BRITAIN AND PERSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 234, 21 February 1913, Page 6

BRITAIN AND PERSIA.

ECKFORD'SI IMIATIHLO ~,.-. jq.'lfl! [connection an--nbhncemeiit T that _ the British Government intended t5 r tribesmen for the murder of Captain ■Epkffioj-d to the Persian tlßfeTiiiVi'e"nt7"tlie fullowling replv.to a, qiie.stiqn -Mi Sir hMwartt'Crey' byW J.'' D.' Roes, :iiviM--lje interesting:— . ( ; lAs C;od(;' : ' , tef«'grani : ''h''a^"' : !)cen "received? 1 (from, his Majesty's ConVulltt Sh'iliiK fiv-foll-o\ving;a(:!c(>:untiQi.tUf),ij)eid('nt, drawn up.by Major.KcttlcwajJ:.— „. ... r . . .' liillafiy 'consisted' pf Xctifyw'eh]' .iiiV-. ■fjrffd, a native officer 1 , 2G 1 sowai's 1 , 1 17 W" -IoMWj and 17 baggage tiiuUts;-'' •u'jfiiey from KlmueMauui_at_4,Ajn. on Decfiiijber 11. half-andio'iu- "after a "party :of:al)jiut 150 PerspH .maruljing down tlftF i'Cirtd' iMepffimefltly. TWehie men were told otfas bagya»e .giuml|j, the reniaind~er "with" ofliccrs as advMnjoe guard.: " At /tlie;fljiidge' bVcY.tlie ■KiiZiliJgiK-h river Persia n_.ui]iccr of the ■dai-inijs wiio had to tliij river, gallbnWl oil 'a.liead't'qTlisp'eet Gendarmerie post'at; Biivjitin-uH''i'm the top of tliu r.S'tjiihsaM 'Pitas: s/Mebtile.well ■also sj'ii,t,ou / to prepare qmirtersat Darfar.jm. Seoutjs we're'also posted'oh u'oo'deii hills' on tile left Hunk. After- yiiwi'i! Wait ; -party'proeeeded. junglij for about a mile and a-quarter. Two 611ic(.'^S;. l aeeom.] ( i!Vjiii(;d l .lj.Y,«« / Jx sowavs, ha'YT passed jmigVeTand,*' just 'as leading mules were nppcariiiK from the jungle a hot lire was opened by a party from /the; hills; ;oii /ijhff.i\ofp> Advanced, galloped ahead, got under eoverj dismounted, and started to climb ,the Ijill. '-"lb was i 'di ; ffi l eiiTt: ; tb' : aist6vei !: the eiieniy. through thciithick jungle, but shots] were . exchanged;, aiid.jij,, was .now,;, that; Kekford- was shot ■, thrquffh■ i tlie tei-fti "Kettle-well' from' the crest of. a Wdgc 150 to'2oo'men rush -'out-fnim'' tlie, bottom of the ravrne'bcldwitowaudsii tlie river bank. His; men, b'ul: they quickly disappeared into the, jungle. Meanwhile the sowars 'of tlie"' baggage gna'rd had crossed' ! tV't]Vi |! north j bank: of the river and takejntupiatpasir;'; tion iin low bills. They, .report, that a smaller bod)- of robbers joined tlie attack! also from the north. . iLettleyvijll now ; collected his men, dcscetnfttf -HYus hills, and crossed tlie river bed, taking Eekftird's body with hiiii.' "They joined the other party, and a native-officepaiid two iso win's who had gone ahead also rejoined the party here. , Meanwhile , the robbers appeared to have made oft" over'the hills northwards with the -biibty. Whole party then returned to Khaneh- ' zinian, moving by north bank' of,. iji.vnr. , During this movement some 15 to' 20 • hor>ib)ien weru seen on the hills to the , norlli and shots were exchanged. Kettlewejl states that he saw no caravan litter or caravanserai at Khanehzhiian or oh' » the road. Small party of Persians,with three or four mules, who left. Serai after the sowars had started, were, robbed and their mules taken. They rbturned 'to , •Vrai on foot where Kettlewell saw ( them, but he had not seen them- on the ' road, ,

"Kettlewell also states that, beyond the firing, no attempt was made to attack his small party. Robbers were apparently only out for plunder, and cleared oIT at onee when they had .seized the mule*. As to the Gendarmerie, it would appear that the Persian oflieer when he reached Burjitinui, brought his men back along the crest of the hills, and it was there that they were wounded. Kettlewell only saw them in the distance moving along the hills to the south when be was returning towards Khanehzinjan."