The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-11
War In KIPLINGDOM.
The Mullah Of Powindah At
taeks British Troops in the
Toebi Valley.
lBy Cable to The Associated Press

BOMBAY, June IL, 1S97.--A despatch re-
ceived here 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
office and native soldiers in the govern
ment employ. From the particulars OBJ
tainable at present it seems that two
guns belonging to a Bombay mounted
battery, escorted by 300 men belonging
to the First Regiment of Sikhs and to
the First Punjab Infantry, were treacher-
ously attacked in the Tochi Valley by
large force of hostile natives. The first
reports said that Colonel Bunny, two
officers and twenty-five privates had been
killed and that three officers and twenty
five men had been wounded. In addition,
number of mules and horses are reported
killed. Later reports, however, seem to
indicate that the affair is more than
mere conflict with warlike natives and
that the notorious Mullah of Poindah is
at the bottom of the trouble.
Later details show that a political
officer, Mr.. MCGEE, was visiting Shirani
with an escort of troops when he was at
tackled at Maiza by vastly superior
to retreat and were followed for several
miles by overwhelming numbers of the
enemy. The fighting was desperate. All
the British officers were severaly wound
ed. Captain Browne, of the First Sikhs,
a son of the late Sir James Browne, and
Lieutnant Crookshank, of the Royal Artil-
lery, were killed and Surgeon Higginson,
Lieutenant Higginson, of the First Sikhs,
and Lieutenant Seaton-Browne, of the
Punjab Infantry, were wounded The
second despatch 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 force engaged, it is in
ferred that Colonel Bunny is also among
the dead, as at first announced
Tochi Valley lies north of Gumal and
has 1s een bean oonroed by the Brtah
since the delimitation of the Indo-Afghan
frontier. But the tribes there have al
ways been turbulent and anxiety is felt
| lest the other tribes rise against the
| British.
The Mullah of Powindah, not .Poindah
| as at first cabled, is well known to the
British Indian authorities. He is a no
| torious, fanatical priest and has always
been hostile TO British influence. Owing
| to an attempt which the Mullah recently
PEELED 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 plotting
against the British. He took part in the
| attack upon the British camp at Wano
| in November, 1894
While Colonel A. H. Turner, the British
Commissioner, was engaged in 1894 in de-
| limiting the Indo-Afghan frontier his
camp at Wano was attacked on November
8 of that year by large force of Wazrl
| trfbesmen. The British lost about 2(
private soldiers and % camp followers
killed before the Waziris were repulsed
| The latter left over $50 dead on the field
The news of the disaster on the frontier
of British India has been officially con-
firmed,