Some weeks ago a report came from Bangkok, the capital of Siam, that some Siamese soldiers had fired upon and wounded our American Vice-Consul, Mr. Kellett.
Our minister there protested, and sent word of the outrage to the King.
But the King of Siam did not take the slightest notice of the protest.
Then word was sent to Washington, with the request that an American gunboat be sent to Bangkok, to teach the Siamese to respect United States citizens.
The gunboat was despatched, and has duly arrived off Bangkok, but still the King of Siam does not give any reason for the brutality of his soldiers.
It is said that an American named Cheek, who owned some very valuable property in Siam, died a short while ago, and named Mr. Kellett in his will as the man who was to settle his property for him.
No sooner was Mr. Cheek dead, than the Siamese government tried to prevent Mr. Kellett from settling his affairs, and did their best to stop the sale of Mr. Cheek's property.
It is reported that Mr. Kellett would not submit to this interference, but did his duty very thoroughly, and tried to make the Siamese government behave honorably, too.
This enraged the Siamese, so the story goes, and they tried to kill Mr. Kellett to get him out of the way.
The captain of the gunboat, Commander Reiter, has orders from Washington to look into the whole affair, and if he finds that the story we have heard is true, and that Siam is in the wrong, he is to insist that the King makes proper amends.