The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-01 00:00:00

AN ITALIAN EXPEDITION MASSACRED.

ADEN, April 25.
News has been received here from Zaila that all
the members of the Italian Scientific Expedition
under Count Porro, which left that - place on
March 27th, have been treacherously murC.ered by
the Emir of Harrar in the Somali country.
ROME April 25.
_ .

It is semi-officially announced here that a'telegram
has been received from the Italian Consul at Aden of
to-day's date stating that the Emir of Harrar, after
putting to death all the Europeans in his capital,
attacked, near Gildezza, with 200 soldiers, the
Scientific Expedition under Count Porro and
massacred the whole party. The Emir then pro-
ceeded to Gildezza itself and captured the town,
taking prisoners the Anglo-Egyptian garrison, con-
sisting of about a hundred men,
-
- ROME, April 20.
The Italian Consul at Aden telegraphs that the
Local Government at Zailah has officially confirmed
the- news of the murder of Count Porro's Scientific
Expedition, which was brought by a soldier of the
military escort, who was the only one of the party
who managed to make his escape. The travellers
were attacked by the Harrari at Arbud, a place
between Zailah and Gildezza.
eAll the members of
the expedition, including two European servants,
were murdered, and the native escort were taken pri-
soners. Contrary to the intelligence in yesterday's
semi-official report, the Europeans remaining at
Harrar were not massacred, but merely taken pri-
soners. Only one Italian subject is among them, a
merchant named Sacconi.

ROM' E April 27.
The Agenzia Stefan' announces that the Italian
Consul at Aden telegrar ha fully confirming the news
of the massacre of the Del Porro expedition. The
news was brought by a soldier who succeeded in
escaping. The massacre took place at Arbad, between
Zalah and Gibbezza. ne Europeans at Harm are
not massacred, but are kept prisoners. The news-
papers call upon the G overnment to act in concert
with England. The Opinione expresses the belief
that the Government will lose no time in taking the
necessary measures for a venging the massacre of the
Porro expedition. The Riforma says that it is time
this massacre, as well as the Giulietti and Bianchi
massacres, should be avenged. The I?assegna says
that Italian and English honour are equally engaged
in this horrible affair.

A NEW DECORATION FOR ARMY
OFFICERS.
' The Army and Navy Gazette says: "It is under-
stood that the Queen will be moved presently to
authorise the issue of a decoration which it has been
proposed at the War Office to create for officers, who
have now no equivalent for the distinguished service
medal' awarded to non-commissioned officers and
privates as a reward for special behaviour. It has
been felt for some time—indeed, for many years—
that the clumsy system of brevets was a source of
heart-burning, and that the brevet was a sort of in-
equitable pitch-and-toss reward which gave to the
lucky men all the prizes, and aggravated the bad
fortune of officers who happened to be left out in the
race for honours by mere accident. We have great
satisfacLion in announcing that the junior ranks of the
army will fare as well as the rank-and-file in the recog-
nition of distinguished service, and that they will be
enabled to show some mark of their Sovereign's
favour for the work they have done in the field by a
special distinction."