A VALUED OFFICIAL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2695, 19 October 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

A VALUED OFFICIAL.

Tiik death is announced of John Charles •James Clarke Bey, C. M. G. , Superintendent at Alexandria of the Egyptian Government Tele graphs. He was 43 years of age, and had been employed in the service of the telegraphs of the Khedive for many years at Zagazig, and more recently at Alexandria, in 1882, when the rebellion of Arabi Pasha oecured, he offered his services to the British Admiral, and being a good Arabic scholar and well known to the Bedouins, was employed from 29th July to 25th September upon many important secret missions in connection with the Intelligence Department. By his knowledge of telegraphy he prevented auy news of the landing of tho British troops at Ismailia from reaching the ears of Arab), and he succeeded in obtaining a quantity of railway trucks and engines to convey our troops into the country. On 13th September, the day of the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, when he was attached to the Indian contingent under General Macpherson, he seized the telegraph offico at that place, went mi toZigazijr, and there ascertained that 15,000 rebels were at Salieh with 26 guns, and that they were within an hour and a half by train of Zagazis;. As delay was now important to the British troops, Mr. Clarke entered the telegraph office, obtained tho private signals, and found out that two trains containing about •5,000 troops were waiting at Abmikebeer for the signal to come on to occupy Zagazig and that others were getting ready. He telegraphed to Aboukebeer: "Two engines in collision at the junction, line not clear." This gave General Macpherson, who only had 70 or SO men with him, time to send them forward and tear up part of the line. He subsequently telegraphed to the commandant of those troops to fall back. For these and similar serviees he obtained the war medal and clasp, the star, and waß created a Companion of tho Order of St, Michael and St. George ; and from the Khedive he received the Fourth Class of the Imperial Order of the Medjidieh. In 188G he was created a Bey.