This event which
took place on 13 November 1898 was in commemoration of the arrival of Ibrahim
Kheiralla(Khayru’llah) to Akka on 11 November 1898 – “the same year that this
precious Trust [the precious remains of the Báb] reached the shores of the Holy
Land and was delivered into the hands of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He, accompanied by Dr.
Ibrahim Khayru'llah, whom He had already honored with the titles of
"Baha's Peter," "The Second Columbus" and "Conqueror
of America," drove to the recently purchased site which had been blessed
and selected by Bahá'u'lláh on Mt. Carmel, and there laid, with His own hands,
the foundation-stone of the edifice, the construction of which He, a few months
later, was to commence. About that same time, the marble sarcophagus, designed
to receive the body of the Báb, an offering of love from the Bahá'ís of
Rangoon, had, at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's suggestion, been completed and shipped to
Haifa.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
Kheiralla (who later
became a Covenant-breaker) and his wife Marion were among of the first group of
American pilgrims who left New York on 22 September 1898. Phoebe Hearst, Robert
Turner, and Lua and Edward Getsinger were also in that historic group. In Paris
they were joined by May Bolles and Hearst’s two relatives.
From Paris Kheiralla
went to Egypt in early October, where he had children to visit. His wife went
to England to invite her aunt to accompany them to Akka. After twenty-one days
in Egypt Ibrahim Keiralla proceeded to Akka and was first to arrive on 11
November 1898. Anxious to reach Akka, Edward and Lua Getsinger left Paris for
Cairo in November. About mid-December Phoebe Hearst also arrived in Cairo.
Accompanying her were her butler, Robert Turner; her maid, Amalie M. Bachrodt;
her little niece, Agnes Lane; her niece's governess, Julia Pearson; another
niece, Anne Apperson; and an old friend, Mrs. Thornburgh. All nine Westerners
could not visit ‘Abdu’l-Baha simultaneously, for they would stir up too much
suspicion. While Hearst and her relatives and employees remained in Egypt, the
Gestingers proceeded to Akka. They arrived on 10 December 1898 and were the
first North American Baha’is to visit ‘Abdu’l-Baha.
(Adapted from ‘The Baha’i
Faith in America’, vol. 1, by Robert Stockman)
