PERSIA: An Accident

In the domain of Shah Muhammed Hasan Mirza, until April Valiahd (Crown Prince) of Persia, when his brother Ahmed was dethroned (TIME, Apr. 7), the plebs were adverse to having pictures taken of their religious observances, particularly when there were any women round.

It so happened that a crowd of Persians were giving vent to their spleen in holding meetings of hostility to the Bahaists, religious sect. Allegedly before a sacred fountain in Teheran, capital of Persia, one of these meetings was taking place. Along came U. S. Vice Consul Major Robert W. Imbrie and another American by the name of Melin Seymour, in a carriage. Before the fountain they stopped and took some pictures. Immediately the crowd rushed upon the Americans, crying out that they were Bahaists. They dragged them from the carriage, cut them, beat them. In vain did native servants of missionaries explain that the Americans were not Bahaists. The police were powerless to stop the infuriated mob. Four hours later, Vice Consul Imbrie was dead; Seymour was taken to a hospital in a critical condition.

The tragedy was the culmination of recent anti-foreign demonstrations aimed principally at the British. At the temporary funeral of the Vice Consul, the American Church in Teheran was packed full. There were present the Serdar Sepah (Reza Khan), Premier of Persia, and members of his Cabinet, the Court Minister of Ceremonies, all the members of the Persian Parliament, representatives of all the foreign legations (except Russia) and most of the European colony. Mrs. Imbrie is to bring her husband’s body back to the U. S. in the near future. Hundreds of arrests were made by the Persian police in connection with the murder.

The Persian Government instructed its Chargé d’ Affaires in Washington to express to the Government of the U. S. its deepest regrets over the “unfortunate accident” and to state that everything would be done to bring the guilty persons to justice. The message indicated, however, that “the Imbrie and Seymour accident was due to their own carelessness in going to a sacred place and persisting in taking pictures. The police and army forces which went to protect them, when they were attacked by the mob, received serious injuries. Three policemen were mortally wounded and one of the soldiers died a few hours later as a result of injuries received by him.”

The U. S. State Department announced that pending an enquiry, begun under the direction of Under Secretary Joseph Grew, Acting Secretary of State in the absence of Charles E. Hughes, no formal action will be undertaken to obtain redress by the U. S. Government.