KIDNAPPED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1930, Page 6

KIDNAPPED

" ‘ : A;'vNEW:. ZEAlfAN'i>^ll. FItERE. —{Clio. Jjtiinloji: . hawspape us"' sstlte.. tli'at Captain J. G. Frere, D. 5.0., M.C., Brigade-Major of the 12th Secunderabad Infantry Brigade, who was kidnapped by Afghan raiders last month, is a New Zealander Graphic details of the kidnapping of Captain and Mrs Frere and Major Farley by Achakzai raiders pp g,.the Afghan Frontier were related in a Reuter message from Quetta" The three (who have since been released) were motoring on the QueitaChaman Road, which the raiders had blocked with stones. When Major Farley’s can. .stopped the raiders ed'out froift v ' ‘ifim.busk and tied tf|p wrists of both Major Farley driver. They..,asked if was coming, and die driver replietlyin the negative, but Captain Frei*e soon arrived and were at bijic.c... seized. 1 ’S The tyres of the cars were punctured with ! bayonets, and the raiders and their prisoners set out tor the frontier.; but they had not gone.;far before 'Mrs Frere fainted. £ {.d Major Farley, in. tlie Pushto tonguF, asked the tribesmen not to he cruel whereupon they seized the camel of a. traveller, who happened to pass by and procured water from him, until the aid of. which Mrs Frere was revived. She was then put on the camel’s back and a veil was placed round her head to disguise her identity. t After the party had travelled twelve miles darkness fell, and they slept the night in the open. Next morning they covered another twelve

miles. On reacliing their destination’ the leader of the raiders—the Mullah Haider—fired shots into the air and the women of the tribe came out of t\ipu- .huts,, showing great amazement at the* presence of an Englishwoman. They were ordered by their men* to return to the huts and kill a goat. The captives were asked to partake of the goat and were also effered mutton and milk. The raiders"-told the Moslem driver that the reason for the kidnapping was the imprisonment of five of their n>en —four at Gull khan and one- at Chaman. They then demanded 10;0()0 rupees (£7so)but Major Farley was able to bring down their demand to 5000 rupees, for which sum he made out an lOU. No cash was paid. < Meapiwhile • !an • .Afgjhan official arrived with maliks (beadin'en). of ; \ the Aohakzai tribe and the prisoners were taken back. The only loot retained by the raiders were a few pounds heloging to Major Farley and Captain Frere, and a necklace of Mrs Frere’.s.