§ SIR EDWARD SASSOON (Hythe)To ask the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the murder of Captain Warneford recently at Aden; and whether, seeing that the steps taken by General Maitland to arrest the murderer have failed, he will consider the desirability, in the interests of British prestige, of ordering the infliction of some punishment on the tribe to which the murderer belonged.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) I received on the 9th March, with great regret for the loss of a very valuable officer, a telegram from the Resident at Aden stating that Captain Warneford had been shot at Am Rija on the previous day by a police sowar in our service. I subsequently received a full report on the circumstances, including the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry which was ordered to be held. The murderer escaped, and fled into tribal territory beyond the reach of our police. All the neighbouring sheikhs were written to and warned not to give asylum to the murderer, but he has not yet been discovered. Efforts continue to be made to secure his arrest. As regards punishment of the murderer's tribe it must be pointed out that the man was a police sowar in our employ.