1922 – The report of a Consular Investigation into the murder of an American missionary in Tibet, Dr. Albert L. Shelton, along with his photographs of Tibetan leaders, monuments, and soldiers, as well as his border mission at Bathang (Batang) and his and family
Chunking China: 1922. Pin-bound report; unbound photographs. This lot consists of multiple items: a 14-page investigation report package from the American Consular Service at Chunking, China dated 22 July 1922, its official Consular Service mailing envelope, a birds-eye-view postcard showing Bathang, Tibet, and 15 photographs of or by Shelton in Tibet or along its border. Everything is in nice shape.
The investigative report consists of three-page summary letter from the Consular Service in Chunking addressed to Shelton’s wife, a copy of a one-page letter referencing his insurance policy from the Foreign Christian Mission in Chuchow, a copy of a three-page death certificate letter that was sent from by the Consular Service at Chungking to the United Christian Missionary Society in St. Louis, a copy of a four-page reply by the Consular Service to a query about Shelton’s will that was made by the Tibetan Christian Society in Batang, and a copy of a three-page Consular Services letter regarding Shelton’s will that was sent to the Judge of the U.S. Court for China in Shanghai.
The Consular Service registered mailing envelope was sent to Mrs. Shelton in Pomona, California. It is franked with six Chinese 5-cent stamps (Scott #207) canceled with circular Chungking postmarks. The back flap is closed with two official Consular Service wax seal. The reverse also bears a Chunking Consular Service handstamp, blue manuscript registration markings, a Shanghai transit stamp, and a Seattle, Washington registration postmark.
The unused postcard shows a birds-eye-view of Bathang (Batang), the site of Shelton’s border mission where he awaited permission to travel deeper into Tibet.
17 vernacular photos of or taken by Shelton in Tibet including formations of Mongolian soldiers, mission workers, what appears to be a border marker, a stupa, an ancient stone watch tower, a meeting between Shelton and the “Bow Lama,” the King of Derge with his two wives and children, Shelton family photos, and a memorial photo showing Shelton mounted on a mule amongst a small herd of tended Yaks. Some of the images are captioned.
After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1903, Shelton became a missionary for the Disciples of Christ and joined the Foreign Christian Missionary Society. He and his family (a wife and two daughters) arrived in China and, after a long and difficult journey, settled in the Chinese-Tibet border region of Batang where they established a mission. Shelton possessed considerable medical knowledge, and he dreamed of establishing a hospital mission in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, but for years his queries were rebuffed.
At the time, brigands ruled the countryside, and Shelton was kidnapped in 1920 and held in deplorable conditions while his tormentors waited to collect a $25,000 ransom. Although badly emaciated, Shelton treated the bandits and their families until they finally abandoned him on a road where he was discovered by authorities. Although not fully recovered, Shelton attempted to travel to Lhasa with three Tibetan companions two years later and plead the case for a missionary hospital himself. While enroute, he received a message stating
“An order has come from the Galon Lama forbidding me to permit foreigners to enter Tibet unless they first state their business to the Galon Lama and get his permission. Please write to the Galon Lama and get his permission. Please do not come until you do so!”
So, Shelton began his return to Batang. Unfortunately, the same bandits who had kidnapped him before learned of his plans and attempted to kidnap him once more, this time to force him to become their personal physician. When the attempt appeared to fail, the brigands shot Shelton and left him to die in the road.
. Very good. Item #010349A remarkable and unique original source account of Shelton’s death and its impact upon his family who had returned to California after the first kidnapping attempt.
Exceedingly rare. At the time of listing, original source material related to missionaries in Tibet is non-existent. Nothing for sale in the trade. Nothing has ever been listed at auction, and OCLC reports nothing to be found in institutional collections.
.Price: $4,500.00