April 4, 1873

Mr. Heap to the Bey.

His Highness the Musehir Sidé Mohammed Essadok, Reigning Prince and Possessor of the Kingdom of Tunis:

The undersigned, consul of the United States of America, begs to recall to Your Highness’s recollection that, on the night of the 24th–25th of December last, a cruel and flagrant crime was committed on the person of Mahmood Sennan, a dragoman attached to the consular agency of the United States at Bizerta. His body was found at Menzil-Djemil, a village a few miles from Bizerta, stripped of nearly all its clothing and pierced with fourteen dagger-wounds. He had in his possession at the time of his assassination a considerable sum of money, which, together with valuable papers belonging to Mr. Spizzichino, has disappeared.

The undersigned respectfully refers Your Highness for information as to the authors of this great crime and their motives for committing it to the ample and voluminous testimony taken on the spot by the authorities of Bizerta, assisted by Mr. Spizzichino, the consular agent of the United States at that place.

The parties implicated by the testimony have been apprehended, but, though more than three months have elapsed since their arrest, no further steps have been taken, that the undersigned is aware of, to bring them to trial.

The undersigned has communicated to his Government the fact that an officer regularly attached to a consular agency of the United States, and therefore entitled to its protection, had been murdered, but regrets that he has been unable to inform it that anything has been done to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. The Government of the United States may well apprehend that if so serious an outrage can be committed with impunity on a person appointed for the protection of one of its representatives, there can be but little security in this country for the representatives themselves.

In any event, it is not probable that the Government of the United States, vigilant and jealous as it is in maintaining its just rights, and in guarding the honor, property, and lives of all who are entitled to its protection, will be satisfied with anything less than the most thorough and searching investigation as to the authors of this crime and the punishment of the guilty.

The undersigned has refrained as yet from calling the attention of his Government to the dilatoriness of the proceedings in this case, in the hope that he might be able to inform it that justice had been done. It is, therefore, with extreme regret that, after so long a delay and the formal assurance of his excellency the prime minister that every means should be taken to secure prompt justice, no progress appears to have been made in this case.

The undersigned does not doubt that Your Highness will be pleased to take this matter into serious consideration, and is confirmed in this belief by Your Highnesses well-known love of justice, and the friendship and good-will Your Highness has invariably manifested toward the country and Government the undersigned has the honor to represent.

The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew the assurance of his high respect and distinguished consideration, with which he has the honor to be your Highnesses most obedient servant,