MURDERED OFFICERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1919, Page 9

MURDERED OFFICERS.

ATTACKED WITH STONES AND . KNIVES. London, April 11. Further information has: been received by the Foreign Office in a telegram from General Sir E. Allenby as to the murder of British officers in the train from Upper Egypt. On the train which left Luxor at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 17, were two officers and eight other ranks (i.e., N.C.O.'s or men). When the train stopped at Nag Hamadi some natives entered the train and insulted the men. The two officers noticed this.', and took them into their first-class carriage. They reached Assiut in the early morning of Tuesday, March 18, where three of the men left the train, and Kaimakam Pope Bey, Inspector in the Egyptian Prisons Department, joined it. The train left Assiut at 4 a.m. Crowds had collected at every s/tation; they threw stones at the train and attempted to board it, shouting for the "Ingleez" (English). Several stations were passed in safety, but on arrival at Deirut a huge crowd rushed at the train, pulled the driver from the engine, and forced x way into the first-class carriage, whero the British were now collected. It seems probable that two of the'party were killed here. The train went on again, some of the natives of Deirut remaining on board. On arrival at the station of Per Moos another large crowd joined them, and there with stones and sticks and knives murdered the remainder of the party, not one of whom was armed. All the bodies were left in the train, except one, which has.' not yet been traced, and the train went on. At every station huge crowds had collected. who raised shouts of joy on hearing that the English had been killed. When the train reached Minia the bodies were taken from the train and buried. ■ The following bodies have been identified:—• Major Cecil .Tarvis, M.C., 20th Deccan Horse, Indian Army. Kaimakam Alexander Pope Bey, Inspector of Prisons. The bodies: of the remainder of the party, consisting of one officer and four other ranks, have not yet been identified; and, as stated above, the body of one N.C.O. or man has not yet been recovered.