HC Deb 22 February 1912 vol 34 cc715-6
Sir HILDRED CARLILE

asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether any report has reached him of the alleged shooting by Soudanese soldiers, part of his escort, of the American subject, James Wood Rogers, in the territory of the Belgian Congo on the 3rd October, 1911; and whether he will ascertain what the facts are?

Sir E. GREY

I have received a report on this case from His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Cairo. In July last the Soudanese authorities learned that Rogers was shooting in Soudan territory, and had infringed the provisions of the Sleeping Sickness Proclamation. A British officer, with some Soudanese police, were sent in pursuit; the police arrived first, but Rogers attacked and endeavoured to disarm them, and they retired to await the arrival of their officer. When the latter came up he found that Rogers was lying wounded, and he ascertained from the evidence of the police, and by inspection of the bullet which he helped to extract, that the wound must have been inflicted by a native and not by the police. Rogers died four days later. The officer subsequently discovered that he had inadvertently crossed into Congo territory.