Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-02-06 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

INCIDENT OF THE BURMESE WAR.  Mr. George William Roberts, confirmation of whose murder in Upper Burniah was received by the last Indian mail, was the eldest son of the late Mr. John D. Roberts, J. P. for the county of Pembroke. He was born in 18131, end received his Education at Merchant Taylor's School at Heidelberg. He went out to Burmah early in 1883, and, after acquiring a thorough cilloqwal knowledge of the language by living in a Buddhist m.maetery for several mouths, entered the service of the Bombay and liurmah Trading Company in November of that year. He was at once stationed at Mingin, on the Chindwin River, in Upper Burnish, near the old British frontier, and remained there until his death, which is now known to have occurred on or about the 22nd of November last. At the commencement of the present war he was there with five other young Englishmen, all in the service of the same company, and, notwithstanding the orders sent them by the company's agent at Rangoon to retire on Macdalay, ihey resolved to remain at their poets. Y..uog Roberts's private letters explain that, in consideration of the company's valuable interests at Mingin, and the great care always shewn by it fir its employes, they could not bring themselves to Tilt their post. They relied, aleo, in the event of being attacked, on their ability to defend themselves in the company's steam-launch, which, in view of such a contingency, they made bullet-proof, and stored with provisions sufficient to carry them northward to Is point in the Chindwin Rover a few days' march fr.iii the friendly State of bilunipore. Upon hearing of the outbreak of hostilities they actually took to the keen, - launch with the idea of carrying out. their original intention. On their way up stream they weie attacked from the banks, and their assailants told them that a steamer full of dacoits was on the way down to exterminate them. This turned out to be a ruse, for on retracing their course they very soon encountered a large si riled steamer, which had been sent by King Thiban or his Ministers to massacre them at Mingin. The steamer hoisted a white deg and called upon the English lade to surrender. Three el them did so; but the other three, Roberts, Allen, and Moncur, refused. In his letters to his family Roberta, while repeatedly rw.lting light of his being in danger, declared the- if attacked he and Allen were resolved never to be taken alive. The steam-launch was onsequently carried at a rush by a body of the King's men. Allen was at rium cut down, and both Roberts and Moncur were severely wounded and disabled. Therien erah yr *al ip a ,ub w: e e hen hwererti mhn gr .rti it ,st. srvgeter. re ob stream re dhta andei in the n drowned.et ur hepeca hr oiI:1i :Ned; the  Judge Lefrrry, with...sing the grand jury at Newry quarter sessions, oontrasted the loactsful state of county Down with the lawlessneaa prevarling in the South of Ireland, where boyontting eras ruining trade and trampling upon the rights of noh and parr. That state of thaws was degrading the country in the eyes of all civi need nations, end be howl Lb. Goveea . wet would out a *too to it withoutluas of tints.