The record-union., 1897-06-12
And Number of Officers and Soldiers
Massacred.
Indications That the Affair is More
Than Conflict With Warlike
Natives, and That the Notorious
Muilah of Piervindafi is at the
Bottom of the Trouble.

BOMBAY, June ia dispatch from
Simla, the residence of the Indian
Government officials during the heated
periods of the year, announces serious
trouble on the northern frontier and
the massacre of a number. of British
officers and native soldiers In the Gov
ernment employ
From the particulars obtainable at
present it seems that two guns belong
ing to Bombay mounted batteries, es-
corted by 300 men belonging to the
First Regiment of Sikhas and the First
Punjab Infantry, We're treacherously
attacked in the Tochi Valley by a large
force of hostile natives.
The first reports said that Colonel
Bunny, two officers and twenty-five pri-
Yates had been killed, and that three
officers and twenty-five men had been
wounded. In addition a number of the
mules and horses are reported killed.
Indications are that the affair is more
than conflict with warlike natives and
that the notorious Mullah of Powindah
is at the bottom of the trouble
The latest advices say that political
officer, Mr.. Gee, was visiting Shirani
with an escort of trops, when he was
attacked at Mama by vastly superior
forces. The British troops were COM
PEELED to retreat and We're followed sew
eral miles by overwhelming numbers
of the enemy. The fighting was des-
perate. All the British forces were Sc
vereIy wounded.
Captain Browne of the First Sikhas,
a son of the late Sir James Browne,
and Lieutenant Crookshank of the
Royal. Artillery were killed, and Sur
geon Higginson, Lieutenant Higginson
of the First Sikhas and Lieutenant
Seaton- Browne of the Punjab Infantry
We're wounded
The second dispatch does not mention
the death of Colonel Bunny, but from
the fact that it says that Colonel Gray,
from Miranshah, has taken over the
command of the British forces engaged,
it is inferred that Colonel Bunny is also
among the dead as at first annouced.
Tochi Valley lies north of Gumal and
on the road to Ghuzni and Wazirislam.
1t had been controlled by the British
since the delimitation of the Hindoo
Afghan frontier, but the tribes there
have always been turbulent and fear is
felt lest the other tribes may rise
against the British.
The Mulah of Powindah is
known to the British Indian authori-
ties. He is a notorious fanatical priest
and has always been hostile to Brit
ish influence. Owing to an attempt
which the Mullah recently made to stir
UP a rebellion he was expelled from
British territory. This caused him to
be deserted by his own people, and he
has since lived in Afghanistan and is
understood to have been actively plot
ting against the British. He took part
in the attack upon the British camp
at Wano in November 1889.
While Colonel A. H. Turner, the Brit
ish commander, was engaged in 1894
in delimiting the Indo-Afghan frontier
his camp at Wano was attacked on
November Sd of that year by large
force of Waziri tribesmen. The Brit
ish lost about twenty private soldiers
and twenty camp followers killed before
the Waziris were repulsed, the latter
leaving over $50 dead on the field.
BOMBAY, June 1.-THE news of the
disaster on the frontier of British India
has been officially confirmed.