§ Sir J. HEWETT (by Private Notice)asked the Under-Secretary of State for 1645 India whether he can state the facts regarding the murder of Mrs. Ellis at Kohat, and whether he has any reassuring news to communicate to the House regarding the fate of the young lady said to have been abducted by frontier raiders?
§ Earl WINTERTONI can at present add little to the accounts of this deplorable occurrence that have already appeared in the newspapers. The Government of India report that Mrs. Ellis was murdered early on Saturday morning, and Miss Ellis carried off, and that suspicion rests on certain trans-border offenders. The ladies were sleeping in a bungalow next door to the General's bungalow, where there was a military guard, but the raiders fired no shots and succeeded in escaping. The Chief Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province, telegraphing later on Saturday, stated that he had arrived at Kohat that morning, and that the whole countryside had been set in motion on both sides of the border, and patrols were out in all directions, but that there was so far no further news. The Chief Commissioner added that he was sending up all Afridi Maliks and Elders from the Peshawar and Khyber side to the central Afridi areas to assist in clearing up the case. I regret that I have no news at present regarding Miss Ellis, but every effort is being and will be made to effect her rescue, and to relieve the great anxiety which must be felt by her relatives.
§ Sir A. SHIRLEY BENNIs the Noble Lord satisfied that all reasonable precautions were taken prior to this outrage for the protection of British women at Kohat?
§ Earl WINTERTONI should say, from my personal knowledge—and I have been to Kohat on two occasions in October— that both the military and police arrangements for the safety of the town were admirable, but, of course, it is difficult in the case of a town situated so near a turbulent frontier as Kohat to ensure absolute security in every circumstance. I have no doubt, however, that careful consideration will be given to all the arrangements, in view of this tragical occurrence.