MISSIONARY KILLED.

Shannon News, 1 February 1929, Page 3

MISSIONARY KILLED.

A DESERT CRIME. (“Sun” Special). BASRA, January 29. A hundred Wahabis, hidden in the desert scrub, ambushed two motors in which M Charles Crane, a former United States Ambassador to China, and three others were travelling to Kowert from Basra. A fusillade killed the Rev. Henry Bilkett-, an American Presbyterian missionary, who had been in the Persian Gulf, and at Basra for 15 years. The others were uninjured and escaped. WARNING UNHEEDED. (Published in “The Times.”) LONDON, January 29. When interviewed by the Basra correspondent of “The Times” Mr Crane said the party saw Iraquis excitedly driving their flocks toward Zubeir, reporting that Akhwan raiders were out. “We halted on an eminence, and Mr Bilkct scanned the desert,” Mr Crane continued. .“He saw nothing and expressed the opinion that it was a false alarm, and that it would be a pity to spoil our plans. So we went on at full speed. “When we were midway between Zubeir and Koweit the shots were fired at short range, but nobody was seerowing to the udergrowth. “Mr Bilkett said, ‘I am shot,’ and later he remarked, vl am paralysed.’ He died outside of Zubeir.”