DELHI OUTRAGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1632, 26 December 1912, Page 5

DELHI OUTRAGE.

I A THRILLING ESCAPEVICEROY WOUNDED IN THREE PLACES. EXTENSIVE PLOT SUSPECTED. Br TaleeraDh—Press .Association— Ooiiyrlsht Delhi, December 21. •.'. The occasion chosen for the attempt yes'terday to assassinate the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge,- was a great, State procession to inaugurate the new . capital at Delhi. There were enormous crowds in the streets and the oity had bean magnificently decorated.'

Lord and Lady Hardinge, who were, seated in the same howdah on an-ele-phant, had an enthusiastic welcome 'in the streets. . A battery of artillery and the. regiment of Inniskilling Dragoons acted as the Viceroy's bodyguards The staff was preceded by an enormous elephant, gorgeously caparisoned with saddlecloths of brilliant gold and silver.. The Comman-der-in-Chief, General SirO'Moore Oeagh, and members of the Council followed; and then came scores ,of Punjaub nobles ofi horseback, with the Punjaub chiefs clad in their richest dresses, and adorned with jewels upon elephants. There wore fifty of these elephants in the procession, forming a splendid spectaelo. • The roufe was lined by three English regiments of Gurkhas and- other ■ native troops. -■

;' :No Special Precautions. No 6peeial. .precautions ; were. taken! in fact, the-Viceroy's elephant, : was. some d.is, tance ahead of;the escort while proceeding through the thoroughfare/of Chandm Chunk- at the- time when! the bomb was thrown 'from theiroof ,of. a. building. _ . The bomb:'passed, close- to Lord Hardinge's body, and horribly mangled his umbrella-bearer.:. The . bearer was the same who'had officiated.for Lord Curzou at; the Delhi Durbar, and .begged the same honour yesterday. . Besides a boy, a man among the spectators was killed, and several- persons were wounded.' ': The bomb /shattered. tho ; back .of the howdah, and the nails dented the helmets of some of the Sixtieth Rifles who were lining the streets, at. this .point. A large handkerchief, full of nails and screws,was collected afterwards. Similar bombs were'used in the train throwing ' outrages, and the boldness of the attempt points to a powerful'.organisation.-. , The house from which.the bomb was thrown was a large threo-storied one, used for offices on the ground floor, and for native residential quarters above. It was densely packed with about 150 spectators.

Assassins Escape. Some spectators assert that a group of men on the corner of the roof disappeared after the explosion, and a cry was heard in Hindustani expressing satisfaction that the' aim had been sure. Some time elapsed before the polioe!surrounded the House, and the panic in the street facilitated the escape of the assassins, who have not yet been captured. .. The Viceroy'for a moment .jiid,, not, realise what had WfirfVfi.'.-!-.',:.

• lady Hardinge had a wonderful escape. She, was on the i; side off.^e.jtywda.fy-facing, the.house from'ftwhich.itliie jjomp.ipame.. She showed the utmost courage, and asked her husband, "Areyou hurt?" •'.

: ' The Viceroy' replied:, "It-is all /right. Go oh." ..

Her ladyship said: "I cannot. There -aro dead men'behind." : .-, ■ ;.. ■ .

The elephant halted, and the Viceroy reeled and fainted from the loss of blood. Much difficulty was experienced in getting him off the elephant, but eventually the ■staff lifted him down and removed him in an ambulance. : • ■'■ '

' Procession Continued. At the Viceroy's) instance the procession was continued, Sir Guy Fleetwood Wilson, senior member of tho Council, fulfilling the programme end formally assuming possession, of Delhi. '

Lady Hardingedid not take part in the ceremony after the outage,' but returned to the Vice-regal Lodged

The police surrounded the house, ahcl several arrests were made. All the city outlets are guarded.

There is intense publio indignation.

Lord Hardinge subsequently sent a message to' Sir Guy Fleetwood Wilson that he'was only slightly injured.

■ Sir Guy Wilson read this at the Durbar', and'the announcement was received by loud cheering, particularly from the Indian chiefs.

Ten thousand rupees reward has been offered for the. arrest of the would-be assassin. . ~

. Tho Viceroy's Wounds. The Viceroy was!-hit in three places on the back and once on the. neck by fragments of metal; He has a deep wound four inches' long . exposing the shoulderblade.' There are! also superficial,wounds on the right hip■ and. neck. His Excellency is progressing satisfactorily, but is suffering 1 from shock. . The explosion caused temporary deafness, -and two operatiqns.haye had to. be performed to extract nails and- fragments of. metal. ■

' It is expected that Sir George Syden-ham-Clarke, Governor of Bombay, will be appointed, Acting-Viceroy.. Government House, Calcutta, is, being strongly guarded.

] His 'Majesty 1 the King has Lord Hardinge a message expressing his ' sympathy.