THE DEIRUT MURDERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1919, Page 2

THE DEIRUT MURDERS.

FIERCE FIGHT -IN TRAINFATE OF ENGLISHMENTERRIBLE UNEQUAL STRUGGLEFurthcr inforniation DOW makes it possible to reconstruct the incidents surrounding the murder of Englishmen in the Assiutl-Minia train, Writes a correspondent from Cairo," For two or three days befol‘o the affair the fellaheen in the area where the murder occurred had been very excited. Demonstrations, which Were at first purely political but were gradually becoming more hostile to the British, had been hold,‘ while ’thol'C was considerable coming and going between the various stations, DOOPIO travelling quite freely. ‘There appears to have been some hint at Assuit of the possibility of trouble farther north, for although a large party, including the victims, left ‘Luxor by express, the latter stopped at Assiut. There some remained, but the murdered men, probably disregarding the warning as but another idle rumour, continued on the ordinary train, being joined by Pope Bey and his native officer. Hostile crowds assembled at various stations. After Assiut it appears that British soldiers who were travelling second-class were taken by the officers into the first-class_ For precaution’c sake all doors and windows were shut, and the conductor was put into the second-class carriage with instructions to say that there was no one in the first class. By this time, however, the train was full of natives, who knew full well the true state of things. ‘At the next station more excited crowds of fellaheen awaited the train and joined those already on it, and by the time that Deirut wa's“reached it was packed with a mob of shouting natives, even the roofs being crowded. At Deirut another infiiriated crowd swarmed on the platform. They had undoubtedly been advised by telephone, for no sooner li‘a'd the train pulled into the station than the mob started battering the doors and windows of the first clcss carriage. Notwithstanding the efforts of the native oflicials travelling on the train to divert. their attention. the mob: forced a. way. Most of them were armed with knives and fasscs (hoes); many carried stones and nabuts (heavy sticks. Quickly all the doors and windows Were broken in. The attack began and the eight British who were quite unharmed, defended themselves as best they could, with fists, kit-bags, cushions etc_ COWARDLY 3?OLICE_ While the attack was in progress a local police officer appeared on the scene with a. few unal'mcd‘policc. He had been warned an hour before the train was due by the statibnmaster that there might be trouble, but

had not turned up until 20 minutes :I.i'tol' its a.l'riV:Ll, and he appears to have made no effort to intervene, After a while Pope Bey managed to get out of the train on the oppssite line, but was not allowed to 35931,“ and was last seen crawling under the train to escape the cOllC:'llti'2'tt¢.'=;i attac:l;. His body was e\:enfuau}— found in the brake van. The Dx‘ll‘l2t .~:t:1tT;;::.;:asteT" made his way with great‘. (lllflClllty to 1-I'lo engjm and tried to get the dl'iVol' to I'o- - but the brake had been interfered with, and the electric staff had been taken away. However, after much altercation and d-3:‘;-.'fy', ‘fie 11¢foot was remedied and the train \\,~a:.; allowed to proceed, the crowd whicig had travelled down from the previous stations ‘*having been reinforced at Deirut. There is reason to bOliC\'L§ that two British had been killed by the time the train let’; Dvirut, 311$ their bodies cast in the “$9.11 along with that of Pope Bey, who, it is said, was still alive when he was tlirown into. the van, and who was done to death by the men travelling in it. . BODIES TERRIBL-Y MUTILATEED Fightiiig went on all the while the train was in motion. and at Deir Mawas, incredible as it um}-' seem, the remaining five Bl'itisll were still holding the mob at bay. ’There another infuriated crowd awaited the passage of the train, and, having been duly notified of what had already occurred, proceeded to stone the British. Two descended and fought a way to assist the driver to get. th€ Train going again Their efforts were in vain, however, and the man fled for his life when part of the crowd started to alttack the engine. The two were overpowered and their heads battrred in. A little later on the three remaining men also left the carriage and succeeded in reaching the engine. They were *imnled'i:ltcly attacked by the mob, and after resisting desperately with whatever they could lay their hands on tlle'3?‘were likewise over‘powered, dragged to the platform, battered with nabuts and fasses, and jumped on until their bodies were beyond recognition. ‘ livery conceivable brutality was C-.omulitted on them. It is stated that one had his leg cut off, and some ussailaiits in their frenzy di-9.u1~: the blood. Another was hung up, while those lying on the ground wel'c spat on and had filth thrown on them. And all the while the crowd watched, scretuniiig its delight. The bodies were then plundered, stripped and tlll'owll into th van with the rest, and thus ended this"terrihl.e unequal battle in the train_