THE DOUBLE MURDER

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 551, 5 July 1909, Page 5

THE DOUBLE MURDER

| , INDIAN ASSASSIN. . THE INFLUENCE OF KRISHNAVARMA. A BROTHER'S LETTER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Oopjrlsht.) (Rec, July 4, 5.6 p.m.) ' London, July 3. The Indian student Dhinagri; who murdered Sir W. H. Wyllio (political aido-de-carap to the Secretary for India) and Dr. Lalcaea at tho Imporial Institute, is a Hindu from tho Punjab. The murder occurred in the Jehangir Hall, a gift to tho Institute by : wealthy Parsees. The guests at the "At Home'' were mostly natives. ' Regards Himself as a Hero. Dhinagri was a student at University College. He was astonishingly cool throughout." After the murders be attemptod sui-. cide, but his revolver was empty.' He regards himself aa a hero. DhinagriV two brothers were educated in England and returned to Amritsar. One, a doctor, is doing well.' He wrote to Sir W. H. Wyllio two- months ago regretting that his brother (the assassin) wae wider Krishnavarma's influence at India House (establishined by Ejishriavarma) where' Dhinagri had stayed for some time. The letter urged Sir W. H. Wyllio to 'remonstrate with the misguided man, and to wean him from his evil company. Sir W. H. Wyllie invited : Dhinagri to. the India Office, , but the invitation was ignored. It: is inoonceiyablo that thero could : have bean any personal grievance botwoon tho murderer and his victim. Anarchlo Vlows: Any Meara Justified. Moreover, a document in Dhinagri's handwriting shows that jho mnrdeir was a political, orimo. It doftlarOs that British rule in India is unjust and iniquitous, and that pory means is legitimate on tho part of Indiana to gain ' The document adds that the writor is going to the reception at'tho' Imperial Institute fully determined to kill.. ,

•During lunch on Thursday,- Sir W. 'H; Wyllio discussed with a guest the imprudent language employed in the House of Commons respecting Indian demands, >. and remarked: ."No othor. nation permits such incendiary proceedings as Mr. Koir Hardio's tour in India." ■ ; i \. .. The newspapers recall the. assault on Sir William Loe-W'arnor, a member of tho Counoil of India, near .tho Athenaeum: Olub,- in Waterloo-Place, London,, in February, since when the police have taken extra precautions to protcot Indian oQioials,, Tlio residenco of Visoount Morloy, ;Scoreiary- of State for India,- is'also" guarded. ■ '■■'r. [Tho attack on ■ Sir W. Lea-Warner occurred on Fobruary 2. Sir William was i walking from tho India Office to the Athenaeum Glub, when he was: acoosted by a Hindu student named Basuhdey Bottaoharya, who became 01oited-, and struck Sir William with a 'Stick. Ho was summoned for assault, and was • ordered to bo . bound over and to find sureties to: be of. good behaviour for six months, with a month's imprisonment ;in- case of default] I ' Mr. Koir l Hardlo's Repudiation. ', Mr. Koir Ilardic, M.P., repudiates tho murder, and. every respotraiblo i section of Indian opinion bitterly resents the deed. . Dhinagri haaJjoen brgughtj jt^fa-. lice Court and charged with the murder. After formal evidence had been;given ho was remanded. "...v wiw; ' ; ■ . It is stated that the.shooting of. Dr. La)-: caca was accidental. ; . :• , [According to tho previously-cablcd account, Dr. Lalcaca, an Indian Parses lately resident in Shanghai, Was killed by Dhinagri's. sixth shot,-, the: last -in : the assassin's revolver. -It missed Sit , iW, -H< Wyllio . because• the latter fell, with four wounds in' :■faiiii. Dhinagri then found, he had no bullet left for himself, for when he'placed ;the muzzle to his own forehead: the hammer. elioked harmlessly.] ;

King Edward, Queen Alexandra, tho Prince and Princosa of Wales, Lord Minlo (Viceroy of India), and many otters have oondolcd iiith Lady Wyllio. , , Vlotlm a Friond of tlio Natives. Tho oountry is; deeply, moved,, • especially in: view of tho fact that'the murdors of those who stand for authority in India itself havo boon; followed by an assassination in tho centro of ,that authority at Homo. Tho murdor has -caused tho deepest horror, and widespread sorrow in India, wliero in many parts the victim is romfcmberod as ono of tho warmest frionds of tho natives. His influence as political ofßcor.iii various native States is also touched upon owing to his intonso sympathy with,' and, kindly feelings towards, the. Indians. . . : Many now<spapers demand stricter administration in India, and the sovero' repression of offenders. ■ ■ > ■ Reforms, with Vigilance. "Tho Times" declares that tho crime ought not to divert the; Government from its steadfast, pursuit of reforms which may be advisable, but vigilanco and alertness are indispensable at the heart-of tho Empire. The,"Daily Chronicle"- (Liberal): says that the duty of the Executive is clear. If thoro la any anarchist group in Britain, it must bo hunted down. . Such murdors must bo punished in tho duo courso of tho law. They should neither extort concessions nor provoke hasty ■ reprisals. 1 ■' ; Tho ."Times.of; India"; considers that the deed ought to remind Lord Morley (Secretary for India) : of tho repeated warninga received against neglecting to deal with Indian anarchy. • The, "Pioneer" Bays it is useless to chcck anarchy in India if it openly flourishes in England. -

