DYER STORIES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17109, 2 April 1921, Page 13

DYER STORIES.

■TfLVT&'-'TR 13THLZ WAB.

' Brigadier-General Dyer, of Amritsar fame, tells some amusing stories of his campaign in 1916 to subdue raiding tribesmen in Persia, and to prevent German propaganda' on the Indian frontier.

At the outset his force consisted of less tlian 100, and thero were four tribes against whom h© had to operate. Some of his successes, he states, were due to Muff. Me wished to impress the raiders with the importance of himself and his foreev and, although only a Jieutenant<olonel at the time, Jhe proolaiinod himself a general. By tho judicious ilse of spies and the exaggeration of his force,' he convinced the enemy that they were up against a tough proposition, and so mdnced certain surrenders which, he could never have compelled „., «, :, „ But *lnff, says the "Daily Chronicle," did not alway serve all purposes, and there was a sharp Drush. with one of the raider chiefs who lost seven men killed. .The chief was greatly depressed reverse, and,, possibly with a view of oxijusing his retirement, declared that he had lbs* 700 men. . When this "was reported to General Dyer, lie declared the chief to be a firstclass liar, adding that he must have lost at least 7000. After the manner of the ootmtry this estimate was duly embroidered, and the terror of his name brought about other snrrend^rs. When Jie had duly made his captures, he cautioned Bis prisoners and let them go. His. purpose was not to kill his foes, but to subdue, and then to make friends of .them. -

Ope of the most truculent of his opponents swore by the Koran -that lio would not fight against bis generous , raptor again, but lie broke bis word* and, on being released aftcp- a -second i capture, was t«ld -that if" he i playedfalse again the General would blow his ; head off. ' j, There- was a* curious sequel. After many" vlrisaituries, involving losses, defeat, and even retirement in face* of the ! enemy, 'the with a greatly sangaaented foroe, was surrounded in a difficult gorge by the joint forces of the notorious raider, Jiahd, and the released chief. *

: Acting.cn a presoitimeni, General 'iDyer threw out strong pickets on Bis rear during the night, and,' _ when Jiand's colleague worked round his rear and attacked in the early morning, he found himself between two fires, and was signally defeated. The ehief himself was shot in the eye and his skull blown off. This was sufficient to raise General Dyer in the estimation of the country to the rank of prophet. It was. freely but falsely stated, and generary accepted, that he had killed the ehief with his own hand, and had blown bis head off, -as he had threatened to do. • ' On one occasion a raider chief was* tried by court-martial, and condemned to death, hat the General's' last wish was to kill him, and so he caused a message to be sent to the chiefs wife, whoTaastened to plead for her husband's life.

General Dyer said he. affected to be bo impressed by this vision, of loveliness that he condemned husbands, I would forgive them, all," and so he manged to spam tho rascal, and, also, to sava his mm face. #

Sear \tlie entrance to Taumata.Park, Eltham, a monument was erected in about the year 1900 to .Thomas Kidd, who lost his life when endeavouring t» drive the mail coach through the llangawhexo sCarfSim at Biverbtt when iu flood- A portion of this- monument,, the sculpturea figure which surmounted 1 the pedestal, was broken off some years ago, aud recently tho whole- was pulled down. The person responsible was* evidently a fairly powerful man> for with unaided hands & had pulled the pedestal to pieces; and the marble slafts , of which it was constructed were _ lying broken- upon, the concrete foundation. W630 wadtiusst tbs Young £NJ3.W) Cemetery recently &r the, arrival of a funeral cortege, the Kev. S. A. T. Champion encopntered a smalt _ but vicious black snake. Glad in priestfe robes, aud armco with only a- Prayer Book, tho clergyman let the serpent ihave the full weight of the law and the prophets, which-«he hurled at the reptile. The snako died.