The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1920-1982, 1920-08-11
CHARGE BRITISH
WITH ATRoCITY
Indian Statesmen Disclose At
tack by General Dyer on TO-
600 Unarmed Natives.
TWO ARRESTS START TROUBLE
Natives Seek to Present Petition for
Release Of Leaders and Are At.
tackled by soldiers-1,000
+ Are M~assacred.

New York.-An attack by British
soldiers upon a crowd of unarmed ma
tives of India, as they were seeking
to present to q British deputy commits
sioner a petition for the release Of
two Of their leaders, led a few days
later to the massacre of 1000 Indians
In a great square at Amritsar, in the
Punjab district of India in the spring
Of 1919, says a report prepared by the
Punjab subcommittee of the Indian ma
tional congress.
Dissatisfaction among the natives
first became apparent with the pas
sage Of the Rowlat bills, designed to
punish sedition.
All over the country resolutions
were passed by huge mass meetings
protesting against the law and de-
manding its repeal.
The trouble, the report states, be-
gan In earnest when two influential
natives, Doctors Kitchlew and Satya-
pal, were arrested and their friends
heard they were to be deported.
Many Natives Killed.
The report continues with a descrip-
ton of the fight between natives and
soldiery, during which many of the
former were killed and the survivors
inf1amed to such a pitch Of fury that
they returned into the city and ap-
piled the torch to several principal
buildings.
The occurrence which directly led
to the subsequent wholesale massacres
in the Jalleanwala Bagh, the report
asserts, was q proclamation issued
about this time by Gen. Dyer forbid
ding the natives to assemble publicly.
"The public meeting in the Jallean-
wala Bagh," the report states, twas
called before the proclamation had
reached more than half the population.
Shortly before the arrival of Gen. Dyer
on the scene with ninety soldiers and
two armored cars, Hans Raj had taken
charge of the meeting, the audience
numbering about 10000.
What happened afterward Is given
by the Indian investigators in Gen.
Dyer's W words recorded during his
testimony at the subsequent inquiry
"When you got to the bagh what
did you do?" Gen. Dyer was asked.
Opened Fire In 80 Seconds.
II opened fire. Immediately l had
thought about the matter and don't
imagine it took me more than thirty
seconds to make up my mind as to
what my duty was" he replied.
I'm firing, was it your object to dis.
perse?"
mo, sir. l a going to fire until
they dispersed"
did you continue firing after they
had dispersed?" II
EYES,"
"After the crowd indicated that II
was going to dispense, why did you
not stopY
Il thought it was my duty to go on
until they had dispersed. II I fred u
little, I should be wrong in firing al
all."4
Continuing their report, the investi.
gators added
HE, Gen. Dyer, said he continued
nr1ng IOr ABOUT ten minutes, until nc
had expended 1850 rounds Of ammuni
ton. He said he had made no provi
sion for aiding OF removing the wound
ed. That was a medical question, he
declared.
zone eye witness said: 4 saw hun
dreds Of persons killed on the spot
The worst part Of the whole thing wal
that firing was directed toward the
gates through which the people were
trying to run out. Many got tram,
pied under the feet of the rushing
crowds and thus lost their lives. There
heaps of bodies at different
places. I.think there must have been
? over 1,00O.'"