REMARKS BY MR. ASQUITH. A' SMALL BUT 1 DESPERATE '■ SECTION! (Rco. July 4, 5.5 p.m.) London,. July 3. In the course of his speech at&rothport, tie Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith; Baid that, the detestablo orimo was a startling and emphatic piece of evidence regarding tho char-; acter and methods of a conspiracy which, happily, was: confined tq a sma.ll number of people, but which was desperate. and determined in its methods, which ho had felt it his duty recently to describo in tho House of Commons. LONDON INDIANS' REPUDIATION, "MURDER IS MURDER." VIOLENCE DANGEROUS TO REFORM. (Rec. July 5, 1.15 a.m.) London, July 4. Surendra Nath Banerjce, editor of ."The Bengali, Calcutta,' and -,a delegato 'to tho Imperial Press Conference, presided oyer a crowded meeting in; London, oflndian,.residents and students. . . ■ \;Y . In an address Mr.. lianerjoe said that, according to their lofty ideals, murder, what-, ever its motive, is .murder. Headded that Indians engaged is » consUtutMMl

noedod sympathies of Enetishmoc, and, above all, tho blessing of God. They would forfeit both if they wore guilty of violation of law and order. ■ ; • A resolution waa passed by the meeting recording its horror and detestation of tho assassination and its heartfelt oondokmocs with the . victims' families. Tho resolution added: :■ ■ ■' ' . ® ' ■ "The reform movement in India is in no wise oonnected with any propaganda of lawlessness and violence, wWch is frMght with tho deepest peril to the best interests of India." krishnavarma! ; HIS CAREEfi AND PROPAGANDA. Pandit Shyamaji Krishnavanna, is on M.A. of. Balliol College, Oxford, and, on March 15, 1904, the Oxford University accepted his endowment of .£IOOO for a, Herbert Spencer lectureship. Ho had, up to that time, given no sign of tho violent anti-British foeling that, has since, compelled the rejection of his endowment arid, tho striking : of. hiß name oil the list of barristers. His academic caroer. was highly commendable. The first Indian to secure tho M.A. ! degree of the University, it seemed • quite fitting that now he was possessed ,of ample .means he, should endow the University, and at the same time honour the memory of tho philosopher under whose spell he had flrijf. come in his Oxford days.: His attainments in Sanskrit were so considerable that the late Sir Monier Williams, the Boden professor, made'him his assistant; and he was also lecturer in Sanskrit, Marathi, and Gujerati at Balliol. When he made the tion he seemed to be devotinK.his leisure entirely to literary pursuits'; and ho intimated to an interviewer that he intended to embark nponi a laborious work'comparlnp;' the teachings of Herbert .Sponcer with those of the Bhavgat Gita. \ . -~ i Peculiar Scholarship Scheme. Nino months after the acceptance; of his benefaction, and bofore the first lecture was given.- Mr. Krishnavarina founded tho "Indian .sociologist," taking as a watchword illustrative of the policy of the monthly sheet : towards British' . o'jO, an aphorism :of I Herbert Spencer's'Tlesisiance to aggression is not, simply justifiable,, but ■ imperative. Non-re-sistance hurts both altruism and eaoisra.", Neit followed fhe establishment of the In-' dian Homo; Rule Society,; with Mr. Krishna.varmo _as president! All mention of' this organisation lias long since; ceased ; in the "Sociologist," and it is understood that its-place has ooon taken by an ■ unadvertisod and eso- . teric; organisation. In the third number, of his journal,- the 'editor • announced the .establishment. of six Indian travelling .fellowships to enable Indian graduates to finish their education in England, : and to fit themselves for an. independent profession, a, solemn declaration being roquired from each holder that after his return to India he shall not accept ' office, emoluments,' or .seryico' under, the British Government.," The accepted candidates were required to irisuro their lives in •favour. of Mr. Krishnavarma, and to -repay the "scholarship": of R5.2000 (iI3S) as soon as able, besides paying interest at 4 per cent; per annum. Each holder had also to, pledge himself to reside six:months,at least-out of each year at a homo or hostel in London . v . -to*- be selected or 'established by the , undersigned"., (the donor). Tho' establishment of the now notorious India House soon fol-' 10wed,..-' r ' i Advice to Parsees. • . ' • On Mr. Krishnavarma's more recent writings ' and proceedings there is no need to dwell after tho revelation 'he mado of his. opinions ;in : his letter published in "The Times on February 20., vßut- for tho-purpose of showing that tho spirit he now exhibits ;has,; dominated hini for timo past,':and that consequently there has been~.no undue precipitancy in mov* ing the Hebdomadal Council, wo ;may ' -quote; the'; menaces addressed to tho Parsees for their loyalty to British rule contained in tho "Indian Sociologist" for May,' IDo7:—' - i- ; : : : . "Wo now appeal not so much to tho be tieyolonce -of a Parsoo as.- to hifl eelf-intoreet, } which: requires. that ho -. should,; soar ;: higher than a mere. time-Eerver. -It is ■ a certainty that England vrill have to leave India nolons voleris before very long,; since the, nationality movement is spreading; rapidly ', throughout tho land. . . . In the ovent of any upheaval or . political disturbance' in -IhdiaV *' a ' time'sorving community- liko.-thafc 1 of the Parsees, which favours a . domination, is likolv to be tho first to ba butchered by an infuriated mob clamouring for political.freedom. : ... What 1 chance.-.will thoy have >of resouing themselves from: exterminatjori ifboth /Hindus and Mohammedans decide to" 'crush: thom? . Prudence ought to teach the Parsees that tho time-serving policy is in tho long run fatal to self-preservatioh." /■ ■ ' : . . - One of those murdered by Dhinagri was a Parsee, Dr, Lalcaca. ..