Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1897-01-15 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

BRITISH EXPEDITION MASSACRED IN WEST AFRICA.  Bons; Jannary It. News of a terrible disaster has reached here from Benin. About the Ist inst. an expedition to Benir City started from the coast by way of Sapele or quite a peaceful mission. The party consisted ol acting Consul-Oencral Phillips, Major P. W. G. Copland Crawford, Deputy Commissioner ; Caplan A. W. Boisragon, Commandant of the Nigel Coast Protectorate ; Captain A. J. Mating, wing officer of the same force ; Messrs. It. F. Locke and K. C Campbell, of the consular staff ; Dr. K. H. Elliott, medical officer ; and Messrs Fowls and Gordon, civilians, together with a ler of Eroomen and native carriers. The Consul-General's yaelit Ivy has returned here, bringing intelligence that the whole expedition, with the native follow Ore, has been massacred by the King's people; [Benin City, some sixty miles:up the 130 ll itt river, is a large : town, the seat of a powerful theocracy of Fetis.li priests, and used to be fatuous for its Inman 50111. thee. Mies within the sphere of the Niger Coa,t Protectorate.]  Alarming news remhed the Foreign Ordee on Mont:, etal ri et thitat nada: r'airt•orye dmo,t the eßn sell' 17°, ffieiils , is•fir!if been h e information ieeeived by the Foreign Office is unofficial, but a reliable source; in fact it is believed to have Issai conveyed to the home Govennuent by some of the survivors of the eaptured party. It is, howev,r, very scant. The captives were monikers of an unarmed party which left the 13ritish Com:ohne at Benin on the western side of the Niger to ii 1,4 it11:111,1 towards, it is believed, Ads Mugu, in the direction of the western bank of the Niger (liver. They were surprised on the frontier of the chief of 13..111,1 city, wlure the party WM fired upon, siuurouamjd.l soot captured. In sonic quarters it is stated that the captured British subjects were murdered, but tii assertion must be received w ith res. rve until the arrival at the Foreign Office of information friql the British authorities on the scene. That tho ratty was captured there is absolutely no doubt expressed in official circles, and the message reeeited by the Government expresses tlio fear that Lime eapti via have been murdered. The number of captives is seven or eight. The receipt of the lows creat,d considerable commotion at the Foreign 0n..., where hmummuedlitte steps were taken to apprise Lord Salisbury of the fact. The British Cotmuissioner iii the D nut district (Mr. Moore) hams us to be in London at the present time, and no deiay occurred in Nuaveying the news of the disaster to him. Mr. Moore visited the Foreign Office, and hail a consultation with Mr. Curzon, M.P., Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Sir Thomas Sanderson, Permanent Serretaty at the Foreign Office. Instructions were subsequently given as to the steps to be taken in the matter, and a copy of the telegram recording the disaster was sent to Mr. Goodie'', the First Lord of the Admiralty, in view of an augmentation of the naval force on the West Coast station being necessary. Most of the captives were well known in official and club circles in Loudon.