Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-07

~ "a A0l 1Sh government mas DeSh
IN NEkS1Il stern in its measures to sup
IN y&&Nl press disorder and to put an
lM. VyNl end to the anarchy which
lksasME9l has terrified the country for
the past two years. Bengal
was the center and hotbed OF violent
trouble. Sir Andrew Fraser, until re-
Gently the lieutenant governor of Ben
gal, Is a man slow to anger and 10Th TO
adopt extreme measures in government.
Three times bombs were thrown at his
train, but with almost oriental fatal
ism, Sir Andrew declared that nothing
he could do would prevent his dying
when his time came, and that no hui
man being could advance that fatal
time.
Professor Ernest Dewitt Burton of
Chicago university was in Calcutta, and
had consented to deliver a lecture at
the Y. M. c. A. auditorium one even
ing. Sir Andrew Fraser was president
of this institution, and he announced
that he would attend the lecture. Just
before Professor Burton was to begin
his address Sir Andrew came into the
hall from a rear door and was met by
i. II. Barber, the American secretary
of the Calcutta association. Mr.. Bar
ber was in the act of escorting the
lieutenant governor to the chair when
young Hindu jumped from a seat,
the butt of pistol. presented the weap-
on at Sir Andrews breast and fired.
The hammer first fell on an empty
chamber in the revolver. The young
man again cooked the pistol. and Mr..
Barber rushed to crap 1t. The trigger
was pulled but the descending ham,
mer buried itself in the fleshy portion
of Mr.. Barbers hand between the
thumb and forefinger. Thus Sir An
ayaax H'tsaS
The young student who attempted
the ssassination was sent to prison for
ten years. The crown prosecutor, Mr..
Hume. was very severe in his conduct
of the trial of the young anarchist,
and thereby became a marked man.
Four times since the trial, and all with
in a period of three months, Mr.. Hume's s
train has been attacked and bombs
thrown into his carriage. Several ma
tives have been killed and injured, but
he has escaped.
Two days after the attempted assas-
sination of Sir Andrew Fraser a native
police inspector was murdered in the
center of crowded district by man
in the dress of a letter carrier. No clew
to the murderer has ever been discov-
cred. The police inspector was the only
living man who was able to identify
the assailant of the lieutenant governor
as one of the boys who frequented the
famous garden where the thirty-siX
Alipore anarchists had been arrested.
On the heels of this murder one of the
lawyers assisting the crown in the prose-
cution of the thirty-six Alipore anarch-
lists was shot and killed in the court
house enclosure. The slavvr was a
young Hindu with one hand paralyzed
and useless. The pistol he used had
been tied to his other hand with three
thongs, something that absolutely
proved the existence of a confederate.
It was impossible to establish con-
spiracy, the boy refused to admit that
he had aid. and he went to the scaffold
declaring that he gave his life for the
service of the motherland.
This condition of things could not be
permitted to continue, and the govern
ment decided to take measures to stop
1t. Two agitators in the northwest por-
ton of India had been deported for
writing and speaking sedition. The de-
portion was carried out under a law of
1918, a survival of the old East India
company rule. The regulation In the
first place had been enacted to rid Cal
cutta of an English editor who was
annoying to the company. After ninety
years of innocuous desuetude 1t was
brought out again for use in the present
emergency.
The deportation caused a great storm
of protest all over India. and no little
Indignation in England itself. Finally
the two men were permitted to return
to India, but not until after nine others
had been deported from Bengal. This
method of treating the disease proved
futile. IT only increased the agitation
and the unrest. 1t is still a live issue,
and the Indians are demanding that
the so-called "deportees' shall not be
made ineligible for service on the new
councils to be created by the Morley
reform scheme.
When Sir Andrew Fraser left office a
few months ago Bengal was in a con-
dition of anarchy. Not only were the
bomb outrages and political crimes al
most daily occurrences, but under COW
er of the excitement the ancient gang
robbers, known as "dacoits" had re-
sumed operations. 1t was much the
same as the marauding criminals who
sheltered themselves under the excite
ment caused by the tobacco agitation
in Kentucky and Tennessee, giving rise
to the might rider" outrages.
On account of the general sympathy
of the people for the political agitators,
and the widespread fear of the dacoits,
It was impossible to secure convictions
of suspects under ordinary rules of
ractice. Therefore, law was enacted
creating a special high tribunal to try
such cases.
This tribunal is composed of three